Why Bali?

The Issue:
Bali is a serene island of Indonesia located in the heart of the Indian Ocean. It is widely known for its distinct flora and fauna, beautiful beaches and world class surf spots. Rich with tradition and culture, Bali is an ideal tourist destination for the masses. Over the years, increasing tourism and the growing population in Bali has caused an excess of garbage pollution in the landfills, on the streets and beaches, and ultimately the streams and ocean. Environment.web.id reports, quote, "The island generates up to 20,000 cubic meters of trash daily and 75 percent is left uncollected on the roadside and at illegal dumps, posing a mounting problem and health hazard to the surrounding community." The pollution is becoming a widespread issue affecting not only the health of the environment but also the health of local and visiting populations.

The Effort:
Efforts addressing the pollution issue in Bali include construction of new waste facilities in larger, more populated cities such as the current project in Suwung. The waste facility in Suwung is focusing on combating pollution, specifically in Southern Bali, by creating a final disposal site for waste. Also, efforts are being employed by tourist driven hotels and resorts to better manage waste and reduce pollution produced in such locations. Local residents in the highly popular tourist regions such as Kuta and Senur are also involved in beach cleans ups and participate in pollution control.

Check out local efforts in Bali




Our New Approach:
Our approach to Bali's pollution crisis will focus on the most populated region of Bali, South Bali. The southern portion of Bali is home to popular tourist areas, over-crowded residential sites, and areas of environmental and agriculture importance. We will use satellite imagery to observe the landscape from an aerial view. Satellite imagery will allow us to view the landscape and terrain of Southern Bali, which we will examine to locate the sources of the pollution problem. Through such observation and research we hope to identify where the pollution comes from, as well as areas most affected by waste. Locating the point source of pollution using satellite imagery will help us to identify, isolate, and offer new insight on managing the pollution issue in Southern Bali.
River Basin
Pollution in mountain streams leads to the ocean
Bali's Mangroves
Kuta Beach, Bali's most popular and polluted beach