Unismuh Faculty Research Promotes Innovation in Absorption Wells and Biopits for Flood Mitigation

The research was conducted in the Tanralili Sub-Watershed, Maros Regency, South Sulawesi. This area was chosen because it has characteristics of critical land, steep slopes, and clay soil with low infiltration capacity. This condition causes rainwater to quickly turn into surface runoff, especially during heavy rainfall.

Dr. Abd Rakhim Nanda, a researcher from the Faculty of Engineering, Unismuh Makassar, stated that this research emerged from the need to provide practical solutions for areas facing hydrological pressure due to land cover change and increasing extreme rainfall intensity.

According to him, water conservation approaches are not sufficient if only relying on large infrastructure. Local governments also need small, cheap, and readily deployable interventions in areas prone to runoff.

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"Infiltration wells and biopore holes can be part of a water management strategy at the site level. This technology is simple, but if placed correctly, it can help slow down surface water flow and increase soil infiltration," said Abd Rakhim, when confirmed, Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Tested in the Tanralili Sub-Watershed

In this research, the research team tested the performance of Infiltration Wells (IW) and Biopore Holes (BH) on two types of land cover, namely secondary dry forest and mixed dry agricultural land. These two types of land represent different hydrological conditions in the Tanralili Sub-Watershed area.

The research results show that the soil at the test site has very low permeability, with an average value of approximately 0.00077 centimeters per second. With such soil characteristics, rainwater is difficult to infiltrate quickly into the soil and is more likely to flow on the surface.

This condition is further exacerbated by the dominance of mixed dry agricultural land in the Tanralili Sub-Watershed area. In the land cover map analyzed by the researchers, mixed dry agriculture is the most dominant land use, accounting for around 68 to 70 percent of the total area.

Abd Rakhim explained that these findings are important for local governments because they show that controlling runoff cannot be done uniformly. Each location requires intervention designs that consider soil type, land cover, slope, and water flow convergence points.

"Our findings show that the placement location is very important. Infiltration wells and biopores should be placed in areas that are concentrated flow paths, small depressions, or slope areas that are prone to accelerating runoff," he said.

Infiltration Increased, Runoff Decreased

Quantitatively, the installation of IW increased infiltration by about 77% compared to land without treatment. At the same time, surface runoff decreased by about 23%.

When IW is combined with BH, its hydrological performance increases. The combination of infiltration wells and biopores helps to enlarge the infiltration pathway, reduce surface accumulation, and delay the onset of runoff.

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In certain scenarios, the combination of IW and BH can reduce runoff volume by about 31%. These findings show that simple technologies can have a real impact if applied with designs that are appropriate for the characteristics of the land.

For Abd Rakhim, these figures are not just laboratory achievements. He sees them as a technical basis that can be used by local governments to formulate water conservation, flood mitigation, and land rehabilitation policies.

"Local governments can use these research results as a starting point to determine priority locations. For example, in dry agricultural land, open areas, or areas with dense and low-infiltration soil," he said.

Local Policy Reference

This research also provides an important message for river basin management. In tropical areas like South Sulawesi, rain often falls in short periods with high intensity. In such conditions, water needs time to be retained before flowing into rivers or downstream areas.

Infiltration wells and biopores act as small-scale water retention spaces. They do not replace large-scale flood control infrastructure, but can complement it through site-based and community-based approaches.

These models are relevant to local governments, especially in soil and water conservation programs, local flood control, land rehabilitation, and climate change adaptation. These interventions can also involve communities, farmers' groups, schools, universities, and local governments.

Abd Rakhim emphasized that campus research needs to move from publication to application. According to him, the success of research is not only measured by the journal in which the article is published, but also by its ability to answer community problems.

"International publications are important to demonstrate academic quality. However, what is equally important is how the research results can be used to improve environmental management policies and practices in the region," he said.

Unismuh's research shows that flood and water crisis do not always need to be addressed with large and expensive approaches. In many cases, solutions can start from simple, data-based technologies and be placed in appropriate locations.

From the Tanralili Sub-Watershed, Unismuh Makassar's research offers a message that universities can play a greater role in helping local governments face environmental challenges. Universities are not only producing knowledge, but also offering solutions that can be tested, implemented, and developed together with the community.

This research also demonstrates Unismuh Makassar's commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, this research relates to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), as well as SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Ecosystems). The research supports the objectives of SDGs 6, 11, 13, and 15 by promoting water conservation, mitigation of floods, land rehabilitation, and adaptation to climate change, respectively.

The full article can be accessed at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182600159X