In a letter sent to the administration, UNESCO frequently reminded Bali of the importance of preserving subak and questioned its programs since the UN agency had declared its status in June 2012. In June 2012, UNESCO officially acknowledged Bali’s traditional subak agricultural system with its rice terraces and water temples as a cultural landscape, placing it on its world heritage list during the organization’s annual meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practice has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago, despite the challenge of supporting a dense population.
Included in the UNESCO-recognized landscape are the 18th-century royal temple of Pura Taman Ayun in Badung, the Batukaru mountain reserve in Tabanan, the Pakerisan watershed in Gianyar and Lake Batur in Bangli, in total covering 19,500 hectares. Following the recognition of subak and other areas in Bali, UNESCO requires the provincial administration to enforce programs for their preservation. A year has passed, but no real programs have been implemented. Initially, the provincial administration planned to establish a board to oversee and manage the heritage sites.
The board was supposed to consist of numerous institutions, community-based organizations, scholars, farmers and other individuals. Another important concept was to enforce stricter regulations related to spatial planning and zoning of world heritage sites. None of these plans were realized or enforced.
A professor of agriculture and head of the Subak Research Center at Udayana University, said the administration lacked political will to preserve subak and agricultural sites. The government officials act very slowly and ineffectively in responding to UNESCO’s strong requirement for the preservation of subak as world heritage sites. UNESCO can revoke the status of world heritage sites at any time if the holder fails to meet its requirements to work on serious preservation programs.