Indonesian and Dutch experts discuss water management
A group of ten Indonesian scholars, NGO-members, and state officials coming from the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry visited their Dutch colleagues, academic and practical experts, to discuss issues related to water management and environmental regulation .
The visit in September aimed at gaining insights on how to improve water management in Indonesia. Given the severe environmental challenges that Indonesia faces, and the complex legal and institutional conditions, it is important for Indonesian legislators and law enforcers to improve the effectiveness of environmental protection efforts.
During the field visit the delegation met with several academic experts, and visited several organizations including the Association of Water Boards and the local Water Board of Schieland and de Krimpenerwaard, the Nationale Ombudsman, and the NGO Both Ends.
The field visit followed an intensive writing workshop of two weeks, where five Indonesian researchers in the field of environmental law worked together on finalizing policy papers on topics such as the administrative law framework for environmental regulation, the coherency between regulatory approaches, and government accountability.
In addition, following empirical research in the watershed regions of the Deli river in North Sumatra and Brantas river in East Java, two policy papers are under preparation. The papers build on the findings of local researchers who, over the last few months, studied the archives of the local environment agencies, observed the regulatory processes and interviewed local officials.
The intensive writing workshop and the field visits to the Netherlands are part of the project ‘Making Environmental Regulations Work for the People’ or MERW.