Water is a fundamental resource for sustaining life and fostering agricultural productivity, making its management and conservation vital for communities. Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) takes an active role in addressing water-related challenges by offering educational programs on freshwater ecosystems, covering topics such as irrigation practices, water management, and conservation. These initiatives aim to empower local and national communities with the knowledge and tools needed to sustainably manage water resources, ensuring long-term environmental and agricultural resilience.
The Directorate of Academic Studies and Innovation hosted a talk show episode on “Irrigation Modernization in Indonesia: Has Its Impact Been Effective?”. The talk show, featuring esteemed speakers Professor Dr. Ir. Sigit Supadmo Arif, M.Eng. and host Dr. Murtiningrum STP., M.Eng., discusses the modernization of irrigation systems in Indonesia and its effectiveness.
Irrigation modernization in Indonesia began in the 1990s. The current modernization approach is based on five pillars: Water resource reliability, Infrastructure, Management, Institutional frameworks, and Human resources.Technology plays a critical role, encompassing hardware, software, information systems (infoware), and human-centric approaches (humanware). Modernization efforts in irrigation leverage Industry 4.0 technologies, with gradual implementation aligned to evolving government policies. However, challenges such as inadequate legal frameworks, the need for mindset shifts among irrigation managers, and further technological development hinder the full realization of these goals.
The video has been published on the UGM Channel where it can be accessible to the public, including local and national communities.
The Department of Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering is one of many departments in UGM under the Faculty of Agricultural Technology. This department houses the Tower of Knowledge in Irrigation Management, an online platform to provide information in a rapid and widely accessible manner regarding irrigation management. It also serves as a platform for the public to provide feedback to researchers in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystem Engineering.
All research and new findings in the field of irrigation management is posted on the platform. One of the current research centres on effective rainfall observation to support the modernisation of irrigation. It entails establishing measurement plots across various irrigation areas to monitor and analyse rainfall data. This initiative aims to implement real-time, location-specific water allocation and management.
The objectives include the precise measurement and utilisation of effective rainfall and the portion of rainfall that can be absorbed by the soil and utilised by crops. Additionally, it seeks to gather comprehensive data on rainfall, irrigation, surface runoff, deep percolation, and evapotranspiration to enhance irrigation efficiency.
The benefits of this research are substantial. By understanding effective rainfall, irrigation practices can be optimised, reducing water wastage and supporting sustainable agriculture. Improved water management enhances crop yields and informs better policy-making and planning for irrigation systems, contributing to the overall modernisation of irrigation infrastructure.
The Tower of Knowledge in Irrigation Management has also published learning materials on their website on the use of smart devices to support the modernisation of the national irrigation system arranged by the Centre for Innovation and Academic Studies UGM. The initiative uses advanced technological instruments to monitor and manage irrigation more effectively.
The ultimate goal is to improve the efficiency and precision of irrigation practices through real-time data collection and analysis. By integrating smart devices, the initiative aims to optimise water use, reduce wastage, and improve the overall management of irrigation networks. It promises to significantly increase agricultural productivity by ensuring water resources are utilised sustainably. In addition, the data collected from these smart devices will aid better decision-making and policy formulation, ultimately contributing to advancing irrigation infrastructure and practices.
When sharing knowledge and research on fresh-water ecosystems to local and national communities, UGM holds education programmes such as conferences. In 2023, UGM, through the Department of Environmental Geography, successfully organised the 5th International Conference on Environmental Resources Management (ICERM 2023).
The theme of the conference in 2023 adopted “Water Resources Management for Sustainable Livelihood”. ICERM aims to develop the concept of water resources and their management by providing a communication platform where professionals and governments worldwide can share their research and project experiences. At least 53 papers were submitted from participants hailing from Indonesia, Japan, England, Malaysia, France, and South Korea. All of the papers are divided into nine conference sub-themes: implementation of integrated water resources management, livelihood and water resources management in urban areas, water equity for sustainable development, marine sciences and coastal management, ecosystem and tropical lake management, new urban agenda and sustainable urban development, natural resources and disaster management, environmental sciences and climate change, and human geography and spatial planning.
References:
- Educational Video on Irrigation Modernisation in Indonesia
- The Science Tower also produces learning materials, one of which is Effective Rain Observation to Support Irrigation Modernisation
- The next learning material produced by this science tower is the Explanation of Smart Device Equipment Supporting the Implementation of National Irrigation
- UGM through the Department of Environmental Geography Successfully Organised The 5th International Conference on Environmental Resources Management (ICERM 2023)