The world: real progress, a large gap remains
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme report published in 2025 found that 2.1 billion people—about one in four worldwide—still lacked safely managed drinking-water services in 2024. This included 106 million people drinking directly from untreated surface sources. At the same time, 2.2 billion people gained safely managed services between 2000 and 2024; progress is real, but uneven.
Safely managed is stricter than simply using an improved source: the source must be improved, located on premises, available when needed, and free from specified contamination. Access figures should therefore always be read with their definition.
Indonesia: an improved source is not the finish line
WASH Acts Volume 22, published by UNICEF Indonesia in May 2026, reports that 30.45% of households have access to safe drinking water, citing Ministry of Health data for 2024. Publication year differs from measurement year: this is not a measurement of conditions in 2026. Comparisons over time must also account for survey methods and coverage.
Safe drinking-water access differs from BPS's improved-source indicator. An improved source alone does not guarantee water quality at consumption, availability when needed, or service on premises. The indicators should not be interchanged or directly subtracted to estimate how many households have contaminated water.
At resource level, a World Bank sanitation project document published in 2024, citing a 2021 water-security assessment, reported that 45 of Indonesia's 128 river basins were experiencing water stress, including 15 at high or severe levels. Conditions vary widely across the country, so national figures do not replace a site-specific source and system assessment.
The 2045–2050 outlook is a call to act
The UN World Water Development Report 2019, still cited by UN-Water, projects global water demand could increase by 20–30% by 2050 relative to the report's reference period. This does not mean an increase of 20–30% from conditions in 2026. A long-term projection summarised by UN-Water suggests the population in potentially severely water-scarce areas could rise from about 1.9 billion in the assessment's reference period to 2.7–3.2 billion by 2050. These are earlier study projections, not measurements of the affected population in 2026. Projections are scenarios based on assumptions, not certainties; their direction can still be influenced by action today.
For Indonesia, the Indonesia Vision 2045: Toward Water Security assessment estimates that without dedicated action on water security, GDP in 2045 could fall up to 7.3% short of the target in the study scenario. This is a modelled difference in GDP level, not a 7.3-percentage-point fall in annual economic growth. Conversely, substantial water-security interventions could bring economic benefits. Water must therefore be treated as a foundation for health, food, industry, cities, and climate resilience—not merely as a utility.
Small, realistic actions that can add up
Begin with what can be measured: check leaks, track consumption, use water for its intended need, maintain tanks and plumbing, and select technology around an identified problem. Keep oil, medicines, chemicals, and waste out of drains and water bodies. Use refillable or reusable containers with correct washing and sanitation procedures.
Rainwater can serve suitable non-drinking uses when collection and use are properly designed; drinking use requires adequate treatment and verification. People can also report leaks or pollution, support catchment protection, and share observed changes with service providers. Saving water matters, but responsibility should not be placed on households alone—utilities, businesses, and governments have greater systemic influence.
Five actions to begin this week
- ✓Record the meter or bill and check one possible hidden leak at home or work.
- ✓Give tanks, taps, filters, and water containers a clear inspection, sanitation, and replacement schedule.
- ✓Keep oil, medicines, paint, chemicals, and waste out of drains and use appropriate disposal routes.
- ✓Reduce single-use packaging through refill or reusable-bottle systems that are correctly washed and sanitised.
- ✓Report leaks, pollution, or water-quality changes and ask responsible providers to follow up with evidence.
The ARS perspective
Simple Mind. Simple Things. Smart Solutions. Change begins by understanding the right risk, taking simple actions consistently, and then building measurable solutions at home, business, facility, and network scale. References were reviewed on 2 October 2026. Global figures use the 2025 JMP report for 2024; Indonesian safe drinking-water access uses Ministry of Health 2024 data cited by UNICEF in 2026. Water-stress assessments and long-term projections retain their reference years and are not presented as measurements of conditions in 2026.
Official references
- WHO/UNICEF JMP — Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000–2024
- UNICEF Indonesia — WASH Acts Volume 22 (2026), Ministry of Health 2024 data
- World Bank — Citywide Inclusive Sanitation: Project Information Document (2024)
- World Bank — Indonesia Vision 2045: Toward Water Security
- World Bank — Water Security Underpins Indonesia’s Vision 2045 (2022)
- UN-Water — World Water Development Report 2019
- UN-Water — Water, Food and Energy
- UN-Water — Water and Climate Change
This material provides general education. It does not replace laboratory testing, applicable local requirements, or a professional assessment of a specific water system.