Credit: balipadmatours
The increasing population size (due to migration) and tourists in Bali each year means that more natural areas have to be cleared and converted into places of accommodation and recreation. Approximately a thousand hectares of land is cleared each year for the building of hotels, homes and roads.
This problem stems from a never ending cycle where an influx of money from tourism gives the country means to build more facilities, attractions, hotels, villas and roads so as to make themselves more attractive, which then attracts more tourists and money. However, the clearing of land at such a rapid rate is bad for the environment, the livelihood of farmers and eventually, to it’s tourism sector.
As Bali becomes more urbanised, a lot of land that was previously used for agriculture is cleared for the development of more buildings. This is detrimental to the livelihood of many and also to Bali’s self-sufficiency in agriculture
The rapid clearing of land also contributes to the water crisis problem that is discussed under the “Water Scarcity” section of this blog. Clearing of land for urban use restricts surface runoff from entering the soil, which leads to less groundwater (fresh water).