Further Cliff Damage In Bali’s Idyllic Uluwatu Concerns Residents And Tourists

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Construction work on the cliff preservation project in Uluwatu remains underway.

‘Preservation’ is the word of the moment, with both local communities and the international tourist community struggling to come to terms with the scale of the excavation work needed to construct a sea wall and access road to, as leaders claim, safeguard a crack in the cliff expanding further. 

The project has been underway for only a matter of weeks, yet the level of change to the clifftop is staggering.

The project, funded and overseen by the Badung Regency Government, is budgeted at IDR 82 billion.

The first phase of the project involves excavating at the cliff top and cliff side to construct an access road for construction crews and heavy machinery in order to complete cliff conservation and reinforcement works to protect Pura Luhur Uluwatu and the surrounding area. 

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However, it has come to light in the last week that the project has started without the Badung Regency Government publicly publishing an environmental impact assessment, referred to in Indonesia as AMDAL, and without declaring a public emergency, which is one of the legal conditions required, to skip the mandatory AMDAL. 

Drone footage of the construction site and further images shared online by concerned local citizens and tourists show the cliff top decimated by heavy machinery and dumper truck after dumper truck of limestone debris thrown from the clifftop into the ocean below.

The marine ecosystem surrounding the cliffs of Uluwatu is known to be home to endangered wildlife, such as turtles, and is one of the most popular surfing destinations in the world. There are also concerns the Uluwatu Sea Wall will impact the quality of surf in the area too.

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While leaders have come forward to confirm that they are keeping a close eye on developments at the construction site, concerned residents continue to voice their fears that the project could be being operated illegally. Without further public consultation, the long-lasting impacts of the project could affect both the landscape and the community. 

In an interview with The Inertia magazine, Uluwatu resident Piter Panjaitan shared his fears that the project could get out of hand.

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When asked if he felt that there were ulterior motives at play, Panjaitan said, “I don’t want to make assumptions. I am just speaking facts now. According to the officials, they have already made a deal. So basically, the project tender happened between April and July. It was won by a company in Java, not in Bali.”

“In July, it was approved, and then in August, they already started working. They started (digging) from the entrance of the Uluwatu Temple and then reached the cliff about two weeks ago.”

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The Bali Sun initially reported on the project in April 2024, following statements issued by the Head of Water Resources (SDA) of the Public Works and Spatial Planning (PUPR) Agency of Badung Regency AA Rama Putra; though a thorough project plan or AMDAL was not published for public consultation.

Putra noted in April that the cliff crack had been present since the early 1970s and notably stable since analysis efforts began in 2019. 

The announcement on the 1st of April was followed by press statements from Pecatu Traditional Village Head I Made Sumerta, who spoke of the project in terms of protecting Uluwatu Temple from any potential cliff collapse should the cliff crack worsen.

He told reporters in April, “We pray together. Hopefully, there will be no landslides, no corrosion, especially since there is a holy place.”

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A public meeting was held in Uluwatu last week where it was established that the project had started under the legal protection of an ’emergency’, which enabled construction work to start before an environmental impact assessment was published for public consultation. There are fears that the project will ultimately lead to more commercial development around Uluwatu.

On the 16th of September, it became clear that the top half of the cliff had now been cleared, with much of the rubble dumped into the ocean and some transported out of the area.

It is believed that the second half of the cliff will be cleared in the coming weeks to enable the access road and Uluwatu Sea Wall to be constructed. 

Prominent environmental campaigner Gary Bencheghib, who is also the founder of NGO Sungai Watch, has also called leaders to reconsider the impact the project will have in the long term and the rate of tourism development on the island in a video featuring Ni Luh Djelantik.

Newly elected official Djelantik shares, “Bali is the only place we have, and they destroy the beauty of the island. There are some other ways to make money. But again, love over money, right?”