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Water pollution and sanitation in Indonesia: a review on water quality, health and environmental impacts, management, and future challenges

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Retno Wulandari
Retno Wulandari
Retno Wulandari
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Aditya Prana Iswara at Airlangga University
Aditya Prana Iswara
Muammar Qadafi at National Research and Innovation Agency
Muammar Qadafi
  • National Research and Innovation Agency
Wisnu Prayogo
Wisnu Prayogo
Wisnu Prayogo
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Abstract and Figures

As an archipelagic tropical developing country, Indonesia is characterized by vast expanses of rural and isolated areas. This review aims to discuss water pollution and sanitation’s existing condition, health, and environmental impacts, alongside its management and challenges in Indonesia. The systematic review approach was utilized to ensure transparency and replicability, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Many water sources in Indonesia are contaminated by various pollutants such as heavy metals, microplastics, pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Moreover, the existing water and wastewater treatment plants cannot completely remove pollutants, including bacteria that cause waterborne diseases. The lack of proper sanitation facilities, including toilets and latrines, is not only reported in rural areas but also in peri-urban regions of Indonesia. This situation forces many to rely on unimproved water sources, such as river water, for their daily use and engage in open defecation, which may increase the risk of direct exposure to waterborne contaminants. Insufficient sanitation has been linked to significant public health issues in Indonesia, including maternal health complications, childhood stunting, and an increased incidence of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea. Based on the findings of this review, Indonesia still needs to improve its sanitation and water treatment facilities, as well as reduce pollution of the aquatic environment. This condition not only illustrates the condition of water and sanitation in Indonesia but can also be used as an illustration of how developing countries face various pollution and sanitation problems during the massive development and industry.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2024) 31:65967–65992
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35567-x
REVIEW ARTICLE
Water pollution andsanitation inIndonesia: areview onwater
quality, health andenvironmental impacts, management, andfuture
challenges
RetnoWulandari1· AdityaPranaIswara2 · MuammarQada3· WisnuPrayogo4· RatnaDwiPujiAstuti5·
RosetyatiRetnoUtami6· MerriJayanti3· DionAwfa7· I.WayanKokoSuryawan8· LailiFitria9· GerryAndhikaputra10
Received: 20 March 2024 / Accepted: 11 November 2024 / Published online: 3 December 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Abstract
As an archipelagic tropical developing country, Indonesia is characterized by vast expanses of rural and isolated areas. This
review aims to discuss water pollution and sanitation’s existing condition, health, and environmental impacts, alongside its
management and challenges in Indonesia. The systematic review approach was utilized to ensure transparency and replica-
bility, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Many water
sources in Indonesia are contaminated by various pollutants such as heavy metals, microplastics, pesticides, and endocrine-
disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Moreover, the existing water and wastewater treatment plants cannot completely remove
pollutants, including bacteria that cause waterborne diseases. The lack of proper sanitation facilities, including toilets and
latrines, is not only reported in rural areas but also in peri-urban regions of Indonesia. This situation forces many to rely on
unimproved water sources, such as river water, for their daily use and engage in open defecation, which may increase the risk
of direct exposure to waterborne contaminants. Insufficient sanitation has been linked to significant public health issues in
Indonesia, including maternal health complications, childhood stunting, and an increased incidence of waterborne diseases
such as diarrhea. Based on the findings of this review, Indonesia still needs to improve its sanitation and water treatment
facilities, as well as reduce pollution of the aquatic environment. This condition not only illustrates the condition of water
and sanitation in Indonesia but can also be used as an illustration of how developing countries face various pollution and
sanitation problems during the massive development and industry.
Keywords Water pollution· Sanitation· Health impact· Environmental health· Indonesia
Responsible Editor: Xianliang Yi
* Aditya Prana Iswara
aditya.prana@pasca.unair.ac.id
1 Department ofChemical Engineering, Faculty
ofEngineering, Universitas Bhayangkara Jakarta Raya, Jl.
Harsono RM No. 67, Jakarta, Indonesia
2 Department ofDisaster Management, Postgraduate School,
Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya60115, Indonesia
3 Research Center forEnvironmental andClean Technology,
National Research andInnovation Agency, Jalan
Sangkuriang, Bandung40135, Indonesia
4 Department ofBuilding Engineering Education, Universitas
Negeri Medan, Medan20221, Indonesia
5 Department ofEnvironmental Health, Faculty ofPublic
Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya60115, Indonesia
6 Research Center forLimnology andWater Resources,
National Research andInnovation Agency, Jalan Raya
Jakarta-Bogor KM. 46, Cibinong, Bogor16911, Indonesia
7 Department ofEnvironmental Engineering, Institut
Teknologi Sumatera, SouthLampung35365, Indonesia
8 Department ofEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty
ofInfrastructure Planning, Universitas Pertamina,
Jakarta12220, Indonesia
9 Department ofEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty
ofEngineering, Universitas Tanjungpura, Pontianak78124,
Indonesia
10 Department ofEnvironmental Engineering, College
ofEngineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200
Chung-Pei Road, Zhongli320, Taiwan
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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