Jakarta, May 5, 2024 - The Balinese irrigation system “Subak”, which is closely aligned with the 10th World Water Forum theme of “Water for Shared Prosperity”, is ready to be presented and become one of the destinations for the delegates and participants of the largest water forum to be held in Nusa Dua, Bali, from May 18 to 25, 2024.
The Vice Chairman of the National Organizing Committee of the 10th World Water Forum and Minister of Public Works and Public Housing of the Republic of Indonesia, Basuki Hadimuljono, said that Bali is one of the places in Indonesia that connects water to all aspects of life. Subak is a form of community self-supply system that regulates the fair and equal distribution of irrigation water in rice fields.
"Subak is a Balinese irrigation system as an embodiment of a cultural order with the characteristics of social independence, food security and religious strength with determination and a spirit of mutual cooperation to harvest water for the production of food, especially rice and second crops," said Minister Basuki at the World Water Congress in Beijing, People's Republic of China, some time ago.
The Subak system is an expression of the close, inseparable relationship between God, man and nature in the production of food and other necessities. Subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which connects the spiritual world, the human world and the environment.
Full of philosophical significance in the context of water conservation, Subak will be one of the visiting destinations of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. Subak, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012, is an exemplary model of how indigenous communities successfully and sustainably manage water resources - a lesson for society as a whole.
"By combining political, regional and thematic processes and site visits, it will be the attraction of the 10th World Water Forum. Bali has also been famous and legendary as a tourist destination for decades," said Minister Basuki.
The Director General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Sigit Reliantoro, added that Indonesia's success in establishing a monitoring system and maintaining water quality could also serve as an example to other countries participating in the world's largest water forum.
"We will have a side event to learn together about watershed-based water management systems, water management in Subak and lakes. We will also exchange views on a water monitoring system that is relatively advanced compared to other countries. Then we will also look at how the monitoring system can be integrated with efforts to coordinate with local governments, cooperation with universities and various forms of cooperation with the private sector," Sigit said.
For information, the Indonesian government, together with the World Water Council (WWC), has prepared a series of meeting forums leading up to the 10th World Water Forum. The Forum consists of three main processes, namely a political, a regional and a thematic process. The synergy of these three processes is necessary to achieve the goal of water as a means of shared prosperity.
For more information on the 10th World Water Forum, please visit: https://s.id/worldwaterforumpedia