River Basin Management

Government Regulation No. 37 of 2012 on River Basin Management (“Regulation”) has been issued to provide a regulatory framework for river basin management. The Regulation addresses coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing government efforts to manage river basins (Article 3).

According to Article 1 (1), a “river basin” (Daerah Aliran Sungai – DAS) is a landmass that is inseparable from rivers and creeks that collect and channel rainwater from the landmass to lakes or seas.

Under the Regulation, there are two types of DAS programs: DAS function restoration (Article 1 (4), and DAS function preservation (Article 1(5). DAS function restoration refers to efforts to restore DAS functions that were lost due to human or natural causes. Meanwhile, DAS function preservation means preserving a DAS so it can fulfill its intended purpose.