Zaragoza-Jakarta Partnership on Water Resources Management Signed

Sept. 13, 2008 - PRLog -- The agreement was signed by Jose Luis Alonso, President of Confederacion Hydrografica del Ebro and Tjoek Waluyo Subianto, CEO of Jasa Tirta.  The two comparable institutions work on water resources management albeit with a difference of more than 60 years in their founding. “With the experience that Confederacion Hydrografica del Ebro has, we are confident that we can tap various aspects of water management technology from them.  On the other hand, we can send our skilled people to Ebro to work on some fields that Ebro needs,” said Tjuk Waluyo Subijanto.  They signed the document in the Headquarters of Confederacion Hydrografica del Ebro in Zaragoza witnessed by the executives of Indonesian Ministry of Public Works.
The effort for collaboration of the two institutions began in June following the visit of Indonesia Minister of Public Works at the opening of Expo Zaragoza.  President of Confederacion Hydrografica del Ebro, Jose Luis Saenz stated that it was the expectation of his institution to be a model for water resources management not only in Spain but on a larger scale.  Both institutions have the same goal of serving water environment for a better life of the people particularly living in the water basin.
The signed Memorandum said that the objective of the cooperation is management of integrated water resources and the related issues addressing the river basin affairs such as organization, irrigation and groundwater development, water supply and sanitation including spatial planning as well as urban and regional developments.  This shall be achieved by high level exchange on multi-annual basis on strategic issues which are of mutual benefit to both countries, study of possible pilot projects that are consistent with strategic issues and possible financing lines for long term projects.  As to the areas of cooperation it points out on institutional strengthening, transfer of knowledge, technical know-how and experience.
Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Indonesian group was shown the operation room of SAIH or Sistema Automatico de Informacion (Automatic Hydrologic Information System) which works under the Confederacion Hydrografica del Ebro. Musing on the amount of initial investment and annual budget of SAIH, the CEO of Jasa Tirta said that “We wish we could bring Jasa Tirta’s sytem to model SAIH and have that kind of budget to manage.  Right now we must prove ourselves that we are able to do what are tasked by the Ministry of Public Works.”
Expo Zaragoza has opened a few more opportunities for Indonesia to collaborate with Spanish counterparts.  The day before, the Indonesian group led by Eddy Djayadiredja, Chairman of the National Committee on the Indonesia Pavilion to Expo Zaragoza went to the city of Teruel for a counter-visit.  Teruel is interested to form a ‘sister cities’ project with Indonesia and the affairs are being taken care of. In Teruel the group was received by the Comarca Comunidad de Teruel as well as the local government.  Both institutions are scheduled to receive artifacts from the Indonesia Pavilion previously exhibited in the Expo Zaragoza.  “When the artifacts are exhibited permanently in a city museum, a lot more people will know Indonesia and its culture and arts and that is good for friendship”, explained Djayadiredja.
Following the lavish luncheon hosted by Comarca Comunidad de Teruel, all departed to Villarquemado, a rural town of Teruel for a joint cultural show.  Indonesia presented a dance show by the troupe that performed the other day at the Expo and the township showed its traditional dances and music.  Citizens of the township who were celebrating its founding day on that day had the opportunity to watch a cultural performance from a far away country whom they probably never see.

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Republic Indonesia's exhibits of sustainable water resources at the Expo Zaragoza themed "Water for Life : Reassessment of Tradition, Art, Culture and Identity related to Water".