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Thirsty downstream : the provision of clean water in Jakarta, Indonesia

The challenge of water provision in third world cities is to maintain the supply in the context of
inadequate and inefficient piped water infrastructure and diminishing raw resources. In order to
examine the role of governance in this, I utilize a range of theoretical positions: the welfare
orientation, rational choice paradigm, common goods theory and regime theory, and present them
as ways to explore the subjective dimension of water provision. Using the city of Jakarta,
Indonesia as a case study, this dissertation explores the issues using different perspectives on a
single principal focus, the roles of the government and its relations to non-governmental actors.
This research used data from secondary materials such as management reports, policy and
academic reports, and scientific studies. The major source of primary data were interviews
conducted with about 40 key actors. Qualitative analysis used a system of information coding and
triangulation.
The conclusion reached is that the approach to managing clean water provision needs to be
redefined in relation to the water management regimes found in situated research. In Jakarta, one
may define three regimes: piped water, surface and shallow groundwater, and deep groundwater.
Accessing water from greater urban watershed, treatment plants and a "manufacturing process"
results in the delivery of a product. Such a system reduces the possibility of the tragedy of the
commons, that is, the over-extraction of groundwater by individuals. But a more inclusive and
enforced regulatory system must be established for groundwater, as it remains a needed source of
supply. Local and low-technology solutions, international agency assistance, the policies of
privatization and decentralization, and better land use planning, all hold out the promise of
movement towards a solution. But, as the case study demonstrates, success has so far been mixed.
Many options do not address water scarcity at the city level and problems of inequitable service.
It is only the prospect government reform towards a better allocation of roles, new management
ideas and greater co-operation within and among the water regimes that will lead to better
provision of clean water.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/11360
Date05 1900
CreatorsArgo, Teti Armiati
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
RelationUBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/]

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