Abstrak. Berdasarkan sumber prasasti, diketahui bahwa kearifan lokal masyarakat Bali dalam mengelola sumber daya air setidaknya telah ada sejak abad ke-11. Adapun pertanian dengan sistem subak muncul sejak abad ke-8. Pengelolaan sumber daya air dalam masyarakat Bali berpijak pada pemuliaan air dan alam sekitarnya yang berpedoman pada konsep Tri Hita Karana yang terdiri atas Parhyangan, Pawongan, dan Palemahan. Parhyangan berkenaan dengan kepercayaan pemuliaan air melalui upacara ritual. Pawongan berkenaan dengan warga desa adat yang mengelola sumber daya air sesuai aturan yang disepakati (awig-awig). Kemudian palemahan berkenaan dengan pengelolaan tata ruang yang mempertimbangkan resapan air, pemuliaan vegetasi, pengaturan pola hunian, dan keselarasannya dengan sumber air. Tujuan penelitian adalah mengidentifikasi nilai-nilai kearifan di dalam pengelolaan sumber daya air di Bali beserta status keberlanjutannya. Adapun metode yang digunakan adalah studi kepustakaan, survei, analisis deskriptif, serta analisis keberlanjutan dengan metode Multi-Dimensional Scalling (MDS). Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa status keberlanjutan pengelolaan air mempunyai nilai relatif tinggi pada dimensi sosial-budaya dan nilai relatif rendah pada dimensi ekonomi-ekologi. Oleh karena itu, perlu dilakukan perbaikan melalui strategi kebijakan guna menyelaraskan setiap dimensi pembangunan berkelanjutan agar peradaban pengelolaan air di Bali, khususnya di Bali Selatan, dapat berlangsung optimal.
Kata kunci: pengelolaan air, budaya berkelanjutan, Bali
Abstract. Sustainable Water Resources Management in South Bali. The ancient Bali inscriptions inform that the Balinese people had developed water management based on their local wisdom since at least the 11th century. The agricultural irrigation system called Subak has existed even further since the 8th century. The water management system in Balinese society accentuates revering and honoring the water and its natural surroundings by applying the Tri Hita Karana concept in everyday life, which consists of Parhyangan, Pawongan, and Palemahan. Parhyangan is related to the belief in revering the water through ritual ceremonies. Pawongan is associated with the traditional village residents who managed water resources following agreed rules (awig-awig). Finally, Palemahan is related to spatial management by considering water conservation areas, vegetation areas, and occupancy areas with its water source’s sustainability. The study aims to identify the local knowledge in water management practices and determine the continuity status of its constancy. The data collection uses literature study, survey, descriptive analysis, and Multi-Dimensional Scaling analysis. The results represent that the sustainability status of water management has a relatively high score in the social-culture dimension. In contrast, it has a relatively low score in the economy and ecology dimensions. Therefore, it needs policy strategies to balance every extent of Bali’s water management so it can be optimized, especially in the South Bali area.
Keywords: water management, cultural sustainability, Bali