<![CDATA[Although Indonesia has 8.1 million hectares of rice fields, its production capacity is still inadequate to satisfy domestic demand. To address this shortfall, the government has increased reliance on groundwater for irrigation, especially in areas where the availability and quality of surface water do not support year-round cultivation. As an alternative, the government has prioritized groundwater irrigation. Several groundwater irrigation networks (GIN) have been established across Indonesia, including one in Klaten Regency, Central Java Province. There are 14 operational wells within GIN in the Klaten area, each with an average discharge of approximately 15 to 20 liters per second. The wells vary in depth from 130 to 150 meters. Each well is used to irrigate rice paddies that cover approximately 15 to 25 hectares. Some of the wells have been in operation for over 10 years. The objective of this study is to assess the sustainability of GIN by examining the recharge area, recharge rate, and the interaction between surface water and groundwater in the wells. This assessment analyzes lateral and temporal variations in stable isotope compositions, hydrochemical contents, and physical parameters of samples collected from various sources, including GIN wells, springs, dug wells, rivers, irrigation channels, and ponded water in paddy fields. The study indicates that groundwater is replenished from the foothills of Mount Merapi, located at elevations between 300 and 2,500 meters above sea level. The extraction rate of the GIN, which is significantly lower than the estimated recharge rate, along with the limited interactions between groundwater and surface water, supports the conclusion that the GIN in this area has negligible adverse environmental impacts. Regulating the recharge and discharge of the aquifer can ensure sustainable groundwater utilization; specifically, the decline in water levels during the dry season can be restored in the wet season.]]>
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