Bali lost 6,500 hectares of rice fields, now locals are buying water

For centuries, Bali's iconic terraced rice fields did much more than produce food. They formed part of an ingenious irrigation network that distributed water across the island, sustained farming communities and helped maintain ecological balance. Today, however, that centuries-old system is under increasing pressure. As tourism expands and urban development accelerates, thousands of hectares of rice fields have disappeared, groundwater is becoming harder to access and many communities are now paying for water that was once naturally available. A centuries-old water system under pressureAt the heart of Bali's agricultural heritage is the subak irrigation system, a community-managed network believed to have operated for more than 1,000 years. Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage cultural landscape in 2012, the system is based on cooperation rather than competition. Water flowing from the island's volcanic mountains is channelled through canals, tunnels and small dams before reaching rice terraces across different villages.