SEI enables participatory mapping for landscape management among farmer custodians of Bali’s Heritage Site

Bali’s unique cultural landscape was inscribed in the global register of heritage sites in 2013 in recognition of the outstanding universal value of its subak system as a manifestation of the Balinese cosmology of Tri Hita Karana. Since its inscription, the key stakeholders of the World Heritage site have been actively preparing themselves to play the role of custodians.

These custodians are the farmers, their associations (subak), and their elected leaders (pekasehs) in the cultural landscape of Catur Angga Batukau.  The Catur Angga Batukau covers the largest area, about 17,000 hectares, in the Bali Cultural Landscape. It is composed of 20 subaks in Tabanan Regency (which covers 39% of land area), the protected forest of Mt Batukau, and Tamblingan and Buyan lakes in Buleleng. It is geographically bounded by the Yeh Ho River on the east and the Ngigih River on the west.

The term “Catur Angga Bakukau” has been originally used to refer to the relationship between the highest temple of Pura Luhur Batukaru, one of the six important temples in Bali, and its four guardian temples: Pura Puncak Petali and Pura Besi Kalung facing east, and, Pura Muncak Sari and Pura Tamba Waras facing west. During 3 to 5 November 2014, SEI researchers organised a participatory mapping training for the members of the Forum Pekaseh Catur Angga Batukaru, an association of leaders of farmers associations.

“The training was the result of a meeting we had with Udayana University, Samdhana Institute, Ministry of Education and Culture and three representatives of the Forum Pekaseh which confirmed that the most immediate and important need for the pekasehs is to develop their capacity on participatory mapping. The demand arose from their lack of knowledge on the current situation of their subaks, especially in relation to the uses of their lands and condition of their water resources and irrigation”, according to Program Coordinator Agus Nugroho of SEI Asia Centre.

Even prior to the listing of the Bali Cultural Landscape as a World Heritate Site, land conversion for non-agricultural uses such as resorts and residences has been on the rise. In fact, it was one of the key reasons the Balinese sought the inscription so that the tide of conversion is controlled; anecdotal reports currently available indicate heightened land conversion instead when Bali was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The pekasehs believe that by learning participatory mapping, they will develop skills to map their subaks, identify issues, and allow them to better plan and manage their subaks as world heritage site as well as propose to relevant agencies and institutions for corresponding action,” added Nugroho.

The participatory mapping exercise comes at an opportune time as the Ministry has initiated a mapping inventory of Catur Angga Batukau and agreed to share the results with the pekasehs. The pekasehs need the basic skills to interpret these maps and confirm their reliability, and SEI’s training is of benefit to them.

I Made Asah, a 72-year old pekaseh of a 150-member subak farming 79 hectares of paddy, and a priest of Pura Tamba Waras, said the mapping exercise is important for his subak as the map he will produce will be his legacy for future pekasehs who will follow after him. “It is critical to provide precise boundaries of our subak to ascertain the present conditions and monitor future changes in land use. This will enable improved custodianship of the Bali cultural landscape,” I Made Asah said.

Related links:
http://www.sei.org/news-and-media/2854
https://weadapt.org/placemarks/maps/view/1022