National Parks
The island has just one national park, the Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park). This protected area is home to a wide variety of ecosystems (mangroves, savannahs, grasslands, rainforests, marine areas) and a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna.
The challenges of agriculture
The island's development was based on rice growing, before the advent of tourism. Two of these rice fields are now UNESCO World Heritage sites, but a number of them have been sold to build hotel complexes. Ancestral rice-growing was based on the "commons" - the sharing of resources, including water, and cooperation. Today, these commons are crumbling, and water is being over-consumed for tourist infrastructures. In a country where over 70% of the population are rice growers, water-related conflicts are emerging between farmers and hoteliers. The environment is also affected by new practices, such as the introduction of pesticides, which have environmental and health impacts.
And tourism was
The 1960s saw the development of mass tourism, with the construction of hotel complexes and an airport. While tourism brought better living conditions for many inhabitants, it also contributed to the erosion of part of the local culture, based on the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which advocates the search for a certain harmony with living things. Natural building materials (including bamboo) have been replaced by cement, and banana leaves used for packaging have given way to plastic. The sanitation of domestic wastewater, including that generated by tourism, is still inadequate. The introduction of plastic and the sharp increase in waste production have not been followed by the establishment of a sufficient and adequate waste collection and treatment system. The construction of the first airport - and plans for a second - is generating a growing number of visitors... and greenhouse gases, against a backdrop of climate change that is already palpable on the island. In particular, global warming is raising sea temperatures, with deleterious effects on coral. It is also contributing to a greater intensity of certain phenomena (rainfall, drought), at the same time as reducing the rainy season, which affects not only biodiversity but also human activities such as agriculture.
The ravages of plastic
The facts speak for themselves: in 2019, a sperm whale was found stranded on the Indonesian coast. An autopsy revealed 6 kg of plastic in its stomach. Bali's image is also one of mounds of garbage littering the beaches and the sea. The flow of waste is linked to a number of factors. The gradual introduction of plastic in packaging and mass tourism have contributed to a significant increase in waste production on the island. The ban on plastic waste imports from China, which no longer wishes to be the dumping ground for many countries (including Europe), has shifted the flow of this waste to Indonesia, where reprocessing is inadequate. This situation is generating major environmental and health problems. In 2017, Bali had to declare a "state of waste emergency" in the face of a situation that had become untenable. Only a fraction of waste is sent for recycling, the rest being scattered in the wild, deposited in landfills or burned. These facts point to a global pollution problem that can only be curbed by reducing waste at source, in particular by banning or drastically limiting the use of plastic. On the island, awareness-raising campaigns are aimed at children and professionals alike. Pollution is sometimes invisible to the naked eye, such as the microplastics and nanoplastics found in our clothes, household products and cosmetics, which, after passing through the washing machine, end up in rivers and oceans. Preventive measures do exist, such as Bali's ban on single-use plastic in 2019, or the "zero waste" initiatives implemented in some of the island's shops, for example. Choosing the right consumer products - and reading labels carefully - is one way to reduce plastic pollution. You can also install micro-plastic filters in washing machines. To find out more: www.zerowastefrance.org.
Initiatives are being put in place
Various initiatives are underway on the island to preserve biodiversity, limit pollution and adapt to climate change. These include raising awareness among locals and tourists alike about waste management and plastic pollution of the oceans. The association works to collect and recycle the island's waste(www.PeduliAlam.org). NGOs such as the Reef Check Foundation (www.ReefCheck.org) are also active in the field, setting up programs to preserve coral reefs. An "ecological" school, called Green School, initiated by Anglo-Saxons, has been created with a view to consistency and inclusion: eco-materials, natural ventilation, organic canteen, mixed recruitment, learning oriented towards ecology, practical work, etc. Another example is 4Ocean, a mission-driven company founded by two former students from Florida, after a trip to Bali revealed to them the extent of plastic pollution. 4Ocean has already cleaned up over 7,800 tons of waste since 2017 worldwide. The company deploys its action in Bali, where it also carries out awareness-raising actions and employs local staff(www.4ocean.com). Faced with the ecological crisis, every gesture counts and we can all take action. To measure your carbon footprint: https: //nosgestesclimat.fr/simulateur/bilan. To help preserve marine biodiversity, consider alternatives to chemical filter sunscreens.
