Researcher:

1. Ir. Dr. Yun Ii Go (Heriot-Watt University Malaysia)
2. Dr. Ir. Mahawan Karuniasa (University of Indonesia)
3. Olga Potapova-Crighton (Heriot-Watt University Dubai)
4. Laily Himayati (Hivos Southeast Asia) and
5. Jeeten Kumar (Resilience Development Initiative)

Participants:

1. Resilience Development Initiative (Indonesia),
2. University of Indonesia (Indonesia),
3. Heriot-Watt University (Dubai),
4. Hivos Southeast Asia (Indonesia)

Location: Indonesia

Water scarcity issues and water-related extreme climate events had detrimentally impacted Indonesia’s National Development Goals from various perspectives including economic, gross domestic product, ecosystems, and community welfare. The Eastern Islands of Indonesia have been identified as one of the most vulnerable areas to extreme climate change impacts compared to other parts of the nation with a vulnerability index of 0.68 – 1.00. The greatest threat of climate change in these areas is the changes in the intensity and patterns of rainfalls that caused prolonged drought season. Sumba Island is one of the regions within the area that is negatively impacted by the growing risk of water scarcity due to extreme weather and climate change.

The severity and frequency of droughts that lead to water scarcity pose a significant risk to the population of Sumba Island. Women and children are forced to become ‘water fetchers’ who routinely walk more than ten kilometers only to collect water. In an acute stress situation, the locals have no choice but to consume poor-quality water. Additionally, the locals rely strongly on freshwater to maintain their livelihoods as farmers or livestock raising. This situation becomes more complex during the drought season affecting not only the livelihood but the agriculture, crop harvesting, animal feeding, washing, bathing and sanitation, etc.

Jeeten Kumar (RDI Program Manager) along with three international research members from various institutions has secured a fund to conduct research on the Fog-to-Water (FtW) solution as one of the feasible options for the area that suffers from extreme weather. Traditional solar-powered/conventional water pumps and water filtration might not be the most meaningful solution to these low-income neighborhoods especially when there is no rain for a prolonged duration, or the freshwater sources are not close at hand. Thus, we perceive that it is crucial to conduct elaborate research on the feasibility of a Fog-to-Water (FtW) solution in an extreme climate-stricken community of the Eastern Island of Indonesia with a case study at Mandahu Village, East Sumba Island.