Luh De Suriyani Jakarta Post 29 May 12;
Regional administrations face the gigantic task of tackling the continuing erosion that threatens the island’s already damaged shorelines and coastal areas.
I Wayan Geredeg, regent of Karangasem, complained that his administration is running out of funds to solve the critical coastal erosion problem, which has eroded an 87-kilometer length of shoreline along Candidasa, Ujung and Amed beaches.
The three beaches have become favored tourist attractions attracting thousands of water sports lovers from around the world.
Data at the provincial environment agency showed that in 2010, erosion had affected all of the shorelines of Denpasar, Gianyar, Karangasem and Jembrana. Out of the island’s total 437-kilometer shoreline, 102 kilometers have been damaged by sea erosion.
A Public Works Ministry survey showed that the island has lost up to 30 percent of its coastline due to environmental degradation and sea erosion. From Tabanan’s 26-kilometer coastline, 10 kilometers had been severely damaged by sea erosion.
Sea erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. Waves, generated by storms, winds or fast-moving motor craft, have caused coastal erosion. “We are going to request emergency funds to prevent further erosion of coastal areas,” added Geredeg.
Every year, the provincial government allocates Rp 40 billion (US$4.28 million), taken from the state budget, for coastal rehabilitation programs along Bali’s beaches.
I Gusti Ngurah Raka, an official at the Bali Public Works Office, said that the requested funds for coastal rehabilitation in Bali increased every year.
“In 2012, we are rehabilitating 2,045 meters of coastline,” said Raka.
Funding for Kuta coastal rehabilitation in 2008 reached Rp 335 billion, provided by the provincial government and a Japanese agency.
Jembrana and Gianyar regencies have also asked for more emergency funds for coastal rehabilitation.
The impact of the sea erosion is most visible along the 18-kilometer stretch of shoreline from Ketewel Beach to Lebih Beach in Gianyar regency, both of which used to be popular tourist attractions.
The erosion there has all but destroyed the sandy beaches and has begun to engulf the surrounding private properties, food stalls, houses and rice fields.
AA Alit Sastrawan, head of the Bali Environment Office, said that development projects along coastal areas had become the most dangerous threat to the island’s beaches.
Investors were now hunting land fronting the beach to build villas, hotels and resorts.
“It’s one of the primary factors destroying the island’s coastlines,” Sastrawan said.
Data from the Bali Environment Office said that Bali’s 48 beaches have undergone acute erosion, so much so that 181.7 kilometers of land has been lost this last decade, which amounts to 41.5 percent of the island’s total shoreline.
In one year alone, in 2008, the satellite data showed that Bali had lost 88.6 kilometers of its beaches, caused mainly by massive disregard of the zoning and coastline laws.
Data from the Bali Environment Office said that Bali’s 48 beaches have undergone acute erosion, so much so that 181.7 kilometers of land has been lost this last decade, which amounts to 41.5 percent of the island’s total shoreline.
