GUNUNG KIDUL, YOGYAKARTA — “We created this water program not for business purposes. It’s about collectively ensuring water availability for us and our future generations,” said Sukiana on Thursday (18/1/2024).
Sukiana is a resident of Gagan Hamlet, Pengkol Village, Nglipar Sub-district, Gunungkidul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY).
She is among the villagers striving to secure a water supply for the residents around Gagan Hamlet. The hamlet, comprising 140 households or about 400 individuals, is located in a karst area.
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Karst regions consist of porous limestone, causing surface water to seep and disappear into the ground. Simply put, the soil layer in karst areas is very thin, as the underground is filled with rocks or subterranean rivers/caves.
This condition makes karst areas vulnerable to drought since water sources are very deep or virtually nonexistent due to their flow into subterranean rivers/caves.
Imagine water dripping on rocks. Usually, the water scatters and moves quickly to deep and distant points. But compare it with water falling on soil, where it settles and is stored, later to be reused for daily activities.
“The well’s flow is insufficient. We experience water shortages during the dry season and excess water during the rainy season because the soil layer is too thin. Rainwater that falls to the ground is not fully absorbed due to the abundance of rocks in our area,” Sukiana explained, pointing to a region visibly dominated by large rocks.
Despite these challenges, the residents of Gagan Hamlet, including Sukiana, have made various efforts to improve clean water availability in their area. One such effort is the construction of belik, a reservoir sourced from river water percolation.
Sukiana guided us to the belik location. A flowing river was visible, though not strong. Additionally, the view of barren farmland stretched as far as the eye could see. According to Sukiana, this empty land is unsuitable for agriculture because of the underlying rocks, causing any watered plants to quickly dry out.
However, the belik constructed can collect water not only from the river percolation but also from other water sources, such as bore wells.
“The source reservoir (belik) is like a bunker, with a capacity to collect from several small water sources through pipes at three or four points,” said Sukiana.
“This belik location is close to the water source and low (can irrigate water by gravity),” Sukiana added.
To collect water from various points, Sukiana and the surrounding residents utilize gravity, allowing water to flow naturally into the belik, minimizing the use of additional power such as electricity. However, pumps may be installed for water use, so the collected water in the belik can flow directly to residential areas or homes.
“Residents can come directly to the source reservoir (belik). It can also be drawn using individual meters (if connected),” Sukiana stated.
She believes the current situation is much better than four years ago. Back then, residents relied on water tank deliveries from the local government during droughts. While helpful in the short term, this approach did not address the long-term drought problem.
“Four years ago, before receiving help, we relied on water tanks from the government. Since receiving assistance, our water access has diversified,” Sukiana acknowledged.
Fortunately, several aids have now been received, including water programs from the Disaster Management Center (DMC) Dompet Dhuafa. The residents of Gagan Hamlet, along with DMC Dompet Dhuafa, have endeavored to implement water conservation and sustainability programs, such as Rainwater Harvesting (PAH) and belik construction.
“With DMC Dompet Dhuafa’s support, we have programs to maintain water source sustainability. We’ve started conservation planting in several places with various types of trees that can store water, such as terebinth, nyamplung, breadfruit, and others,” said Sukiana.
“Since being supported by DMC, we’ve learned to use water wisely. We no longer rely on water tanks. God willing, we are now secure,” Sukiana concluded. (Dompet Dhuafa/DMC/AFP)