7 December 2019 | New Scientist | 29Losing paradise?
Photographer David Lazar
NESTLED in the shadow of Bali’s
Mount Agung, these serene
terraces in Karangasem have
produced rice for centuries using
a sustainable irrigation system
called subak.
As climate change drives
water scarcity globally, subak
is inspiring sustainable design.
This stunning image appears
in Lo-TEK: Design by radical
indigenism, a book by Julia Watson
in which she calls for greater
recognition of subak and other
indigenous technologies as
models of sustainability.
Subak began over a thousand
ago. Then, water temples were
built near mountains and rivers,
and connected to canals, allowing
priests to control water flow.
Pastures were drained and left
fallow, letting the soil regain
nutrients and preventing pests.
Today, each parcel of semi-
flooded land is managed by a
farmer who joins a subak co-op,
a self-governing community that
ensures water is fairly distributed
for irrigation. Bali has some 1200
subak, each comprising up to 400
farmers, and democracy is at their
heart. When water is scarce, which
is happening more frequently
due to increased tourism, co-op
members decide how to spread
resources. Such practices are often
linked to the Balinese concept of
Tri Hita Karana, “three ways” of
achieving happiness through
harmony with god, other people
and the environment. ❚
Bethan Ackerley