Bali News / Bali Travel and Holiday Updates

A number of stakeholders expressed their concern after seeing Bali aerial survey conducted by Bali Post daily, which shown that the island is continuously getting smaller, eaten up by severe abrasion. The real picture was responded as serious environmental threat, and failure to protect Bali coast against demolishing tidal wave will bring horrible devastation to the future generations.

Member of Bali House of Representatives Ir. Made Dauh Wijana and Head of Bali-Penida River Plain Institute, Ir. Ray Yusha M.M., expressed their common opinion that the picture has shown serious threat to Bali mainland. “Looking into such evidence, we strongly suggested the government to take coastal protection as strategic program, to which finding allocation needs to be increased”, said Dauh Wijana.

Ray Yusha thought that aerial survey shown real situation in greater detail. So far most of stakeholders have never realized the real situation that a number of abrasion points are worsening. “Protecting Bali coast is a communal responsibility involving more than only the government. Whilst tourism as the economical backbone of Bali is very dependent to beackes,sSo far coastal protection program is rarely taken seriously”, he continued.

With regard to funding, Bali provincial government planned to allocate 70 billion for coastal protection next year. The sum shall only cover protection to 3.5 kilometers, very small part of the total 49 kilometers of coastline in danger, and not comparable to the national government which has spent close to one trillion on coastal rehabilitation throughout the country during the last decade. He expected Bali politician in the House of Representative to put more political will in the issue. “House members should have strong commitment to protect Bali mainland against abrasion and initiate larger budget allocation on coastal protection program”, said Ray Yusha.

Actual survey shown that Buleleng regency has the worst situation with 14.472 kilometers of coastline destroyed by abrasion, followed by Klungkung with 7.994 kilometers, Badung 6.500 kilometers, Jembrana 5.434 kilometers, and Gianyar 5.006 kilometers. Other regencies have less than kilometers of affected coastline.