Jakarta, Indonesia — The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources concluded a highly productive nine-day technical exchange program focused on water quality and environmental monitoring in mining operations.

The Ambassador’s Water Experts Program (AWEP) brought U.S. water systems specialist Steven Rice from the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service to Indonesia from June 8-18, 2026, to engage in professional collaboration with Indonesian counterparts on shared water management challenges and solutions related to mining.  The technical exchange emphasized mutual learning and partnership between water and mining professionals from both nations.

The delegation conducted site visits to understand conditions in Lombok and West Sumbawa.  These field visits provided opportunities for technical discussions on water quality parameters, treatment methodologies, and infrastructure approaches suited to Indonesia’s unique geographic and environmental conditions.  Additional technical consultations were held with the Ministry of Environment Director of Water Quality Inspection and Enforcement, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Director of Technical and Environmental Affairs, the Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), PT Amman Mineral, U.S. company Ecolab (Nalco Indonesia), NGO Nexus3, Bandung Technical Institute (ITB), Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), University of Mataram, and Sumbawa University of Technology (UTS).

The program also featured a workshop in Jakarta, bringing together government officials, technical experts, academic representatives, and conservation professionals to discuss findings and identify opportunities for continued technical cooperation on water quality and infrastructure challenges.  AWEP featured a panel discussion at the U.S. Embassy’s premier cultural center, @america, on “Innovation in Action: U.S.-Indonesia Water Solutions for Responsible Mining,” with BRIN Principal Expert Limnology and Water Resources Researcher Professor Cynthia Henny, Senior Director from U.S. company Ecolab Tomy Suryatama, ITB Water Engineering Associate Professor Muhammad Sonny Abfertiawan, and Mr. Rice.

Spokesperson Jamie Ravetz emphasized the importance of the partnership: “This technical exchange represents the strong collaboration between the United States and Indonesia on water systems expertise related to mining.  Our water professionals have demonstrated American excellence in environmental stewardship and gained valuable insights from Indonesian colleagues’ experience managing water infrastructure in this critical region.”