Climate Experts Urge Bali To Learn From Recent Flooding Tragedy In Spain

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Political leaders and academics in Bali have responded to the recent flooding disaster in Valencia, Spain. The scenes of horror in Europe have shocked communities around the world, as intense rainfall caused devastating floods.

Leaders in Bali want to see the situation as an all too timely reminder to decision makers that Bali must do more to prepare for natural disasters in the midst of the climate crisis. 

Speaking to the media, Mahawan Karuniasa, a lecturer at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Indonesia, explained, “The flood in Valencia was caused by super rain, extreme rain, very extreme, super rain, because what happened there was a year’s worth of rain falling in eight hours, resulting in flooding.”

“In building sustainable infrastructure, we must pay attention to the climate change conditions that are occurring.”

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He is concerned that as more and more of Bali’s essential green landscapes become converted into concrete buildings, Bali’s natural flood prevention and flood management systems are under threat.

While the subak system has stood the test of time as a way of managing water flow across the province, as more rice terraces get converted into tourism development and commercial properties, this water retention mechanism is removed. 

Karuniasa explained, “Learning from that incident, Bali should not only build infrastructure, especially sustainable infrastructure but also consider climate change so that when extreme rainfall occurs, it must be considered.”

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He added, “In addition to Valencia, Libya, Dubai, Greece, and other parts of the world are already facing climate change.”

“Therefore, Bali can encourage the growth of the tourism economy by being able to maintain the culture that exists in Bali but also being resilient to climate change, having resilience or the ability to adapt to difficult conditions because it is already part of sustainable infrastructure.”

Bali must seriously consider spatial planning and natural disaster management.

Sitting in the heart of the “Ring of Fire’ Bali is not only at increased risk of natural disaster triggered by the climate emergency but also of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

As weather patterns change, Bali is at increasing risk of both flooding and drought.

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In October 2023, a 14-day drought emergency status was announced by the Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya. The incident also coincided with the series of fires on Bali’s biggest open landfill sites.

As Bali entered the period of drought, the waste within the mountains of trash became like tinder, and fires smoldered on for days, with toxic fumes engulfing much of Denpasar City and the central southern coast.

Three districts of Bali saw 94 days without rain, and when rain did arrive, there were localized floods, which put yet more pressure on Bali’s resources for disaster management. 

Water scarcity is a serious issue in Bali at this time and one that tourists should be mindful of.

A serious and ongoing freshwater crisis is playing out on the islands of Gili Meno, Gili Air, and Gili Trawangan, with tourists urged to be mindful of freshwater use during their visits.

Environmental leaders have already said that Bali will face a similar freshwater crisis in the coming months if big changes aren’t made soon. 

Up in Kintamani, leaders are also calling on communities and business leaders to come together to make regional plans in the event of natural disasters as the rainy season approaches.

In Kintamani, aside from the unpredictable risks associated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, landslides and extreme weather are common causes of concern. 

In a public meeting held last week, the Acting Regent of Bangli I Made Rentin explained that he does not want to scaremonger the community but that he intends to gather residents and business owners together to engage in education about disaster preparedness for the sake of tourists and residents. 

He noted, “In the near future, we will gather all tourism business actors in the Kintamani area and its surroundings. Including around Mount Batur for us to educate. We remind you to do simulations to train yourself and be ready to face disasters.”

Adding, “The most important thing is saving human lives. Disasters may occur, but the safety of human lives is the main point and goal.”