Reconsideration of the meaning of dam construction for water resources management: The environmental impact assessment of the titab dam project toward futurability of the saba river basin

Abstract

The authors consider the meaning of dam construction in the context of water resources management, based on the Titab Dam construction case study in Indonesia. The Titab Dam was built to supply irrigation water for 1794.82 ha of downstream irrigated paddy fields, provide domestic water for 72,263 potential household connections, reserve 1.5 MW of electricity, conserve water resources within the Saba River Basin, and develop fishery agro-eco-tourism activities. Besides the economic and environmental benefits, the construction of the Titab Dam also brought adverse impacts, including the disappearance of Subak Dukuh after the Subak Temple was destroyed; inundating of all paddy fields in Subak Dukuh (13 ha); flooding almost all of the paddy fields in Subak Asah Uma (18 ha); and destroying farmers' livelihood inside both Subak Dukuh and Subak Asah Uma. To achieve optimal multi-functionality and effectiveness of the Titab Dam, the top two priorities are implementation of garbage control and soil and water conservation action plans, as carried out by the Saba River Basin Community.