Sawah

"Sawah" is an Indonesian and Malaysian term for a rice paddy field, specifically an irrigated or wet rice field. These fields are essential to the cultivation of rice, which is a staple food in many parts of Asia. Sawahs are typically found in flat or terraced landscapes and are carefully managed to control water levels, ensuring the rice plants get the necessary water throughout their growth cycle. The water management in sawahs can be quite intricate, involving canals, dikes, and other structures to distribute water evenly across the fields.

Rice cultivation in sawahs is labor-intensive, requiring significant human effort for planting, maintaining, and harvesting the crop. The fields are usually flooded with water during the planting season, which helps to control weeds and pests, and then drained as the rice plants mature. Sawahs are not only a critical component of agricultural practices but also contribute significantly to the cultural and economic aspects of the regions where they are prevalent.