Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
The Rice Terraces in the Philippine Cordilleras are a distinctive landscape feature of the Philippine province of Ifugao in the Cordillera in the north- east of the island of Luzon. Since 1995, they are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
Description
The terraces which cover a large part of the province, are an example of the comprehensive design of a landscape by humans. Since probably 2000 years the hillsides are terraced with retaining walls and irrigation for the cultivation of rice and vegetables at a height from 700 to 1500 meters. Here are all areas, up to a slope of 70 °, exploited. The walls are the only pre-colonial stone buildings in the Philippines.
Construction and maintenance of the terraces are subject to date the traditional rules of the indigenous Ifugao. Above the fields private forests ( Muyong ) entertain to secure the water supply. No patio may stop the flow of water to the next lower level, the total amount of water is evenly distributed jointly owned by dams, ditches and bamboo tubes. The average two-meter high retaining walls follow the contour of the site and consist of rubble stones. Behind them, the reason is first filled with rubble, are let into the canals for drainage. Approximately one meter below the final ground level followed by a highly compacted soil. The top 20-30 cm are then the muddy, vigorously plowed farmland.
Traditionally, all terraces in family ownership. Property rights are subject to the rules of tribal law and by holy men ( Mumbakki ) enforced.
Conservation
In 1991, the rice terraces were declared a national treasure, to preserve them there was from 1994, the Commission of Ifugao terrace. In 1995, UNESCO declared the five separate areas for World Heritage Site:
- Two areas in the municipality of Banaue ( Battad and Bangaan )
- In the borough Mayoyao,
- In the borough Kiangan ( Nacadan )
- And in the municipality of Hungduan.
In 2001, the rice terraces have been added to the Red List of World Heritage in Danger. With the declining interest of the Ifugao to their traditional culture and the rice terraces are increasingly neglected. More and more farmers operate the cultivation only as a show for the tourists in the irrigation and flood control concrete structures are increasingly being used to refer to the traditional investments no consideration. The central organization of the World Heritage Site on the terrace Commission also leads to conflicts of interest with the local administrative structures that do not directly benefit from tourism revenues. Since 2006, based in the province of Ifugao World Heritage Office is responsible for managing.