The discussion on drought, crop failure, and poverty began with the PVCA (Participatory Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment) process conducted in Gunungkidul in 2024. A total of five villages spread across the sub-districts of Ngawen, Panggang, Purwosari, and Gedangsari participated in the Community Disaster Risk Assessment, which was guided by the YAKKUM Emergency Unit and the Working Group for Resilience Action in DIY (POKJA DIY). However, more than just a discussion, this event inspired us as the people of Gunungkidul.
Every year we receive clean water assistance, but for how long?
The problem of drought in Gunungkidul, particularly in Giriharjo Village, is often addressed with clean water assistance. Over a period of seven months, we receive around 180,000 litres for each hamlet. This has been happening every year since 2018. So far, the adaptive capacity that has been carried out by the community is to set up Rainwater Collectors (PAH) in almost every house with a capacity of less than 5,000 litres. This shows that the community is very dependent on rainwater to meet their daily needs. During the rainy season, they collect as much water as possible, while during the dry season, they rely on the water they have collected. Unfortunately, the collected water does not last long. Within a week, their water reserves are usually depleted, so it is not uncommon for the community to buy water tanks or wait for water assistance from the government.
Every year, Giriharjo Village allocates around Rp4,000,000, or the equivalent of USD 237.38, for clean water distribution. However, I believe that this is not a long-term solution, but only a temporary one. After the water distribution is complete, the community experiences drought again. At the 2022 Development Planning Meeting (Musrenbang), I proposed a programme to build a rainwater reservoir with a capacity of 5,000 litres, covering the areas of Padukuhan Panggang I, Panggang II, and Panggang III in Giriharjo, which serve around 650 households.
I also raised this issue when I attended the Community Resilience Partnership Programme (CRPP) 2025 Forum in Bangkok last February. I shared stories about how the people of Giriharjo Village are struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change. Living in a karst rock area makes it difficult for us to access groundwater, but this problem can be overcome by utilising rainwater. However, climate change has caused a shift in the rainy season, resulting in a longer dry season than before, so that less rainwater can be collected.
The majority of Giriharjo residents work as farmers, so water is crucial for agricultural irrigation. When the dry season arrives, farmers are vulnerable to crop failure and damage to agricultural land. As a result, many of them switch professions to become labourers in the city, because the rice planting season in our village only lasts once a year. This condition has caused cultural changes in the community, especially in relation to livelihood systems.
Reflections on Learning at the CRPP Forum 2025
During the Community Resilience Partnership Programme (CRPP) forum, my colleague Musidah from Girimulyo Village and I gained a great deal of valuable knowledge. One important lesson came from a participant from the Philippines. In that country, there are areas with conditions even worse than Girimulyo, both in terms of housing and livelihoods. However, they were able to survive and cope better than we had imagined. In the Philippines, they also face the threat of crop failure, which can wipe out all of the farmers' assets. When crop failure occurs, farmers can lose all of their assets and are forced to sell them.
I also pondered, if such a situation occurred in my village, would we have to sell all our assets? Surely there must be other solutions. Therefore, through the Harjo Manunggal group in the Community Resilience Fund programme, we proposed a solution in the form of chicken farming as an alternative to overcome crop failure and food shortages. By raising chickens, the community can use the eggs for sale or even for their own consumption. They can also breed chickens in both quantity and quality, thereby producing meat that can be utilised. In addition to providing opportunities to meet family nutritional needs, this chicken farming initiative can also increase household income to meet other needs, such as access to clean water.
In the field of advocacy, I learned that as women, we actually have the ability to express our opinions in a structured manner. In formal forums, there is a certain grammar that needs to be used to express opinions effectively. In Indonesia, women often get carried away by their emotions when speaking, so that sometimes the opinions expressed feel too forceful and can even come across as annoying. In fact, the government already has a budget that has been prepared with certain considerations, and often lacks an understanding of the community's perspective. Language that is too passionate can actually obscure the intent and purpose of the proposal. Therefore, I feel that there needs to be an increase in capacity in terms of negotiation and the ethics of speaking in public, so that the message conveyed is more easily accepted and understood.
In addition, while in Bangkok, I also learned about the culture of thrift and efficiency practised by the people there. I learned this outside the forum, during my break time. I talked to a restaurant owner in Bangkok who taught me about efficient cooking methods. It turns out that in Thailand, many restaurant vendors cook large quantities at once and then store them. When customers come and place an order, they only need to reheat the food without having to cook it from scratch. This clearly demonstrates efficiency in terms of time and resources. In addition, by cooking in large portions, they can reduce food waste, as the measured packaging system prevents excessive portions that end up being thrown away.
These experiences have further enriched my knowledge and inspired me to seek more sustainable and efficient solutions for the community in our village.
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Author: Ika Rachmani – Harjo Manunggal Women's Group