Jakarta — The Indonesian government continues to strengthen its commitment to achieving national food self-sufficiency by accelerating the development of water resource infrastructure, particularly dams and irrigation networks. This step is considered crucial to ensure year-round water availability for agricultural land across various regions of the country.
The central government has allocated IDR 14.54 trillion to support the development and management of irrigation systems and other water infrastructure as part of efforts to enhance national food security.
The Director General of Water Resources at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), Lilik Retno Cahyadiningsih, explained that her office is working to optimize agricultural land during the second planting season this year.
“The Ministry of Public Works is currently supporting the land optimization program of the Ministry of Agriculture, with a target of increasing planting areas by 665,485 hectares across 14 priority provinces,” Lilik said.
She also stressed the importance of sustainable irrigation water availability to maintain national agricultural productivity.
“The provision of water for irrigation systems, particularly for agriculture, must be prioritized. This is essential if Indonesia wants to meet its food needs independently, especially amid global challenges,” she added.
Meanwhile, the construction progress of several strategic dams has shown positive results. One example is the Mbay Dam in East Nusa Tenggara, which had reached 80.69% completion as of May 2025 and is targeted for completion by December 2026.
Minister of Public Works, Dody Hanggodo, emphasized that the synergy between dam construction and irrigation systems is a vital element in achieving food self-sufficiency.
“We all agree that water resource infrastructure is crucial to achieving food self-sufficiency. One example is the construction of dams, which then channel water through primary, secondary, and tertiary irrigation systems directly to farmland,” Dody explained.
Another example of success is the Marangkayu Dam in East Kalimantan, which was completed and began impounding in December 2024. It has a storage capacity of 12.24 million cubic meters and supports irrigation over 1,200 hectares. This infrastructure is expected to increase local planting frequency from once to two or even three times a year.
Furthermore, policy synergy between the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Agriculture has been further strengthened. The government is targeting the repair and development of irrigation networks covering over 2 million hectares, as well as the completion of 15 strategic dams, including Jragung, Bagong, and Pelosika Dams.
This initiative is part of a long-term strategy to boost national food productivity, reduce import dependence, and strengthen food resilience based on national self-reliance.
