en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) are drafting a new regulation on water farming, requiring groundwater users to replenish extracted water through recharge, in response to worsening land subsidence in major urban areas.
Environment Minister and Head of the Environmental Control Agency, Moh Jumhur Hidayat, announced the proposed policy on June 2, 2026, following a public lecture at Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unissula) in Semarang, which covered the giant sea wall project as a strategy to address coastal erosion and tidal flooding on the north coast of Central Java.
The minister stated that scientists have identified excessive groundwater extraction as a primary driver of land subsidence in Indonesia's major cities, and that without improved groundwater management, infrastructure projects such as giant sea walls alone cannot solve the problem. He noted that many countries have established mechanisms to regulate groundwater extraction, but Indonesia has yet to enact comprehensive regulations. The regulations being prepared by the Ministry of Environment will include monitoring mechanisms and sanctions.
Water farming refers to a cyclical water management method that collects and stores rainwater and surface runoff, allowing it to seep back into the ground to replenish groundwater reserves. The proposed regulation aims to ensure a balance between groundwater extraction and recharge activities, reducing environmental risks and supporting long-term water security. The minister explained that insufficient recharge after groundwater extraction could lead to rapid depletion of groundwater. Under the proposed framework, individuals, businesses, and institutions that extract groundwater must conduct water recharge activities rather than pay additional fees to the government. The principle is that water taken from the ground must be returned; otherwise, extraction will directly cause land subsidence.
The proposed regulation will apply different requirements based on water usage scale. Residential areas and office complexes must implement rainwater harvesting systems and construct infiltration facilities such as biopores to enhance recharge. Larger users, such as industrial zones, may need to build water storage infrastructure like reservoirs, retention basins, or artificial lakes, or establish vegetation cover in designated areas to enhance water absorption. Environmental authorities will conduct regular compliance monitoring.
Moh Jumhur Hidayat emphasized that protecting groundwater resources is crucial for maintaining environmental balance and reducing the risk of land subsidence, especially in rapidly developing urban areas. He stated that groundwater protection is essentially ecosystem protection, and through water farming, groundwater resources can be safeguarded, environmental sustainability maintained, and subsidence threats to future generations reduced.
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