Southeast Asia: Transition among the Nagas - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 390

peoples of the region with each other. Interestingly , with
the possible exceptions of Vietnam and Burma, no
Southeast Asian country established strong ties with
either India or China.
The amount and availability of water are crucial to
life in Southeast Asia. Virtually all outdoor economic
activities are regulated by precipitation. Water is cen-
tral to rice cultivation. In fact, there is no other staple
crop so dependent on its presence. Many regions have
rituals surrounding the “gift of water.” In Thailand, fe-
male cats (the personification of dryness) are carried
through the streets and soaked with water while people
chant “Hail Nang Maew (Lady Cat) give us rain.” In
parts of northern Thailand, Bali, Java, Sumatra, and
other islands of both Indonesia and the Philippines,
elaborate irrigation systems have been constructed to
ensure a stable water supply .

rice paddies (Figure 14-6). Water runs by gravity
but must be fairly distributed and regulated accord-
ing to the needs of farmers and the system. For ex-
ample, irrigated sawah are drained up to three times
per year to encourage root development and allow
weeding. Fields are drained for harvesting and then
re-flooded to allow other plants to grow . Water
hyacinth is popular because it can be worked back
into the soil or used as pig feed.
Balinese farmers belong to cooperatives called
subak . Every farmer who owns or rents more than a
quarter of an acre (one-tenth of a hectare) must
join. Bali has more than 1,000 subak. Each subak
elects a leader who runs the operation and liaisons
with agricultural and other agencies. Subak law
( awig-awig ) meetings must be held on one auspi-
cious day each month of the religious calendar.
Monies are derived from fees, fines, and land sales.
Cooperation is the key to success. Subak mem-
bers repair and maintain the irrigation system after
the harvest in accordance with the amount of water
they have received. Those not working pay a fee.
The average farmer gives the communal system
about 15 days a year. An important aspect of the
subak is its religious connection. Each keeps a tem-
ple, which must be cooperatively maintained by the
members.
The subak system diffused from Java a thou-
sand years ago. It has survived in Bali because of its
isolation as an island and because the adat system

Bali's Subak Irrigation

In Bali, rice is a gift of the gods, and the traditional
rice-growing cycle commences on a day set accord-
ing to a religious calendar. Water regulation is an
essential aspect of this highly regimented pattern of
activities.
Rivers cut through Bali' s volcanic mountains to
the sea. The Balinese have settled the mountain
ridges and covered the slopes with sawah — terraced

Figure 14-6
Irrigated rice terraces (sawah) in Indonesia.
W ater is moved by gravity flow . Photograph
courtesy of B. A. Weightman.