Shared water resources in decentralized city regions: mixed governance arrangements in Indonesia

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates emerging models of governance for shared water resources in decentralized urban regions in Indonesia and draws on a case of inter-local government collaboration for shared water resources in Cirebon region, Indonesia. The paper points to cooperation practice involving a mixed-model of governance for sharing water. by identifying a series of requirements for mixed governance. This model suits well not only because of the regional nature of water resource management in general, but also because such a model is likely to strengthen trust, increase transparency, and provide more equal positions among regions or stakeholders involved. Crucially, this model tends to decrease problematic levels of local autonomy and inter-local rivalry, which currently appears as a major challenge for shared water resource cooperation attempts in the decentralizing contexts of Indonesia and beyond.

KEYWORDS:

• Water resources
• governance model
• decentralization
• Cirebon
• Indonesia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. A production forest is land designated for the production of forest products to meet the needs of society in general, and for the construction, industrial, and export industries in particular.

2. A state forest is a forest area and forest growing on land that is not encumbered property (Government Act No. 5/1967 on Basic Provisions of Forestry)

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.