Oh, Mr. Sandman

(9/13/2008)

BeritaBali.com reports that the Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC) is seeking formal assurances from the Badung Regional Government that sand dredging activities off Geger Beach at Nusa Dua will not result in increased beach erosion in that area. The Badung Government has anchored a large sand dredger off the Geger Beach in an effort to move sand from Nusa Dua to Kuta Beach to the north in order to help forestall sand erosion at Kuta.

The CEO of BTDC, I Made Mandra, told the press on Wednesday, September 10, 2008, that the Regional Government of Badung must urgently review its ongoing dredging activities to ensure that the Nusa Dua region will suffer no ill effects on its coastline. Mandra warned: "What's most important is that we strike a balance. In Nusa Dua there are hotels that have already suffered significant erosion. This fact must be noted as we are worried that current erosion will be worsened (by the current dredging)."

WALHI – The Indonesian Friends of the Earth have joined the concerns voiced by the BTDC and called for a thorough review, including an environmental impact study, of the Geger Beach dredging project. WALHI claims that earlier environmental impact studies addressing the use of Geger sand to reclaim Kuta's beach are now badly out of date and no longer relevant.