USAID IUWASH PLUS in collaboration with the National Pokja AMPL/PPAS (Working Group for Water Supply and Sanitation/Housing, Settlement, Water and Sanitation) conducted an Echelon-II meeting on the adjustment of Water Safety Plan (RPAM) Framework for the government institution members of the National Pokja AMPL/PPAS on July 2, 2018 in Jakarta.
The event aimed to update the Echelon II from the respective ministries with the results of RPAM (water safety plan) assessment and to seek guidance and decision for the key recommendations for the RPAM concept and framework adjustments. Around 30 participants representing the National Pokja APML/PPAS, BPPSPAM, USAID, WHO, UNICEF, and Institute Technology Bandung attended the meeting.
The participants discussed the key results of the RPAM assessment and agreed on six recommendations for RPAM Policy Framework adjustments. The recommendations included putting public health as the main driver for the RPAM implementation; using RPAM as one of the key instruments to achieve SDGs target on ensuring access to safe water supply; switching the RPAM focus from 4K (quality, quantity, continuity, and affordability) to focus only on quality; shifting the division of RPAM from three components (source, operator, and consumer) to base on water supply provider typologies; ensuring the presence of a policy regulation that mandates all typologies of water supply providers to implement RPAM; and at national level, Bappenas, MPWH, MOH, and MOHA will be responsible to ensure all elements required for RPAM implementation shall be in place.
To bring the recommendations to the next level, the National Pokja AMPL/PPAS with supports from USAID IUWASH PLUS will develop RPAM implementation strategy, elaborate roadmap for the RPAM implementation and address other critical issues, such as definition of safe water supply. USAID IUWASH PLUS will facilitate the working group to visit the Philippines in July 2018 to learn about their experience in developing the strategy and capacity building.
The Director for Urban, Housing, and Settlements of BAPPENAS, Tri Dewi Virgiyanti highlighted that the provision of safe water is still challenging in Indonesia. The 2016 UNICEF study in Yogyakarta showed that 89% of source water were contaminated with E.Coli, and around 67% of household drinking water at the point of consumption were contaminated.
“The RPAM initiative should be able to help us address this issue and ensure by 2030 we will be able to deliver safe water supply as mandated by the SDGs,” Tri Dewi Virgiyanti shared her expectation on RPAM.
