Military Participation in Water Security: A Case Study of the Manunggal Air Program in Ayunan Village, Bali (2022–2024)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33019/.v8i1.381Keywords:
Civil-military relations, Manunggal Air program, Sustainable development, Water securityAbstract
Water security is an increasingly important sustainable development concern, particularly in rural areas with limited and seasonally unreliable access to clean water. Ayunan Village in Badung Regency, Bali, experiences recurring water shortages during the dry season. In response, the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) implemented the Manunggal Air program to develop clean-water infrastructure and strengthen community water resilience. This study examines the forms of military participation in the program, its impacts on local water security, and the challenges affecting its implementation. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with TNI AD personnel, village officials, and community beneficiaries, supplemented by field observations and document analysis. The findings demonstrate that military participation improved community access to clean water, reduced the time required to obtain water, and supported agricultural activities. The TNI AD contributed not only through infrastructure development, including water pumps, reservoirs, and distribution networks, but also through inter-institutional coordination, community mobilization, and local capacity building. However, the program continues to face limitations related to pump capacity, unequal water distribution, maintenance funding, and the absence of a clearly institutionalized long-term management mechanism. The study argues that the Manunggal Air program represents an expansion of civil–military relations into the field of non-traditional and human security. It also illustrates a collaborative governance arrangement in which military institutions, village governments, and local communities jointly address water insecurity. Theoretically, the study broadens civil–military relations scholarship by demonstrating how military participation in civilian development can support human security when accompanied by community involvement, institutional coordination, and sustainable local management.
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