A Concept of Integrated Groundwater Management for Sustaining Indonesian Cities Using the System Interrelationship Model

Groundwater is an important resource for cities, but its management is still characterized by partial measures. Unsuccessful management is evident in inland seawater intrusion, land subsidence, and a permanent drop in the water table, which have taken place in many cities in Indonesia. To manage groundwater, a system interrelationship model is proposed here as a concept that integrates knowledge about components related to groundwater and defines their interrelationships. These interrelationships signify that any alterations to one component inevitably affect connected components. The components that make up the system are housing, agriculture, industry, laws and regulations, water supply companies, seawater, shallow groundwater, surface water, and the recharge area. Knowledge is mapped in the form of a diagram to establish how knowledge relating to the components plays a role in the defined system. By understanding how the system works, ideas on interventions in the components can be identified so that the system may be shifted toward defined goals. Thus, knowledge about the role of the system’s components and the mutual relationships among those components forms the basis for an integrated approach to interventions that aim to sustain groundwater.