Study on the accessibility of water sources to meet the water needs of rural communities in semi-arid regions of Indonesia

Abstract

There are a large number of people in the world who live without an adequate supply of clean water, and spend hours to get clean water. For this reason, access to water and water sources is one of the main keys to meeting the needs of the community’s clean water, specifically rural communities in the semi-arid regions of Indonesia. This study aims to analyze the extent to which access to clean water sources affects the patterns of water use and fulfillment of rural communities. The method used is a survey completed with a questionnaire and observation. The object of the research was the rural water user community in TTS Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province with a total of 87 families, and water sources in the study area. Samples were divided into three areas which were categorized as dry, normal and wet. based on the analysis of rainfall data at 14 rain stations. The results showed an average water use level of 49 Lpcd (SD = 25) and the distance to the water source as far as 521 m (SD = 1100). There is a negative correlation between the distance of the water source and the amount of clean water used. Water availability factors affect water usage more than long distances but can be reached. This study also found that the use of clean water by the community is adaptive to the availability of water according to environmental conditions. This study recommends the importance of handling clean water issues according to the characteristics of each different region.