for balinese people, water is the site where the seen and the unseen worlds meet.

for a thousand years, bali’s sustainable subak water irrigation system has embodied spiritual harmony with nature. these days however, tourism to the island soaks up 65% of its water supply, threatening subak and local livelihoods.

in this photo-essay, balinese-american devin santikarma captures a meditation on this quickly disappearing cultural heritage site and paints a portrait of the community keeping subak alive.

read the full story below.

editor’s note: this story was funded in part by the planet forward experiential learning award with support from the walton family foundation. all editorial content is created independently.

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