Rice paddies in the Lawu valley, east Java. - - Environmental Deterioration and the Threat to Food and Agriculture. Erosion is one of the principal problems impeding the development of agriculture in Central and East Java. Without proper management of the watershed, it will be impossible to reduce flood damage or rehabilitate reservoirs. In order to provide training and experience in erosion control measures, the Government is being assisted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as executing agency, in drawing up plans for the integrated watershed development of the Solo River which flows northward into the Java Sea. The UN/FAO World Food Programme is supplying food as an incentive to workers engaged in building dams for erosion control.