Indonesia expands Clean Irrigation Movement to bolster food security

Indonesia’s Public Works Ministry has officially expanded its Clean Irrigation Movement across the nation. This initiative is designed to secure raw water supplies, reinforce irrigation infrastructure, and provide direct support for President Prabowo Subianto's food self-sufficiency program. The effort involves mobilizing river basin organizations across all major regions of the country.

Speaking at an event in Sukadana, Kasemen Subdistrict, on August 7, 2026, Director General of Water Resources Arnold Ritiauw emphasized the strategic importance of the campaign. Ritiauw noted that clean irrigation is essential not only for providing quality raw water for farming communities but also for preventing toxic contamination and mitigating flood risks during intense rainfall events.

Ritiauw stated that reliable irrigation infrastructure is vital to the government's food agenda, warning that any neglect could lead to water shortages that might jeopardize national agricultural production. The ministry has already successfully revitalized the primary irrigation canal in Sukadana, transforming a previously neglected area into a well-managed waterway. Furthermore, the ministry is preparing to implement a presidential directive to rehabilitate tertiary irrigation systems that directly serve rice paddies.

Beyond long-term infrastructure upgrades, the ministry is taking urgent steps to address drought risks during the current dry season. Local river basin offices have been actively supplying water to affected communities for the past 27 days and have urged citizens to report any drought conditions immediately for swift intervention. These rapid response measures are crucial for protecting crops from the ongoing seasonal pressures.

The Banten provincial government has expressed strong support for these proactive efforts. Budi Santoso, a Banten official, noted that the ministry’s work in building and maintaining networks has protected thousands of hectares of farmland. He emphasized that without this consistent irrigation support, these productive areas would otherwise become unusable, highlighting the ministry's essential role in sustaining Indonesia's agricultural sector.