The beauty of Bali is well-known all over the world.
Bali is identified by its exotic natural panorama, especially its beaches.
It is famous for its beautiful beaches, like Kuta Beach --
which has become the tourism icon of Bali --
Tanah Lot Beach, and Sanur Beach.
Of the 5,600 hectares of Bali island,
436 kilometers of it is beach.
However, the beaches in Bali are now facing serious threats because of abrasion.
In the last 20 years, around 93 kilometers of beaches in Bali have been damaged
as a result of abrasion.
The impact of this abrasion was felt by fishermen at Lebih Beach in the Gianyar Regency.
A fisherman, Made Bebas, said the destruction of the coast was very disturbing to
their daily activities.
Coastal sand continued to be eroded, so it was difficult to land the boat.
According to the head of coastal and river affairs of Bali, Rai Yusa,
the damage to Bali's coastline should be dealt with soon.
The abrasion in Bali has reached almost 25 percent of the total coastline.
The coastline has been affected by the impact of the abrasion.
Half of the areas affected by the abrasion have been dealt with.
To protect the shoreline from abrasion, krib [an artificial stone] was used,
and the coastline and revetment were strengthened.
The coastline was reinforced with big stones that were piled,
which is called revetment, and we also used krib to break the waves.
One of the beaches that has been greatly attacked by abrasion is Lebih Beach
in Gianyar Regency.
Even the beauty of the beach cannot be enjoyed anymore.
According to Environmental Observer Made Mangku, if this abrasion
is not dealt with, some beaches in Bali will be lost.
If we measured, about 50 meters of the beach has shifted and eroded.
If this is not dealt with holistically, the beach will disappear soon.
The steps taken to avoid abrasion at Lebih Beach seem ineffective.
The stone blocks piled along the beach will not be able to block the strong waves.
Slowly but surely, Lebih Beach will loose.
The stones are not useful,
because they will be taken away by abrasion, abrasion, and more abrasion.
Finally, the beach will return back hit by the wave;
these big stones will spread and return to the sea.
Actually, Bali has a natural abrasion block, which is a mangrove forest at Sanur Beach.
Unfortunately, some of the mangrove forests have felt the effects of abrasion as well.
The mangrove, functioning as an abrasion block, stockpiled sea sand, resulting in abrasion.
As a result, the mangrove forest did not function and died.
Even more, the sand is piling the mangrove forest because of the shift of the small island
or sand bank, which is moving because of abrasion.
If we looked at one of the places in Gianyar, stones are used to protect beach abrasion.
Actually, the natural and more effective way to protect abrasion is with a mangrove forest.
In fact, the mangrove forest is now piled by the shifting island.
So the mangrove forest is not there anymore. It died because of the beach abrasion.
To avoid the abrasion, the government of Bali has tried to handle it.
But because the problem is very widespread,
not too much is done.
Whatever the reason, the government and the Balinese community must try to prevent
the occurrence of the abrasion, which leads to more serious damage.
Ida Bagus Purwaka, general manager of Ina The Grand Bali Beach Hotel in the Sanur area, stated
that Bali, which has relied on coastal tourism, must continue to maintain
the comfort enjoyed by tourists at the beautiful beach in Bali.
We noticed that several areas around us were affected by abrasion,
but with the cooperation between the government
and especially the tourism component,
we hope the government will continue to deal with the abrasion.
So, the tourists feel safe and comfortable enjoying Bali's coasts.
When the problem of abrasion cannot not be dealt with,
it is worrisome because Balinese beauty will be lost, since it will not have its coast.
In the future, everything beautiful in Bali will become history and a memory.
There were several assumptions that often were heard by us,
that the coast that previously became the last paradise of Bali
will become the lost paradise of Bali.