Benoa Bay, a mangrove conservation area next to the Ngurah Rai International Airport, is under a serious threat. With the blessing of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the local government, the conservation status has been changed by a Presidential Regulation No. 51/2014. The new regulation allows the area to be “developed” and therefore, permitted the reclamation to happen. The investor, PT Tirta Wahana Bali International (TWBI), aims to reclaim 838 hectares of the area, which will convert 75% of the area into land and therefore increase the sea level by 1.6 meters. If this happens, 7.9 million cubic meters of water will be inundating the low-lying areas nearby, recreating the failed Jakarta’s Muara Angke project in Bali.
As if we need another hotel! We already have 80,000 hotel rooms and countless private villas. To top it off, 67 new hotels will be built until 2016. Hey mate, Welcome to Bali, Island of More Than A Thousand Hotels. And don’t get me started on the damaging marine ecosystem impact in the surrounding area including damaged the coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds. We can all say goodbye to diving, snorkeling or sea walking in Bali. Getting tanned on the shore of Tanjung Benoa or Sanur also could be the thing of a past, since those are the two low-lying areas that will immediately be affected.
Initiated by ForBali, which stands for Forum Rakyat Bali Tolak Reklamasi (Balinese Forum Against Reclamation), hundreds of community members, NGOs, university students as well as musicians staged a rally at Puputan Renon public park on Friday morning.
Carrying posters and banners with bold designs and colors, the protesters started their speeches saying that the reclamation project, supported by the Bali government and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration, would badly affect the living conditions of the local people, as well as the environment.
On Saturday, August 17th, 2013 Bali’s Governor Mangku Pastika announced “since Friday (16/8), after careful consideration of the situation, the letter of permit [for reclamation of Benoa Bay] has been revoked.” This decision was in answer to public rejection against efforts for reclamation of Benoa Bay, strengthened by a recommendation by the Bali Regional Representatives Council (DPRD) encouraging the Governor to reevaluate and/or revoke the letter granting this permit.
However, the Governor of Bali was not fully committed. The letter of permit was revoked, and followed by the release of a new letter granting PT Tirta Wahana Bali International (TWIBI) support in continuing with their plans for reclamation of Benoa Bay. This new letter (SK) 1727/01-B/HK/2013 grants permission to PT TWIBI conduct a feasibility study over the next two years to analyze the use, development, and management of the waters of Benoa Bay.
Reclamation Plan
Reclamation is the process of creating new land from the sea or river bottom. Draining swamps for agriculture is an example of the form of habitat destruction. In some areas of the world, new reclamation projects are restricted or no longer allowed, because there is a bond of environmental protection laws.
Since the end of 2012, it has been rumored that there is a plan of the provincial government of Bali to reclaiming the Benoa Bay. Benoa Bay is a mangrove forest areas that are not taken care of by the government. Reclamation is done with a reason to prevent a tsunami can and add new jobs for residents of Bali. Reclamation plan gets rejection of environmental activists and a group of residents of Bali. The rejection also came from residents stay in wi around the bay, which works as a fisherman and fishing around the bay.
Many people believe that the rejection of Benoa Bay reclamation is politically motivated, to impose candidates for Governor at the time, when the election of the Governor of Bali. Whereas before voters governor, already discussed reclamation plan by the legislature. No one resisted and condemned. Since the campaign progresses, the discourse of reclamation and re-emerged into the conversation for the people of Bali. Since then a lot of rejection in the convey of various elements of the citizens. Even the security conditions in Bali was not stable since the governor's election campaign, which is accompanied by rejection of reclamation.
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