At the opening of the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) in Nusa Dua, Bali (May 21, 2024), Deputy Director General of UNESCO Xing Qu expressed his admiration for the Balinese people's consistency in protecting and managing water for a balanced life between nature and humans. One of the Balinese agricultural cultures exemplifies this through the subak irrigation system.

Xing Qu believes that subak can help address various water challenges in the 21st century. Balinese have used the subak irrigation system since the 8th century and have preserved it for generations. UNESCO recognized the importance of subak and listed it as a World Cultural Heritage on June 29, 2012. Subak continues to play a significant role in the daily lives of the Balinese people.

The subak is the water management system of Bali's rice fields. It distributes water from a spring, river, or lake equally to all rice fields. The subak irrigation system in Bali is considered fair because it ensures that all Balinese farmers and communities have equal access to water. This system can only be established with proper regulation and overseen by a traditional leader, the Pekaseh.

The Deep Philosophy of the Subak System

For the Balinese, water symbolizes sustainability, purity, and balance in daily life. Adhering to the philosophy of Balinese Hindu society called Tri Hita Karana, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance between man and his fellow man, man and nature, and man and the Creator, is also a foundational principle for creating the subak system.

Tri Hita Karana's philosophy consists of three elements of life: Parahyangan, Pawongan, and Palemahan. The Parahyangan element is utilized for worship in the temple surrounding the subak, while Pawongan refers to the organization governing the subak system. The Palemahan element indicates the land ownership or territory of each subak. These three elements become a reciprocal relationship closely related to sustainable development.

One interesting fact about the subak irrigation system in Bali is that temples are built around it, as mentioned in the Parahyangan element. These temples are called Pura Ulun Carik or Bedugul Temple, and farmers construct them specifically to worship Dewi Sri, the goddess of fertility and prosperity.

Photo: Subak in Jatiluwih Tourism Village (Shutterstock/Tanya Keisha)

Subak as a Tourist Attraction

Subak has become one of the tourist attractions in Bali, such as Jatiluwih Tourism Village, Penebel, and Tabanan, and is suitable for the agricultural sector as well. Situated at an altitude of 700 meters above sea level and the base of Mount Batukaru, the Jatiluwih Tourist Village boasts a terraced rice field area with a subak system spanning over 50,000 hectares, making it the largest in Bali.

This expanse of rice fields with a subak system is a tourist attraction in Jatiluwih Tourism Village. One of the tourist attractions that you can directly experience in this tourist village is participating in the farmers' activities such as cleaning rice fields (nampadin), plowing rice fields (ngelampit), leveling rice fields (mlasah), planting rice (nandur), and harvesting rice (sasih sada).

The tourism village's main attraction is the Jatiluwih Festival, which is held annually as a routine event. This festival is a form of gratitude from the Balinese to Dewi Sri, better known to the local community as Nyi Pohaci Sanghyang Sri. This festival usually features various typical performing arts from Jatiluwih village. It starts with the colossal Rejang Kesari dance, Bungan Sandat dance, Metangi dance, Cendrawasih dance, Margapati dance, and other dances.

Combining cultural arts, local wisdom, and beautiful scenery, this is a complete tour package you can enjoy on vacation.

Cover: Subak irrigation system as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage (Shutterstock/Rizky Ade Jonathan)