The Ir. H. Djuanda Dam, more commonly known as the Jatiluhur Reservoir, is the largest dam in Indonesia. Construction began in 1957, and it was officially inaugurated on August 26, 1967. The dam is located in Jatiluhur District, Purwakarta Regency, West Java Province, approximately 9 kilometers from the city center.

After more than five decades of operation, maintaining this 58-year-old dam has become increasingly complex. Challenges range from worsening water quality caused by upstream pollution in the Citarum River to human activities that contribute to damage to power generation turbines, water gates, and dam structures. The operation and maintenance of Jatiluhur Dam are carried out by Perum Jasa Tirta II, while rehabilitation and improvement works continue to be undertaken by the Citarum River Basin Organization (BBWS Citarum).

BBWS Citarum plays a strategic role in ensuring the sustainability of the Ir. H. Djuanda Dam through various infrastructure rehabilitation programs. The dam has an inundation area of approximately 8,300 hectares and a storage capacity of 2.44 billion cubic meters. It serves as a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 187.5 MW supplying electricity to the Java–Bali region and provides irrigation water to the Jatiluhur Irrigation Area, which covers 242,000 hectares. Given its extensive irrigation coverage, Jatiluhur Dam serves as a backbone of Indonesia’s national food security.

However, challenges within the irrigation system continue to emerge. To address these issues, BBWS Citarum has implemented the Strategic Irrigation Modernization and Urgent Rehabilitation Project (SIMURP). This program aims to establish efficient, measurable, and sustainable water management practices in support of national food self-sufficiency.

SIMURP applies the principles of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), where irrigation is adjusted according to crop growth stages. During the planting season, higher water discharge is provided to optimally saturate the soil. During the growth phase, water discharge is reduced to improve efficiency. As harvest approaches, water is supplied in sufficient quantities to prevent excessively soft soil, thereby facilitating harvesting activities.

This CSA approach has proven successful in increasing rice productivity across Indonesia. In 2024, based on data from 41 sample locations, average rice productivity increased by 1.28 tons of harvested dry grain per hectare. One notable success story can be found in the Cengkong Secondary Canal in Karawang Regency. Rice productivity increased from 5–6 tons to 7–8 tons per hectare following the modernization of a 3.7-kilometer irrigation network serving 382 hectares of rice fields across three villages: Sukasari, Karangsari, and Darawolong.

Thanks to ongoing irrigation modernization efforts, the government’s commitment to managing irrigation water availability has produced tangible results. On Wednesday (January 7), President Prabowo Subianto officially declared that Indonesia had achieved national food self-sufficiency. The announcement was made during the National Harvest Celebration and Food Self-Sufficiency Declaration held in Kertamukti Village, Cilebar District, Karawang Regency.

The harvest was supported by irrigation water supplied through the Tanjungsari Secondary Canal, which is part of the Jatiluhur Irrigation Area serving 237,790 hectares of agricultural land across Indramayu, Subang, Karawang, Bekasi, and Purwakarta Regencies.

This demonstrates the vital role of the Ir. H. Djuanda Dam in storing water and the Jatiluhur Irrigation Area in distributing it, both of which have significantly contributed to Indonesia’s achievement of food self-sufficiency. As such, this monumental national asset must continue to be preserved so that its benefits remain sustainable and far-reaching.

Through BBWS Citarum, the Directorate General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works actively contributes to achieving national development priorities by ensuring the availability and management of irrigation water within the Jatiluhur Irrigation Area. This effort supports the lifeblood of Indonesia’s food self-sufficiency program while continuing to improve public welfare.

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