A Systematic Review of Research Trends in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Indonesia

Abstract

This study offers a comprehensive review of research trends in WASH in Indonesia from 1975 to April 2021. A total of 272 articles related to Sustainable Development Goals 6.1 and 6.2 were analyzed, sourced from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The analysis found that water-related research (41%) was more prominent than topics related to sanitation (22%) or hygiene (13%). Social aspects (39%) were the most common focus in literature, particularly studies exploring the factors influencing WASH-related behaviors. However, there was a noticeable lack of studies on the implementation of WASH programs or interventions aimed at changing behavior, highlighting a disconnect between research findings and their application in policy and practice. In contrast, topics on hygiene (14%) and WASH financing (6%) were among the least covered. There was also a significant amount of research that combined multiple topics (23%) and themes (15%), reflecting a growing recognition of the need to address WASH challenges from a holistic, multi-faceted perspective. Geographically, most WASH research was centered in central Indonesia, even though WASH issues, such as inadequate services and poor behavior, tend to be more acute in other areas. This study also identifies several research gaps relating to topic selection, thematic focus, and regional coverage that should be addressed in future WASH studies in Indonesia.

Keywords

• research trends
• water sanitation and hygiene (wash)
• sdgs
• social factors