Subak is the cooperative system that brings water to Bali's rice fields. Farmers who share a water source form a subak, managing canals, weirs and planting schedules together, with each community coordinated through a network of water temples. In 2012 UNESCO inscribed the Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy on the World Heritage List.
The system dates back to the 9th century. It expresses Tri Hita Karana, a philosophy of harmony between people, nature and the spiritual realm. Water is distributed through temples, from Pura Ulun Danu Batur on the Batur caldera, the supreme water temple, down to small shrines in individual fields. Shared planting calendars create fallow periods that help control pests across whole landscapes.
The World Heritage property covers more than 19,500 hectares and includes Pura Ulun Danu Batur and Lake Batur, the subak landscape of the Pakerisan watershed, the terraces of Catur Angga Batukaru, which include Jatiluwih, and the royal water temple of Pura Taman Ayun. Bali has well over a thousand subaks, and understanding them changes how every rice terrace on the island looks.
Highlights
- UNESCO World Heritage since 2012
- Water temples governing irrigation
- Tri Hita Karana philosophy in practice
- Visible across every terrace on Bali
Good to know
- Visit Jatiluwih and Pura Taman Ayun on the same day to see two parts of the listed landscape.
- Look for small shrines in the fields, where farmers make offerings at each stage of the rice cycle.
- A guided field walk is the best way to understand how water is shared between farmers.
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