First Look: Uluwatu’s New Seawall Progress Unveiled
Nothing like a bit of concrete to show nature who’s boss, eh?
You might remember last year’s outcry over plans to “revamp” Uluwatu — a globally revered stretch of coastline on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula. The Indonesian government released some disturbingly glossy CGI renderings of a new seawall, dressed up in the language of cultural preservation and infrastructure.
And not just a seawall — a sprawling concrete road slicing across the cliff face, launched without consultation, without transparency, and, most notably, without an environmental impact assessment. Machinery arrived before the public even knew what was happening.
From the start, the whole thing smelled off. Dig a little and you’d find a potluck of backdoor dealings: foreign developers with thick wallets, local officials with thin resistance, and a generous helping of intimidation tactics. All cloaked in a half-hearted gesture toward protecting Pura Luhur, the clifftop temple that has become both spiritual icon and convenient political prop.
Of course, the ecological cost is no punchline. We spoke previously with coastal geography professor Javier Leon about the potential consequences of this kind of development.
“Firstly, the limestone being dumped from the cliff will block sunlight from penetrating the water. That alone will have a massive impact on the health and growth of the reef, the seagrass, and overall biodiversity,” says Javier. “The entire ecosystem relies on clear water — it’s how life has evolved to exist there. We’ll see direct impacts on the animals, and indirectly, on their food sources. Eventually, this will deeply disrupt the entire ecosystem.”
And, for the surfers in the back:
“What we’ve learned time and time again is that any modification to a reef’s bathymetry will impact the wave, sometimes for better, often for worse. In the case of Uluwatu, the question we need to ask is simple: do we want the wave to change? I’m guessing the answer is a resounding no.”
Still, the project marched on, seemingly unfazed by the global outcry. And as the protests lost momentum, the development rolled ahead.
Now, the first video has surfaced — a guided tour of the seawall and road, which, unless there’s some secret cliffside Batcave, appears to lead absolutely nowhere.
Watch below. Grab some popcorn. Laugh. Lament. Repeat.
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