“They just destroyed the whole cliff,” said the YouTube queen of Surf as he looked out over Uluwatu. “This is so sad.”
On a brief detour from caving in the Indonesian archipelago, Jamie O’Brien highlighted the controversial renovation/construction taking place at the top left of Bali. The Indonesian government says it is investing $78.6 billion (about $5 million) to protect the ancient Pura Luhur temple, which sits atop the cliff at Uluwatu, and to build new beach access roads and a coastal revetment or sea wall to lay. There is a crack in the cliff that opened during a 1992 earthquake. The plans also call for a seawall and a road at the base of the cliff, which many believe will destroy the reef that brings boatloads of tourist dollars to Bali’s economy. could damage.
Over the past month or so, excavators and tractors have been excavating much of the cliff. It is a big step for JOB to speak out on this issue as the opposition led by local Balinese surfers has proven difficult. Some locals opposing the development have reportedly faced government pushback and are reluctant to voice their concerns for fear of appearing to go against the values of their culture.
“The worst part is,” Jamie adds later in the video, “all that rock and limestone falls into the ocean and it kills the marine life and the reef.
“Uluwatu will be ruined forever if they continue to tear at these cliffs.”
Click here to view the Save The Waves Coalition’spetition calling on the local government to release the formal environmental impact assessment on the project.
Related: New petition calls for transparency of Uluwatu Development’s environmental impacts