Identification Problems in the Implementation Plan of Appropriate Technology for Water and Sanitation using FGD Approach (Case Study: Kampong Sodana, Sumba Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province)

Abstract

At this moment, in context of global issue, water access in Indonesia is still low. It matches with latest MDGs report. According to fact, most of water and sanitation facilities and infrastructures in Indonesia do not function in proper way. They are also not sustainably built. It occurs since communities are not involved in building and developing process. To be function properly and sustainably, one of solution is implementation of appropriate technology which is adaptable, self help, energy efficient, locally controlled and also leading to a strong community involvement. However, the development trend that is still based on project-oriented rather than community needs has made implementation of appropriate technology in Indonesia mostly come to failure. The failure especially happens in remote area where native people still hold their local knowledge applied in their daily life. It is necessary to be responsive on the community needs and at the same moment to accommodate local knowledge which will be focal-entry to the successful of technology implementation. In accordance with concept of an implementation plan of appropriate technology for water and sanitation in remote areas, the aim of this paper is identifying potential problems in water and sanitation issues faced by local communities in Kampong Sodana according to their knowledge and perspective, through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach. Three main topics of FGD are: (1) healthy living perception; (2) availability of sanitary facilities; (3) what will be their sanitary facilities priority. The FGD is guided by a local professional facilitator equipped with posters, slides and metaplan papers. Unpredictably, the findings of the FGD result show several points: (1) local community have their own healthy living perception which below standard with the regulations on the related issues; (2) local community have several local policies and traditions regarding the hygiene, water and sanitation issues that they are still obeying until nowadays; (3) local community have very poor knowledge in healthy living concept, therefore they still do not have any ‘real-needs’ and ‘feel-needs’ to the sanitary facilities.