ASIATODAY.ID, NANJING – Director and Representative of UNESCO East Asia Office Shahbaz Khan said that the Subak irrigation system in Bali is an ideal example of human relations with the environment, especially in the use of water.
“There are a number of examples of how human civilization can be in harmony with water. One very good example is Subak in Bali, but there are also many examples in China,” said Shahbaz Khan in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China on Friday, November 24 2023.
Shahbaz Khan conveyed this at the opening of the “Yangtze Culture Forum” with the theme “Flowing Rivers, Converging Future” as a seminar discussing cooperation to overcome river problems in various countries.
According to Khan, UNESCO is currently encouraging the implementation of “Integrated Water Resources Management” (IWRM), namely development that coordinates the management of water, land and resources to maximize social and economic welfare without compromising the environment.
“The way to do this is by integrating cultural understanding and water conservation values with scientific methods, including pushing for more binding regulations in the development of a city related to water and sanitation,” said Khan.
According to Khan, Subak has a principle that unites three elements through the Tri Hita Karana principle.
Tri Hita Karana itself comes from three words, Tri which means three, Hita which means happiness or prosperity, and Karana which means cause. The form of application of Tri Hita Karana is divided into three important elements as a form of ritual or relationship between humans, God and nature.
“Subak shows the Tri Hita Karana principle. The three are equilibrium or balance between humans, the environment and also God. This principle is very special, so how do we create peace with the environment while bringing spirituality through water as well as environmentally friendly tourism,” added Khan.
Khan encouraged more governments and private parties and the general public to discuss more often to hear each other’s views.
“The element that we call living heritage is very important, in China there are also interesting examples such as the Dragon Boat Festival, but apart from that festival there are also people who live along rivers and water as part of the community, can they access clean water systems but at the same time other facilities so that protecting water is a shared responsibility,” said Khan.
Member of the Steering Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of Jiangsu Province and also Secretary of the CCP Committee of Nanjing City Han Liming said that almost all major civilizations were on the banks of the river.
“Including in China, namely on the Yangtze River and Yellow River, dialogue between major civilizations on the riverbanks was very important not only in the past but even more so in the present to connect major cities in the world,” said Han Liming.
It is known that since June 29 2012 at the 36th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Saint Peterburg, Russia, the proposal of Subak as a World Cultural Heritage has been approved and designated by UNESCO.
According to the submission, Subak in Bali, which has an area of around 20,000 hectares, consists of subaks in five districts, namely Bangli, Gianyar, Badung, Buleleng and Tabanan districts. (Antara)
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