Bali Risks Privatization Of Tourist Beaches If Coastal Conservation Efforts Not Improved 

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It feels to many that Bali is in a precarious place right now. With tourism development happening at lightning speed, there are concerns that the island is prioritizing growth over essential conservation and preservation efforts.

Whether it’s coastal erosion in Kuta or land conservation in Ubud, the alarm calls are being sounded across Bali to draw attention to the island’s environmental health. 

This is an issue that has massive consequences for local communities and the Balinese people, but also has an impact on the millions of international tourists that visit the island each year. Coastal erosion is a huge issue across Indonesia, but especially in the south of Bali.

The south of Bali just so happens to be where the highest concentration of tourism resorts is. Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, Kuta, Jimbaran, Uluwatu, Ungasan, Kutuh, Nusa Dua, and Sanur all sit along the southern coast of the province. 

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According to the Ministry of Public Works (PU), the length of the beach that has been declared as in critical condition in Bali has reached 215,82 kilometers (km). That is the equivalent of the distance from Jakarta to Cirebon, West Java. Until now, only 115 km of beaches have been handled, while the rest need further handling.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta following a Working Meeting about coastal erosion in Bali, Deputy Minister of PU Diana Kusumastuti shared, “If we handle beach abrasion for the entire Bali Island, this funding need is estimated at IDR 4 trillion. This type of beach security construction is in the form of revetment (slope reinforcement) with an arrangement of armored stones completed with a walkway.”

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The all-important meeting was attended by Minister of Public Works, Dody Hanggodo, the Minister of Transportation, Dudy Purwagandhi, and the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster. Kusumastuti confirmed that work is underway to mitigate the problem, but that there is a risk that Bali’s beaches will slowly become privatized if more impactful action is not taken.

While technically all beaches in Bali are public, if private businesses invest in coastal conservation efforts and improvements to beach access infrastructure, it is only natural that they work to prioritize access to their customers.

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Kusumastuti explained that the repair process is still being carried out in the Bali beach conservation project. The project is divided into two parts, the first half involves a spend of IDR 518 billion with a focus on handling in Candidasa Beach in East Bali. The package’s second half involves a budget of IDR 267 billion, which focuses on improvement in Kuta Beach, Legian, and Seminyak. The consultant’s fee alone is IDR 160 billion.

She told the committee, “We also see the importance of order in handling the beach, and in the future, there should be no more embankment handling that is done individually by hotels or certain parties. This will give rise to exclusive control over the surrounding beach area. This Bali beach must be maintained as a shared space.”

Speaking to the Chairman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Badung, Bali, separately, I Gusti Agung Rai Suryawijaya, told reporters that all efforts must be made to improve Bali’s coastal regions as quickly as possible.

He confirmed that there is no legal standing for privatization of Bali’s beaches but empathized with how the situation becomes conflicted when private businesses are paying out of pocket to improve basic infrastructure around the island’s most in-demand tourist destinations. 

He explained, “The government domain is a public area, not in our area. If the hotel area is, of course, it is your own responsibility.”

“Repairs that border directly on the beach must be coordinated with the government, and the plan must be synchronized.”

He concluded by confirming that sand reclamation and beach repair cannot be done by the hotels, but that these are government projects and that must always remain the case.

Tourists visiting Kuta Beach will see coastal conservation construction work taking place until the end of April as the final breakwater nears completion.