Acting head of the ministry’s geological agency MuhammadWafid said the decline of the rate can also be seen in manualmonitoring in North Jakarta’s Groundwater Conservation Center office.
In September, the ESDM issued a new decree on standards for approval of groundwateruse in an effort to restore groundwater levels and reduce the rate of landsubsidence in the Jakarta metropolitan area.
Wafid, a leading expert on spatial and environmentalplanning, affirmed that by controlling its use, groundwater levels can berestored, thereby helping to prevent land subsidence and saltwater intrusion.
Under the decree, households must apply for approval to usegroundwater if their water consumption exceeds 100 cu.m per month. Statisticsshow that most households in Jakarta only use an average of 20-30 cu.m per month.The decree also regulates other activities, such as farming in locationsoutside irrigation systems and water recreation areas, water use for researchactivities, as well as in State agencies and organisations.
Wafid said that pollution and other disturbances have made itlonger for groundwater to replenish in both quantity and quality, prompting theESDM to issue a new decree to prevent groundwater degradation. The expert held thatthe deterioration of groundwater and environmental conditions caused by humanactivities can be prevented by active intervention with measures such ascontrolling groundwater exploitation and environmental restoration./.