The construction has completely changed the face of the cliffs at Uluwatu. Photo: Save the Waves
As a seawall project designed to protect a historic Balinese temple continues to dump the limestone cliffs of Uluwatu into the sea, Save the Waves Coalition has launched a petition to request more information about the harm the project could cause. The petition calls for an environmental impact assessment to be carried out to properly understand the ramifications of the project for the ecosystem and surf break.
To Save the Waves’ knowledge, no such report has been completed. At the time of publication, the petition has received 2,164 signatures towards its goal of 2,500.
“We are alarmed by the potential environmental risks this project poses to the surrounding marine and surf ecosystem,” reads the petition. “Without such an assessment, it is impossible to gauge how Uluwatu’s biodiverse surf ecosystem might be affected.”
“It is concerning that this project is advancing without appropriate analysis and public transparency,” the petition continues. “That is why we feel an (environmental impact assessment) should be completed and presented to the public so that the project’s full environmental implications are known.”
Concerned locals have continued to provide daily updates on social media as excavators chip away at the cliffs. An Uluwatu local surfer, Piter Panjaitan, told us that the community wasn’t made aware of the construction and they only realized what was going on when the digging reached the cliff’s edge. He also said that the large quantity of limestone sediment tainting the water has been hurting local businesses that rely on surf tourism.
“Those days when all of the water was milky white, it was very quiet in town,” said Panjaitan. “It’s already affected the people who have business over there – the shops, the restaurants, the photographers, the videographers, the surf coaches. People who go to the temple, yes, they generate a lot of money, but they only go to the temple for one day. The surfers actually stay here. It’s a big part of the economy and income for the village and also the entire province of Bali itself.”
According to a study conducted by Save the Waves, more than 240,000 surfers visit Uluwatu every year, which generates an economic impact of USD $35 million for the local economy.
