Environmental catastrophe in Bali’s backyard

Visitors to Bali will not have to go far to see the effects of global warming at first hand.

The coral reefs off the coast of Bali Barat National Park on the north-western tip of the island have been bleached white by rising ocean temperatures - it is a "catastrophically affected site" according to a recent report by the World Bank and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). With its wild natural beauty and vulnerability to extreme weather, Bali is an apposite setting for the discussions on a future regime to prevent global warming.

Many might be surprised to learn that Indonesia is the country that rates as the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, behind only the US and China. (If the EU is counted as a single bloc then Indonesia is in fourth place.) The primary cause is massive deforestation. Figures from the Indonesian government show that out of 108 million hectares of forest area, almost half is in a poor or degraded condition. During the annual burning season, around 1,400 million tonnes of carbon are released and scientists fear that global warming will create a vicious cycle where drier peat swamps and forests mean forests burn for longer. Despite tough laws to protect forests, implementation and enforcement is weak.

Climate scientists predict more intense rainfall with greater risk of flooding. The World Bank/DFID report suggests that the biggest concern for Indonesia will be food security as annual crop yields are likely to decrease in several places, including West and East Java. Rising sea levels that inundate coastal zones could also reduce land available for growing food and could damage the fishing industry.

Moreover, the Indonesian government has been slow to respond to climate change and some policies are a step in the wrong direction. For instance, a decision to go for rapid expansion of coal-fired power stations is likely to mean that coal emissions will be 20 times higher in 2025 than they are today. Renewable energy sources are underdeveloped while emissions from industry and transport are surging ahead. Neither has Indonesia benefited from the rich world’s efforts to buy carbon credits from developing countries through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). So far only 11 projects have received approval from the CDM authorities, which experts think is well below potential.

Visitors to Bali will not have to go far to see the effects of global warming at first hand.