Denpasar. Bali Governor I Wayan Koster announced on Saturday that the provincial government will stop issuing permits to convert farmland into commercial areas such as hotels and restaurants, following the deadly floods earlier this week that killed 17 people and caused widespread destruction.

Denpasar was the hardest-hit area in the disaster, with 11 fatalities reported.

“Starting in 2025, there will no longer be permits to convert productive land into commercial use. I have already spoken with local leaders, and after flood recovery efforts, we will reconvene to ensure no new hotels, restaurants, or tourism projects are built on farmland, especially rice fields,” Koster said in Denpasar.

Bali, home to more than four million residents and hosting millions of tourists annually, has long faced tension between rapid tourism-driven development and environmental sustainability.

The island’s booming hospitality industry -- dominated by hotels, villas, and restaurants -- has fueled economic growth but also increased pressure on farmland, forests, and water supplies. Environmentalists have repeatedly warned that unchecked construction is eroding natural resilience, leaving Bali more vulnerable to floods, droughts, and pollution.

At the same event, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said the floods underscored the urgency of protecting Bali’s fragile environment, given the island’s role as an international tourism hub.

“The Environment Ministry will work with provincial and district governments to design a new spatial plan backed by a strategic environmental review,” Hanif said.

According to him, land conversion in Bali has accelerated since 2015, with around 400 hectares of forest already cleared for housing and commercial projects. The island now has only about 1,500 hectares of forest left. “This is serious. Extreme rainfall has major consequences for Bali,” Hanif warned.

Mass Cleanup Underway
On Sunday, more than 1,100 people -- including residents, soldiers, police officers, Governor Koster, and Minister Hanif -- joined forces to clear flood debris, particularly along the Badung River and in Denpasar’s Badung and Kumbasari markets, which were buried in trash.

Hanif said waste removal must be treated as an emergency measure. He ordered all flood debris to be transported to Suwung landfill.

“Based on the governor’s report, 84 tons of waste have already been collected, and the total may reach 210 tons in the coming days. All of it must be transferred to Suwung within a month for proper disposal,” he said.

He also stressed that the temporary buildup of flood debris could harm local health and ecosystems if left unmanaged.

In addition to cleanup operations, the environment ministry distributed 350 relief packages to market traders and local residents affected by the floods.