Seawater to be Converted into Freshwater Amid Jakarta's Drought Threat...

Thus, Jakarta's desalination plan involves not only the technology to convert seawater but also the necessary source water and infrastructure to support the process.

More Than Just Technology

Mahawan Karuniasa, a lecturer at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Indonesia, stated that using seawater as a clean water source for Jakarta is technologically viable.

The Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) technology, he noted, is widely used globally.

However, Mahawan emphasized that the challenge isn’t merely about whether seawater can be converted to fresh water.

Other considerations include efficiency, affordability, emissions, and ecological safety.

Therefore, Mahawan recommended desalination be positioned as one of several strategic water sources, not the sole water source for Jakarta.

The experiences of other cities and countries provide useful examples.

For instance, Singapore integrates local water sources, imported water, recycled water, and desalination. Perth combines desalination with groundwater and other water sources.

From these cases, Jakarta needs to have diverse water sources.

Diversifying water sources is necessary to make the water supply system more resilient to droughts, climate change, and supply disruptions.

Jakarta Is Not Alone

Another important aspect when discussing Jakarta's water resilience is that Jakarta does not stand alone in water management.

Mahawan explained that Jakarta is the downstream area in a larger hydrological system.

This system involves the Bogor, Puncak, and Cianjur regions, as well as the watersheds of the Ciliwung, Cisadane, and Citarum–Jatiluhur river basins.

In other words, Jakarta’s water issues are not determined solely by what happens within the capital.

Upland areas, land cover, river quality, and water storage capacity upstream also influence Jakarta’s water resilience.

Ultimately, desalination becomes one component of efforts to find new water sources.

On one hand, the Jakarta Provincial Government is open to processing seawater into fresh water.

On the other hand, experts remind that water resilience requires multiple sources.

This plan emerges alongside the drought threat currently facing Jakarta.

Whether seawater will truly become one of Jakarta’s water sources depends on the readiness of technology, infrastructure, and overall water management systems.