Custom and tradition played essential roles in developing the built environment among the Balinese Hindu society for centuries. The wisdom in managing the environment has passed through generations, as demonstrated by some ancient remnants and Old Balinese inscriptions. We observed that glorifying the mountains in this society has long been a part of protecting the hydrologic cycle. This practice even started in the pre-Hindu era, as shown by sacred megalithic features adjacent to the natural reservoir, water spring, and mountainous forest. At some point, the behavior has successfully passed through times and even developed into a more complex socio-cultural system such as subak. Nevertheless, Balinese society is now facing the threat of hydrological disasters, primarily due to a rapid change in land use. Here, we describe the importance of revealing the value behind the ancient Balinese water-management system to gain people's resilience and sustainability. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) was used to measure the sustainability index and the leverage factors affecting water tradition in Bali. We reveal that the inheritance of the Balinese people's water management tradition is generally weak in each dimension. The socio-cultural dimension score is relatively high, with a sustainability score of 71.11%, which signifies that the society still trusts their culture of water resources management to protect nature. However, the economy and ecology dimensions' score low, with sustainability scores of 56.12 and 63.34%, respectively, indicating the need for improvement in economic matters through the policy strategy. Moreover, our study also suggests that the noble value of the cultural heritage related to the water management system needs to be revitalized and disseminated to the public. Hence, the implication is not limited to conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage. It also provides a reference for the current society regarding a built environment in harmony with sustainability principles.

Maritime migration and island adaptation by anatomically modern humans (AMH) are among the most significant current issues in Southeast Asian archaeology and directly related to their behavioural and technological advancement. In the center of this research hotspot are the Wallacean islands, situated between the Pleistocene landmasses of Sunda and Sahul. Two major migration routes have been suggested for the initial maritime migration from Sunda via Wallacea into Sahul, a northern route into the region of New Guinea and a southern route leading into northern Australia. Here, we report the outcomes of new archaeological research in Central Sulawesi, the most likely entry location for the northern route. Based on our latest findings and new C14 dates from Goa Topogaro 2, we discuss the evidence and timeline for the migration of early modern humans into the Wallacean islands and their adaptation to insular environments during the Late Pleistocene.

Local wisdom in forest conservation underpins disaster resilience in the Mentawir community, enabling effective adaptation to and mitigation of flood risks. Since the village’s establishment, traditional settlement patterns have integrated natural and cultural features that collectively reduce flood exposure. This study aims to revitalise disaster-safety networks that draw on both environmental assets and cultural traditions. Firstly, we examine the role of local wisdom by mapping traditional settlements and their links to cultural practices. Secondly, we assess the sustainability of community engagement and local knowledge in environmental management using multidimensional scaling (MDS), which indicates a relatively weak sustainability status (61.8%). Key drivers of vulnerability include land-use change, economic constraints and infrastructure deficits, all of which require targeted interventions. In response, the Tourism Awareness Group (Kelompok Sadar Wisata, Pokdarwis) of ‘Tiram Tambun’ is advancing a community-based economy that safeguards environmental and cultural values through eco-cultural tourism and by promoting cross-regional coordination among management and protection agencies. Contribution: This study reveals the Mentawir community’s environmental management has relatively weak sustainability (61.8%) based on MDS analysis, prompting the proposal of eco-cultural tourism as a targeted revitalisation strategy.