Tri Hita Karana as an indigenous ecological ethic when and how customary values translate into environmental compliance

Background: Tri Hita Karana (THK) is widely presented as the ecological ethic of Bali, yet land conversion, inequitable water use, and the loss of green space continue. This study asks under which institutional and political-economic conditions THK values are translated into compliance with environmental rules, and when this translation fails. Methods: A critical hermeneutic analysis of documentary evidence was conducted across three cases selected for variation in resource tenure and tourism pressure: the subak of Jatiluwih, the customary village of Tenganan Pegringsingan, and Canggu in South Bali. Sources comprised UNESCO World Heritage records, provincial regulations, published analyses of customary regulations, and peer-reviewed empirical studies. They were analyzed through data condensation, data display, and cross-case conclusion drawing, with the design principles of common-pool resource institutions as the primary framework. Findings: In Tenganan, THK legitimacy is attached to specific forest rules that are monitored by the village assembly, backed by graduated sanctions, and recognized by the state, although sharecroppers hold a lesser voice. In Jatiluwih, ritual authority coordinates water, but customary institutions have little control over land conversion and tourism development. In Canggu, THK persists mainly as discourse while individually titled land is converted and customary authority is marginalized. Conclusion: THK supports environmental stewardship when sacred legitimacy is bound to specific and monitored rules over collectively governed resources and is recognized by the state; it weakens where land is alienable and tourism income outweighs customary sanctions. Novelty/Originality of this article: The study reframes THK from a general ethic of harmony to an institutionally carried relational ethic and specifies the conditions under which it supports environmental compliance.