The Maluku Provincial Government is currently finalizing concrete steps to provide clean water for communities in coastal areas and small islands. This is being realized through a planned collaboration to implement solar-powered seawater desalination technology developed by Diponegoro University (UNDIP).
This process follows up on a visit by Maluku Governor, Hendrik Lewerissa, to the UNDIP Teluk Awur Campus in Jepara some time ago. As a form of formal commitment, representatives of the Maluku Provincial Government, represented by the Bureau of Government and Regional Autonomy as well as Bappeda, met with UNDIP leadership to finalize the technical cooperation document.
UNDIP Rector, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, expressed his deep appreciation for the trust placed by the Maluku Provincial Government. He hopes this synergy will pave the way for strategic cooperation in other sectors in the future, while emphasizing the important role of universities in providing real solutions to regional challenges.
Echoing this sentiment, the inventor of the desalination technology and Head of the Jepara Campus Management Agency, Prof. Dr. I Nyoman Widiasa, explained that this technology is designed to address Maluku's geographical challenges, which are dominated by waters. He is optimistic that the implementation of this solar-powered technology can be a sustainable answer to the scarcity of drinking water access in the archipelagic region.
In addition to providing clean water, both parties plan to expand research collaboration in the marine sector. This step is seen as an effort to strengthen ties between academia and local government in creating innovations that directly impact the welfare of the broader public.
