Role of reservoir operation in sustainable water supply to Subak irrigation schemes in Yeh Ho River Basin

A Subak irrigation scheme, primarily in Bali, Indonesia concerns an irrigation system of which the construction, operation and management are based on agreed principles of technology, management of agriculture and religious community. Subak systems have been well known since the 9th Century. As a manifestation of the Cultural Landscape of Bali Province the Subak schemes are since June, 2012 included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. These systems are managed by a Subak Association based on the Tri Hita Karana philosophy - harmony between human beings and God, harmony between people and nature, and harmony between people and people. The problem of insufficient water in the dry season developed in the Yeh Ho River Basin. Because of this the main objective of this study was to develop an optimal reservoir operation strategy in relation to the water supply of the Subak irrigation schemes, capable to support agricultural productivity at upstream, midstream and downstream level. Based on a Generic Algorithm the RIBASIM model was applied using the dependable 80% of discharge and shifting the start of land preparation. The results provide evidence that the cropping pattern of the fifth scenario results in an overall optimal agriculture production of the Subak schemes. The recoverable flow considered in the river basin scheme model plays an important role in the optimisation. Nevertheless, if a normal hydro-climate occurs, the other scenarios, especially the first scenario, can be applied as well. This reflects the applicability of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy on harmony among people and harmony among people and nature.