2021 Water Quality Index Falls Short of Target: Here's Why

Indonesia's 2021 Water Quality Index (WQI) fell short of the target set in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). Preliminary calculations show a 2021 WQI score of 53.33 points, against a national target of 55.2 points.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) noted a 0.2-point decrease in the WQI compared to the previous year. The 2020 WQI score was 53.53 points.

According to Sigit Reliantoro, Director General of Pollution Control and Environmental Damage at KLHK, the failure to meet the WQI target is partly due to persistent levels of BOD (biological oxygen demand) and E. coli.

This reflects poorly managed household waste, highlighting the critical need to accelerate sanitation improvements.

A breakdown by province reveals that 14 provinces achieved their 2021 WQI targets, while 20 did not.

Conversely, some provinces, while meeting water quality targets, experienced declining water quality in rivers and lakes, requiring further attention. These provinces are Bengkulu, Banten, Riau Islands, South Sumatra, and West Java.

Provinces showing an upward trend in WQI are DKI Jakarta, East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara, and Central Sulawesi.

From 2015 to 2021, the WQI trend has been volatile, with significant drops in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, the WQI plummeted by 2.9 points to 50.2 points.

In 2017, it rose to 53.2 points, but fell again to 51.01 points in 2018. The WQI then improved until 2020 before declining again in 2021.

Over the past seven years, the WQI targets were only met in 2015 and 2017. In 2015, the WQI reached 53.1 points (target: 52 points), and in 2017, it reached 53.2 points (target: 53 points).

(Read More: Majority of North Maluku Households Drank Bottled Water in 2020)