Salak Agroforestry System in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia
GIAHS since 2024

©Ministry of Agriculture the Republic of Indonesia
This agroforestry system in Karangasem, Bali—the driest region on the island—integrates salak cultivation with diverse crops. Developed by the indigenous Balinese people using the traditional subak system, it enhances biodiversity, conserves water, sequesters carbon, and supports food security, while preserving cultural heritage and sustaining local livelihoods.
Global Importance
The Salak Agroforestry System in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, is globally significant for its sustainable practices that integrate indigenous knowledge with modern sustainability. Managed by the indigenous Balinese through the Subak Abian system, a traditional cooperative water management method rooted in the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, this agroforestry model exemplifies effective social water management and infrastructure. This approach contributes to carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. The unique cultivation of Salak palms within this system supports global food security and ecological stability, demonstrating the value of combining traditional practices with ecological and agricultural sustainability.
Food and Livelihood Security
The system plays a vital role in food and livelihood security by providing diverse, year-round harvests that enhance resilience and income for local communities. Salak, with its high nutritional value, is a key component of local diets, offering significant health benefits. Rich in beta-carotene, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, Salak fruit supports eye health and overall well-being. It contains five times more beta-carotene than mangoes, three times more than guava, and five times more than red watermelon, making it an essential source of nutrients for the community. This system supports a variety of economic activities, including the sale of fresh and processed Salak products and agrotourism, bolstering regional socio-economic stability. Efforts to promote local cultivation, processing of Salak, and agrotourism initiatives help ensure a stable food supply and increase farmers' income.
Agrobiodiversity
The Salak Agroforestry System in Karangasem is notable for its rich agrobiodiversity, featuring the largest number of Salak varieties in the world, with fourteen unique types cultivated in the region. This diversity is integral to the system's resilience, as it supports a variety of plant species that enhance ecosystem stability. By integrating multiple crops such as Salak, bananas, coconut, and various vegetables, the agroforestry system reduces reliance on single-crop production, minimizing the risk of pest outbreaks and disease spread. The layered structure of the agroforestry model, with taller canopy trees providing shade and understory plants benefiting from the filtered sunlight, optimizes land use and supports a range of habitats. This approach preserves genetic resources crucial for adapting to environmental changes and ensures the sustainability of agricultural practices in the region.
Local and Traditional Knowledge Systems
The Salak Agroforestry System relies on the deep local and traditional knowledge of the Subak Abian farmer groups, who practice sustainable farming methods based on the ancestral Balinese philosophies of Tri Hita Karana and Tri Mandala, emphasizing harmony between humans, nature, and spiritual beliefs. The Subak system in Bali is a traditional method of water management that functions democratically through cooperative decision-making among farmers. It manages water distribution across watersheds using an intricate network of canals, tunnels, and water temples, ensuring fair allocation to terraced rice fields, supporting both agricultural productivity and ecological sustainability.
The Subak system also involves democratic management of crops and harvests, where members collectively decide what crops to plant and when to harvest, facilitating natural pest control and efficient water use. Additionally, Subak members work together to maintain water infrastructure, ensuring well-maintained irrigation channels and drainage systems to prevent water loss and support sustainable agriculture. This integrated management fosters a balanced and productive agricultural environment while preserving Bali’s cultural and environmental heritage.
Cultures, Value Systems, and Social Organizations
Farmers in the Subak Abian are actively involved in the vibrant cultural and artistic traditions of their communities. They form art groups called sekaha, where they practice and perform traditional Balinese arts, including dance, gamelan music, and puppetry. These cultural activities are closely linked to agricultural practices, with locally sourced products often used in ceremonies. This rich cultural heritage is reflected in the numerous religious ceremonies held by Balinese people, including salak farmers, throughout the year, maintaining social cohesion and community resilience.
Landscapes Features
The Salak Agroforestry System landscape in Karangasem is a mosaic of forested hills and cultivated flatlands, bordered by Mount Agung and various settlement centers. The sustainable agroforestry practices contribute to the landscape’s function as a water catchment area, supporting downstream water supply and maintaining hydrological functions. The landscape also plays a role in preserving carbon stocks and creating visually appealing environments, ideal for agrotourism. Additional settlement centers along the Buhu River and villages such as Tenganan, Pesedahan, and Nyuh Tebel further enhance the region's cultural and ecological diversity. The diverse vegetation, including tall trees, shrubs, aromatic herbs, tuberous plants, and rice paddies, creates a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing landscape that reflects the integration of agricultural and natural elements.
Proposal

Proposal: Salak Agroforestry System in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia
08/05/2023
Managed by the indigenous Balinese through the Subak Abian system, a traditional cooperative water management method rooted in the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, this agroforestry model exemplifies effective social water management and infrastructure.
Multimedia

Photos
Flickr Album: Salak Agroforestry System in Karangasem, Bali
18/02/2010
Developed by the indigenous Balinese people using the traditional subak system, it enhances biodiversity, conserves water, sequesters carbon, and supports...
Highlights
