Lake Toba catchment management in an integrated manner: a necessity

Abstract

Abstract The degraded Lake Toba catchment has an impact on the quantity and quality of water in the lake. In addition, the large number of districts and parties involved in managing the Lake Toba catchment makes it hard to integrate management. The purpose of this study is to analyze the roles of the parties in the management of the Lake Toba catchment to provide alternative institutional management. Data covering regulations, activity plans, and issues of coordination and cooperation of the parties were collected using in-depth interviews with key informants from stakeholders in the Lake Toba catchment management and analyzed by qualitative descriptive analysis. Regulations related to the Lake Toba catchment management range from laws to regional regulations. The institutions involved in it include central and regional government agencies and several institutions established for the management of Lake Toba. Even though many programs and activities have been carried out to improve the Lake Toba catchment condition, it has not been successful, because the management has not been integrated among sectors and regions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a single operational management plan that refers to existing spatial plans and has internalized existing plans, especially watershed management plans, without creating new institutions.