Protecting Bali’s Vanishing Forests | Bali Discovery

Bali, an international tourist destination, is under increasing pressure to convert areas originally designated for conservation to the new ‘use’ of “Agrowisata” or agritourism. As a result of this trend, the dominance of tourism in previously untouched areas contributes to the denigration and destruction of Bali. It accelerates the scale and intensity of Bali’s growing water crisis.

Tourism in Bali is not in an ideal state. I have met Iwan Dewantara, the manager of Conservation International Indonesiasaid on Monday, August 26, 2024: We are opening up new areas for tourism by exploiting jungle areas. Where is the logic in this? Our land is being decimated and destroyed. The need for conversation about natural areas has become acute; there is a water crisis. What does tourism do for Bali? These developments contribute to the larger economy, but to what end when Bali’s future is threatened?

Indonesia has the Forestry Act Number 41 of 1999 to protect indigenous territories and prevent their destruction.

As a result, many areas were declared as protected forest areas. “This gave the nation the opportunity to do whatever it wanted in forest areas. How will the nation be able to manage this important natural resource for the benefit of the people and the country,” Dewantara said,

People have put their trust in the country to manage the forests, but in reality the country cannot manage its forests successfully.

People living in forested areas are marginalized. This development has led to a large number of cases of human rights violations.

Examples of this dilemma can be found in Bangli, Kintamani and Tamblingan, where at the normative level areas that were initially “protected protection zones” are used to a limited extent for tourism.

“For example, a conservation concession of 10 hectares gives the right to develop 10-20% of that area for tourism purposes, while the rest remains in its original protected state. Although the nation wants to protect its forests and jungle, the reality is that it needs money. As a result, the rights of the local public in these natural areas are ignored,” the well-known conservationist said.

Dewantara asked: “If the government is really serious (in protecting protected areas), why don’t we transfer the right to exploit these “agrowisata” projects to the local people? Why should (outside) investors be allowed to enter these zones when the law allows the local public to ask for permission to use these resources? In reality, the public never gets this chance.” He explained that the need for money leads to the denial of people’s rights, with the resulting investment project damaging forests and trampling on the interests of the local public.

Finally, he regretted that the population no longer has confidence in the government.

Dewantara further argues that local people and community groups (LSMs)and academics should be called upon to preserve these areas and maintain their economic utility. “Make public what is going to be built in these areas, who is doing the development, and what exactly is being done,” he said. “To what extent are the interests of the local public being served (by such investments), and to what extent are the interests of the forests being protected and preserved?”

The conservation expert said that Bali’s “forest cover” is not ideal and should account for 30%. Meanwhile, government data estimates that only 23% of the country is currently forested, which is questionable because many “forested areas” have no tree growth.

“In reality, the 23% figure for forested land includes areas like Batur that have no trees or minimal forest growth. These ‘forested areas’ include the slopes of Mount Agung, near the northeast side of Kubu village, which has few trees and is not the green forest landscape we imagine. We have ‘forested areas’ with no trees that do not function as a jungle,” he said.

With Bali’s less than ideal forest coverit becomes crucial that the remaining forest area is carefully conserved and protected. No further reduction of forest cover on the island should be allowed. Empty landscapes should be reforested.

Bali is a small island that is extremely sensitive to changes in its forested areas. Forests and jungles absorb water. If this absorption and the natural recycling process is disrupted, the implication for all regions of Bali is a water shortage.

Dewantara insists that existing forest areas should be protected and expanded with “traditional forest areas” prescribed by religious practice and considered part of the green cover. There are forest areas owned by traditional communities in Bali that should be declared green cover. “traditional forests” instead of “protected natural areas”. If these lands are claimed as state property, they become vulnerable to decimation by investment projects.

In addition to the traditional forested lands owned by villages, there are also publicly owned gardens used to grow coffee and cloves. These gardens need to be expanded and incentives given so that they are protected by the surrounding communities and preserved for the economic benefit of those communities.

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