Pijar Foundation’s Collaboration at the GWSC Bangkok Forum: Indonesian Delegation Highlights Digitalisation and Sanitation Quality Standards

BANGKOK – The series of events at the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition (WDCE) 2025 concluded with a coordination meeting of the Indonesian delegation on 12 December in Bangkok. The meeting discussed follow-up steps to advance sanitation development in Indonesia, with a focus on Yogyakarta and Surakarta as part of efforts to strengthen sustainable urban sanitation services.

During the meeting, the delegation presented progress from the collaboration between Pijar Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and Tahrir Foundation together with KADIN DIY, the Surakarta City Government, and Pura Mangkunegaran. This collaboration has resulted in the installation of 10 smart sanitation units in public spaces, five units each in Yogyakarta and Surakarta.

The smart sanitation technology is designed to recycle water from septic tanks into non-potable clean water, which can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing. Rahadi Saptata Abra, Deputy Chairperson of KADIN DIY, expressed support to continue the installation of up to 20 additional units, while ensuring that the initiative does not stop at an early stage and can be integrated into city planning.

The forum was opened by leaders of the Global Water and Sanitation Center (GWSC), the Asian Institute of Technology, and the Gates Foundation. Discussions highlighted the need for a cross-sectoral approach to ensure that sanitation services are not only focused on infrastructure, but also on governance, service quality, and inclusivity.

The Indonesian delegation stated that urban sanitation challenges cannot be solved in a partial manner. The integration of policy, technical standards, financing, and digital systems is seen as a prerequisite for sanitation services to reach all segments of society in a sustainable way. This initiative is aligned with Pijar Foundation’s commitment to advancing equitable and sustainable sanitation innovation in Indonesia.

This article was originally published by Koran Jakarta and has been adapted for the Pijar Foundation website.