ADB Strengthens Sanitation System in Indonesia with $419.6 Million Loan

MANILA  — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $419.6 million loan for the Citywide Inclusive Sanitation Project to help Indonesia expand access to climate-resilient, adequate, and safely managed sanitation services in the cities of Mataram, Pontianak, and Semarang.

While approximately 77% of Indonesian households have access to basic sanitation facilities (like septic tanks), just 7% of households have access to safely managed sanitation that ensures safe disposal of domestic waste to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for further processing. With so many households in the project cities facing inadequate sewerage and being prone to flooding, groundwater pollution and environmental and health risks are frequent occurrences.

The project aims to strengthen the sanitation systems for approximately 2.5 million people in the three cities. It is designed based on the citywide inclusive sanitation principle, which ensures that everyone has access to appropriately handled sanitation services by integrating both sewered and nonsewered systems.

“This project stands as one of the largest inclusive sanitation projects in Indonesia supported by ADB to date, aligning seamlessly with our comprehensive initiatives aimed at addressing climate change,” said ADB Country Director for Indonesia Jiro Tominaga. “ADB is pleased to continue working with Indonesia to expand access to improved sanitation services, which are key to a healthy and productive population.”

The project will improve and expand existing sanitation systems by constructing WWTPs with a combined daily capacity of 57,000 cubic meters and approximately 200 kilometers of sewer networks. Design measures to ensure climate and disaster resilience have been incorporated, such as constructing elevated structures to guard the WWTPs against future flooding, implementing drainage systems at the WWTP sites to manage stormwater volumes, and installing a breakwater to mitigate the impact of high tides and flooding. Furthermore, the project will concentrate efforts on improving fecal sludge management facilities, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and enhancing the operational efficiency of sanitation service operators in areas such as governance, digitization, and asset management.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.