Jakarta, May 26, 2024 – To conclude the series of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, delegates and participants were invited to visit three sites, namely the Subak Museum, Lake Batur and the Jatiluwih Tourism Village. These three places illustrate how the Balinese use and manage water in their daily lives.

At the Mandala Manthika Museum (formerly Subak Museum) in Tabanan Regency, Bali, for example, the delegation was presented with a collection of traditional to modern agricultural tools and their history on Saturday (5/25/2024), which served to impart knowledge about their use and  keep pace with development without disturbing nature.

One of the field trip participants, Yumiko Yasuda from the Global Water Partnership Sweden, admitted that she was very inspired by the Subak irrigation system in Bali.

"I want to know more about how the Balinese do it, especially because it has to do with culture and religion," he said.

Mandala Manthika, managed by Tabanan Regency Culture Service, is a special type A museum initiated by the Governor of Bali (1978-1988), Dr. Ida Bagus Mantra. After its inauguration in 1991, this museum was restored by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in 2023 and reopened in 2024, ahead of the 10th World Water Forum.

Ni Nyoman Mirahwati, the guide of Mandala Manthika, said that this museum houses various collections of agricultural implements from different eras of human civilization, divided into three sections.

The first section displays various artifacts related to the history and development of irrigation in China, Japan and Korea.

The second section contains information about the Indonesian irrigation system, namely Sumatra, Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua and Maluku.

The third section shows various information and collections related to the Subak irrigation system. In this section, the pre-sowing process, sowing period and rice harvesting are shown. The participants and delegates also watched a video documentary on Subak.

The Charming Mount Batur

Breathtaking views and interesting experiences were also found by the participants and delegations who visited Lake Batur in Bangli Regency. The charm and natural beauty combine perfectly with the cool air of the lake, which was formed from the caldera of the eruption of Mount Batur tens of thousands of years ago.

"The view here is very beautiful, and the air is fresh too," said Dave Hebblethwaite, Pacific Community Fiji participant, while capturing Lake Batur with his smartphone camera at Kedisan Pier.

Dave admitted that he sees a connection between Bali and Fiji as they are both in the volcanic belt of the Pacific. "That means we are on the same volcanic route. It seems we are connected," said Dave, who was visiting Indonesia for the first time.

Emmanuel Korsah, a participant in the excursion from Ghana, Africa, was also enthusiastic. He felt very comfortable in Bali, as the country's climate was not much different from that of Indonesia. In his opinion, Bali has many interesting places with friendly people and a unique culture that is hard to find in other places. Korsah, who works at Ghana Water Ltd, admitted that he was very interested in exploring different places in Bali.

"I do not just want to know the way from the hotel to the meeting point. I get into the habit of finding out what the place is like, how people live, taking a few photos so that it becomes a moment that stays in my memory. It is very nice," said Korsah.

After visiting Lake Batur, the excursion participants visited Jati Segara Temple, Agromina Songan, Glagah Lingga Pine Forest, Ubud Water Palace and finally Ubud Art Market.

In Agromina Songan, the participants met local farmers who are members of the Eka Tunas Merta Songan Farmer Group. The participants had the opportunity to try their hand at harvesting bok choy, a type of mustard grass from the Brassicaceae family.

At this site, bok choy is grown in an agricultural system that requires little water on the slopes of Mount Batur. Santosh, a participant from Nepal, was amazed at the farmers' ability to remain productive with little water.

Harvesting Rice in Jatiluwih

The participants and delegates who visited the Jatiluwih Tourism Village had a very different experience. They immediately participated in rice washing and saw various orchid and cactus plants.

 Before the group entered the compound, they were greeted by dozens of local Jatiluwih women who lined up to the right and left of the road. The women line up to greet the participants as they dance the Metangi dance.

The manager of Jatiluwih Tourism Village, John K Purna, said the Metangi dance reflected a new spirit. The meaning of Metangi in the Balinese and Indonesian language is "waking up". “Therefore, we hope that this dance reception will be an encouragement for people in Bali and around the world to maintain the sustainability of water for life,” he explained.

"All dancers are inhabitants of Jatiluwih. We want to present the best for the participants of the 10th World Water Forum excursion. All the residents and village officials here are involved. We are very happy that the participants are coming here," he added.

After the welcome dance, some participants looked excited and tried to sift rice together with the local women. Occasionally, they seemed to laugh together, especially when some of the participants were clumsy and had difficulty throwing and catching the rice grains while sifting.

Sieving is a type of cleaning (rice, paddy, soybeans, etc.) in which a certain amount of rice is placed in a ginning bowl (similar to a round tray made of woven bamboo) and then up and down movements are made to sort out the bad rice.

"Do not spill the rice while you’re throwing it around, okay," said the mother of a Jatiluwih resident who was teaching one of the participants.

During the excursion to the Jatiluwih terraced rice fields where the local red Cendana rice grows, the participants were amazed and captured this on camera while taking selfies. This terraced rice field is cultivated according to the Subak system, which involves going through 15 stages of traditional Balinese ceremonies each time the planting season begins. Subak Jatiluwih has an area of 303 hectares and is effectively planted with 227 hectares of rice.

Wayan Mustra, Pekaseh (responsible for water management in the Balinese Subak system) in Subak Jatiluwih, explained that this planting method has been used for many years. No resident dared to violate the stages of the ceremony, which had long become a rule (awig-awig) of the local community.

At the end of the excursion to Tabanan, the participants enjoyed the orchids and cacti in the Bali Botanical Gardens in Bedugul. Upon arrival at the Bali Botanical Gardens, the participants immediately enjoyed the sight of colorful orchids of various species.

The cacti were no less interesting for the participants of the excursion. The cacti of different sizes and species are kept in a greenhouse on 500 square meters of land to avoid humidity.

"There are a total of 225 plant species, including succulents and cacti, the oldest of which is 50 years old. The most unique plant is the Golden Bowl. In the orchid garden there are plants from Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. There are some that still exist today. There are also some that have not yet been identified and their names and roots are still being researched," Putu Edi Sutama, an employee from the Bali Botanical Gardens, explained to several participants as they looked at the plants. (Ni Ketut Sudiani,Ni Komang Erviani, Ayu Sulistyowati/TR/Elvira Inda Sari)