Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy

• Changes in traditional ways of life and knowledge systems (Vulnerability of the Subak system)
• Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community (Lack of support for traditional farming systems and of benefits that would allow farmers to stay on the land)
• Land Conversion (Protection of the setting of the landscape to protect the water source that underpins the Subak system)
• Housing (Development pressures)
• Governance, Management systems/management plans (Lack of functioning governance system to implement the Management Plan, Absence of a strategic tourism plan)
• Society’s valuing of heritage

Total amount granted: USD 20,000 from the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust provided for a preparatory assistance to the nomination process (2001).

On 1 December 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1194/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• The Bali Province and the Regency governments have taken actions to strengthen the governing bodies for the Subaks;
• The Tabanan Regency has introduced regulations to assist Subak farmers to maximise their production of rice. The Balinese government has introduced regulations to encourage the use of local agricultural products in hotels and restaurants, as well as retail establishments;
• The Traditional Society Development Service of Bali Province is currently re-registering Subaks in each of Bali’s Regencies, and has provided financial support to Subaks;
• Planning for the draft National Strategic Area Spatial Plan is continuing, and this will be part of the programme of drafting Presidential Regulations in 2023;
• Technical guidance for Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) was completed in 2021 and will be updated to incorporate the recently released revised guidance;
• Detailed Spatial Plans are being prepared in several districts;
• No developments with the potential to impact the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) are planned in the property or its buffer zone.

The report provided by the State Party underlines the importance of supporting the economic viability of Subak farming, and regulations have been developed by the Tabanan Regency and Balinese Provincial Government. The implications for the World Heritage property of the Balinese Government’s re-registration of Subaks across all Regencies are not explained, and the State Party could be requested to provide additional information. The development of a guidance document on operational directives which incorporates HIA is welcomed, although to be effective in practice, this will need to be accompanied by local capacity building.

In previous decisions, the World Heritage Committee considered the designation of a National Strategic Area to be an important means of ensuring the protection of this property. The brief information provided by the State Party indicates that this process is progressing, although the previously estimated timeframe has not been achieved. The State Party should be encouraged to finalise the process of designating the property as a National Strategic Area as soon as possible.

The State Party advises that there are no developments with the potential to impact the OUV. The strength of traditional management practices such as the awig-awig is acknowledged. However, some areas within the serial property are subject to development pressures, and it is not clear how the traditional and institutional decision-making structures work together to ensure that the requirements arising from Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines are met. There is mention of the development of Detailed Spatial Plans in some districts which should further support effective local decision-making although further information about how this is ensured is needed. These should be encouraged in all parts of the serial property.