Sustainability of Subak in Bali and Outside Bali: What are Their Differences?

Subak is an organization of traditional farmers who manage their irrigation system autonomically in one particular area (Windia et al., 2015) and is social capital of Balinese ethnic community that has been defined as the world heritage and is consistently passed on from one generation to the next (Windia dan Wiguna, 2013). Research by Windia et al. (2015) suggested that subak acts as a technological and cultural system that can be transformed into other areas outside Bali and its implementation can improve the welfare of its members. Surata et. al. (2014) found that the existence of a subak system stimulates the community to participate in active landscaping as well as to get involved in building forms of knowledge, communication, and decision-making.

Studies conducted by Dweldo (2009) and Roth (2011) showed that subak as social capital is also applied by the Balinese ethnic community who transmigrated outside Bali. About 9,000 ethnic Balinese residing in the Dumoga transmigrant area, in Bolaang Mongondow Regency, North Sulawesi, who work as farmers apply the subak irrigation system. The contribution of subak as an organization/institution in the transmigration area is undeniably substantial, however it still cannot be compared with the institution in its home region, Bali, which is able to contribute to the development of food and tourism. Hence, it is very interesting to study the comparison of the sustainability status of subak in Bali and outside Bali, as well as the modeling of subak management in realizing its sustainability.

This research was conducted for two years using a purposive method in 2 locations: the Saba Watershed (Daerah Aliran Sungai) in Seririt District, Buleleng Regency, Bali and East Dumoga Irrigation Area in East Dumoga District, Bolaang Mongondow Regency, North Sulawesi. Penelitian ini dilakukan selama dua tahun secara purposive pada Daerah Aliran Sungai (DAS) Saba di Kecamatan Seririt, Kabupaten Buleleng, Provinisi Bali dan Daerah Irigasi Dumoga Timur di Kecamatan Dumoga Timur, Kabupaten Bolaang Mongondow, Provinsi Sulawesi Utara. The data used were primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained using in-depth interview and focus group discussion techniques, while secondary data were obtained by literature study. The samples in this study were subak management/officers, farmers, and stakeholders at the related governmental level. This research used a variety of analysis methods: Multi Dimension Scaling (MDS), Interpretative Structure Model (ISM), and System Dynamics.

This study shows that the sustainability status of the irrigation management in Bolaang Mongondow Regency is weak (less sustainable) in the physical-environmental, infrastructure-technology, and policy-institutional dimensions. Only the economic and social dimensions achieve sufficiently sustainable status. Some of the key elements that affect the sustainability of the irrigation management in Bolaang Mongondow Regency include forest logging, illegal gold mining, and water conflicts. These conditions lead to a water deficit during the dry season, a crucial problem for farmers. Unlike the case in Bolaang Mongondow, the physical-environmental and technological-infrastructure dimensions in Buleleng Regency do have a less sustainable status, but the economic, socio-cultural, and institutional-policy dimensions are quite sustainable. The problem of water drought in the dry season can be overcome by prioritizing the resolution of elements of damage to irrigation networks and land conversion.

Based on the results of this study, strategic steps that can be implemented in Bolaang Mongondow and Buleleng include establishment of appropriate rules and sanctions related to forest logging, land conversion, illegal gold mining, and excavation C around the irrigation network; conservation efforts around the upstream; and integrated and ecoregion-based watershed management. To get a sustainable irrigation system management model that is appropriate in both regions, it is important to develop a dynamic system model in the next stage of the study, particularly to formulate variables that are determinants of sustainability and provide an overview of the system behavior.