Sustainability of irrigated agricultural area in the context of climate change: A case study in Rentang Irrigation Area, West Java Province, Indonesia

¹ Department of Sustainability Science, Padjajaran University, 40132, Bandung, Indonesia
² Department of Agricultural Engineering, Padjajaran University, 40132, Bandung, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: dhya.wardani@gmail.com

Abstract

Rentang irrigation area is the second largest irrigated agriculture in West Java Province, with an annual paddy production that exceeds one (1) million tons. Administratively, the Rentang irrigation area is located in three regencies: Majalengka, Cirebon, and Indramayu. Appropriate irrigation infrastructure supports this irrigated farming area. However, many challenges threaten the sustainability of irrigation areas, among them changes in land use and environmental degradation caused by the growth of villages into urban areas, including climate change. Therefore, these issues challenge the sustainability of the irrigated agricultural area, which has the potential to disrupt the achievement of food security and increased nutrition, including the promotion of sustainable agriculture that is mandated in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 2. This study diverges from previous studies in two main points. First, it adopts a holistic approach to assessing sustainability, whereas prior studies tend to focus primarily on technical and economic aspects. Second, it integrates the socio-economic, environmental, and institutional dimensions within the context of climate change. The analysis is conducted using secondary data from 2015 to 2023. The data are synthesized into sustainability indicators using the DPSIR framework, offering a comprehensive assessment tool. The integration of this approach represents a key contribution to the development of sustainability evaluation in irrigated agricultural areas.