Bali’s Natural Heritage Is Being Threatened By Development Says UNESCO

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With land conversation rates in Bali rocketing through the roof, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has committed to working with the Indonesian Government to safeguard the island’s natural heritage for the good of people and the planet. 

The conversion of agricultural land into land for tourism development has felt as if it has been increasing exponentially in the post-pandemic era.

With Bali’s fragile agricultural landscape managed using traditional farming and water management techniques, this rapid turnover of land is creating problems across the island.

As the World Water Forum is still underway in Nusa Dua, leaders from global governing bodies and agencies have expressed concern for Bali’s natural landscape. 

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Reports show that UNESCO and the Indonesian Government are committed to maintaining the sustainability of Bali’s agricultural irrigation system, known as the Subak, as part of the world’s cultural heritage.

Delegates from the World Water Forum and the Indonesian Minister for Tourism and Creative Economies, Sandiaga Uno, have visited the UNESCO World Heritage Jatiluwih Rice Terraces as part of the conference field trip sessions. 

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Xing Qu from UNESCO told reporters, “One of [the partnership’s] efforts is to advocate for the protection of cultural heritage related to water in order to overcome the challenges of water problems in the 21st century, all of which are closely related to the Subak context.”

Qu added, “We have to reflect back on how humans relate to water and how we have consumed and processed water.”

“We will also release new initiatives in Indonesia to support more sustainable water management.”

It has been confirmed that UNESCO will step in to increase promotion and education regarding how communities in Bali and government agencies can use water wisely.

A number of initiatives that will be implemented include educational support related to water management, capacity building, and facilitating cross-border water cooperation. 

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The field trip group was joined by Secretary of the DPP Peradah Indonesia Bali, I Ketut Eriadi Ariana, who told reporters that the world’s relationship with water must be taken more seriously.

He said, “When the spring is gone, the minds of the Balinese are gone. There are ancient Balinese texts that talk about water management and various rules on how to protect and care for water. Subak is not just a terrace, but is a form of solidarity.”

He concluded, “World water governance must be based on the values of solidarity and connectivity so that we can get out of water disasters.”

Bali’s subak system and agricultural practices may not seem like the most exciting thing to learn about on vacation in Bali.

Yet the rice terraces of Jatiluwih and Tegallalang, as well as the rice fields of Sideman and West Bali, have become such iconic symbols of the island that yours from all over the world have visiting rice fields as one of their top vacation activities. 

It is easy to see why the verdant green rice terraces have capture the wanderlust of international travelers, and many rice terraces have been adapted to be more tourist friendly.

As more and more rice paddies and agricultural land gets converted to tourism development, a whole host of environmental and cultural issues. 

Land that has previously been used to produce food has been lost, meaning Bali’s overall food production capacities are reduced.

This same land is also essential for water capture; once rice paddies have been concreted over or built upon, the land capacity to hold water is decimated, and the risk of flooding and landslides is hugely increased.

Culturally, this creates issues too, as traditional farming practices are lost, so too is a way of life and a way of connecting to the landscape. Young people in farming communities must seek work elsewhere, often further a field than in their home villages.