Public demonstrations in Bali call for tourism moratorium

KEKAL Bali, FRONTIER Bali, and WALHI Bali protested in Central Denpasar on Monday, July 6, 2026, demanding a moratorium on tourism development. The organizations believe Bali faces significant challenges from rapid tourism growth, impacting the environment, community living spaces, clean water availability, and the quality of democracy. They issued a joint statement, "The Great Plague: Restore Bali & Indonesia," highlighting a crisis that includes environmental issues, social aspects, and democratic concerns. Secretary General of FRONTIER Bali, I Wayan Sathya Tirtayasa, stated that problems like the water crisis, land conversion, environmental pressure, and limited criticism are interconnected. The coalition argues that tourism growth is not balanced by governance, leading to agricultural land conversion, increased waste, and higher demand for clean water. Data cited includes 1,125 hectares of annual agricultural land conversion and hotels consuming at least 800 liters of water per room per day. They propose a moratorium to evaluate tourism governance, protect natural resources, and ensure development aligns with Bali's environmental capacity. The groups also advocate for protecting human rights defenders and environmental activists, and address concerns about the weakening rupiah and rising fuel prices affecting the cost of living. They urge the central and Bali Provincial Governments to take urgent steps, including a tourism development moratorium, strengthening protection