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.

students at planet forward pillar schools are eligible to pitch stories for travel funding here.

indonesia is a country rife with biodiversity and natural resources. it is also a country where climate change is not a distant future, but a widespread reality. imagine if new york was sinking into the ocean, and you have jakarta, the nation’s coastal capitol and the fastest-sinking city in the world. when pope francis and the grand imam signed a joint declaration this summer calling for “decisive action” toward climate change, catholic communities all over the archipelago celebrated his arrival with their own climate-centered community action. in yogyakarta, catholic community organizers are working diligently toward climate action.