<![CDATA[Water availability is a determining factor in the success of paddy field cultivation, particularly in areas where the irrigation system still relies on rivers and rainfall, such as Bayang District, Pesisir Selatan Regency. This study aims to analyze paddy field water requirements, determine the status of rice self-sufficiency, and formulate a strategy for maintaining paddy field groundwater in Bayang District. This research employs a descriptive quantitative approach. It uses a type of descriptive quantitative research to calculate the water needs of rice fields, total production, total rice requirements of the population, and to determine strategies for sustaining groundwater in rice fields using Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM). This includes primary data, which is obtained through structured questionnaires administered by experts in the field. Secondary data is sourced from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and the Department of Agriculture, such as data on rice field area, rice productivity, and the conversion of GKP to GKG. The results show that the paddy field water requirement in Bayang District is 1 liter/second/hectare, with a total requirement of 171,192.96 m3/day for a paddy field area of 1,981.4 hectares. The food carrying capacity value obtained is 1.98, indicating that Bayang District is in a surplus condition and capable of rice self-sufficiency, with a production surplus of approximately 4,277.89 tons/year. The ISM results for seven strategic sub-elements show that efficient water use per hectare and reduced dependence on rain-fed systems occupy the base level of the hierarchy, making them the main drivers for the success of higher-level strategies. These findings confirm that the sustainability of rice self-sufficiency in Bayang District strongly depends on water management at the farmer level before addressing land protection policy aspects]]>
