Groundwater Management Strategies to Maintain Food Security and National Security in the Banten Region

Abstract

This paper evaluates groundwater management strategies for maintaining food security and national security in the Banten region. The study uses monthly rainfall and air temperature data from ten representative locations classified according to Oldeman climate zones during 1981-2010. The Braak method is applied to estimate local air temperature, while the Thornthwaite and Mather water-balance method is used to calculate potential evapotranspiration, soil water content, and available groundwater. The findings show that wet climate zones remain relatively stable, while drier northern zones experience groundwater availability decline for seven to eight months per year. These results highlight the importance of sustainable groundwater management through conservation, artificial recharge, monitoring, irrigation efficiency, groundwater extraction control, and public education. Effective groundwater policy is essential to protect agricultural productivity, community water access, economic stability, and national security resilience.