Community Resilience and Adaptive Strategies for Clean Water Scarcity in Salaon Toba Village, Lake Toba, Indonesia

This paper examines community resilience in addressing clean water scarcity in Salaon Toba Village, Ronggur Nihuta Subdistrict, Samosir District, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Although the Lake Toba region is abundant in water resources, many surrounding settlements continue to face difficulties in accessing safe and reliable water. Using a descriptive qualitative method, the study engaged 20 informants through in-depth interviews and direct observations to explore the challenges and strategies adopted by local residents. The findings reveal that, despite the village’s proximity to Lake Toba, geographical and geological conditions—such as rocky highland terrain—significantly limit water availability, especially during the rainy season. To cope with these constraints, communities employ diverse adaptive strategies, including purchasing water transported from Lake Toba, harvesting rainwater from rooftops, constructing large storage tanks inside and outside homes, implementing strict water-saving routines, and organizing water-related responsibilities along gender lines. While Salaon Toba has access to multiple water sources—springs, rainwater, Lake Toba, and Lake Pea Porohan—their full utilization remains constrained by technical limitations, cultural restrictions, and inadequate infrastructure. These strategies highlight the community’s agency in sustaining daily needs, yet also underline the urgent need for government intervention to ensure equitable and sustainable access to clean water. The study emphasizes the importance of inclusive policies aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 6 [Clean Water and Sanitation] to strengthen both infrastructure and community resilience in facing climate-induced water challenges.