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Bali’s Flood Crisis: Causes, Impacts & the Road to Resilience

  • Writer: Lucas Johnson
    Lucas Johnson
  • Oct 9, 2025
  • 3 min read
Bali Flood Crisis Natural Disasster

What Happened

  • Torrential rainfall struck Bali on September 9–10, 2025, with some areas recording over 385 mm of rain in a 24-hour window — more than a full month’s typical rainfall for many parts of the island in the wet season.

  • Flash floods and landslides impacted six of Bali’s eight regencies, including Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, Jembrana, Tabanan, and Bangli. Roads were submerged, bridges damaged, and hundreds of neighborhoods flooded.

  • At least 18 people died, several buildings, markets, kiosks, roads, and public facilities were heavily damaged, and thousands of families were displaced.

Underlying Causes

  1. Extreme Rainfall & Climate Change

  2.  The scale and speed of the rainfall indicate not just ordinary wet-season weather but a pattern intensified by climate change — more intense storms, higher volume of precipitation in shorter times. (The Guardian)

  3. Land Conversion & Loss of Green Buffer Zones

  4.  Over time, agriculturally productive land, forests, and rice fields (which naturally absorb water) have been converted into commercial developments, resorts, roads, and housing. Experts argue this has reduced Bali’s ability to manage extreme precipitation. (Indonesia Expat)

  5. Inadequate Infrastructure & Waste System Failures

  6.  Drainage systems, riverbanks, and waterways were overwhelmed. In several places, waste and debris blocked drains and river flow, further worsening flooding. Spatial planning issues meant buildings and roads were built in vulnerable zones. (baliexpat.com)

  7. Deforestation and Watershed Degradation

  8.  The Ayung River Basin — a key watershed for Bali — has seen dramatic forest loss. Forests act as natural barriers and sponges during heavy rain; their removal means more rapid runoff, landslides, and flooding downstream. (baliexpat.com)

Impacts

  • Human Toll: Lives lost, missing persons, displacement of thousands of residents, especially in low-lying neighborhoods. (Antara News)

  • Damage to Infrastructure & Economy: Damaged roads, bridges, public facilities; markets destroyed; homes and shops razed. Estimated economic loss in some districts reached billions of rupiah. (The Jakarta Post)

  • Tourism Disruption: Key in Bali’s economy. While some major tourist destinations and the international airport remained functional, roads and urban areas suffered, affecting mobility. (Balithisweek)

  • Environmental Degradation: Landslides, soil erosion, river bank damage, loss of farmland. Ecosystem stress accelerated.

Response and Steps Being Taken

  • The government declared an emergency status for a week in the affected regions; distribution of aid (food, tents, clothing) began immediately. (Antara News)

  • Provincial authorities revoked the emergency status as conditions improved but committed to continuing recovery operations: repairing homes, restoring infrastructure, helping businesses. (Antara News)

  • New regulations announced: Bali will ban new permits for hotels, restaurants, or commercial facilities on productive agricultural land (rice fields) and other sensitive zones starting in 2025. Part of Bali’s 100-year sustainability plan. (The Guardian)

What Needs to Be Done: Building Resilience

  1. Stricter Land Use Planning & Zoning Regulations

  2.  Enforce limits on converting green/agricultural land, especially near rivers and watershed areas. Prioritize natural buffers.

  3. Upgrading Drainage & Infrastructure

  4.  Construct better drainage, river embankments, and early-warning systems. Ensure infrastructure can handle extreme rainfall.

  5. Watershed Restoration & Reforestation

  6.  Restore forests, riverbanks, and catchment zones. Replant native species. Protect existing green cover.

  7. Improve Waste Management

  8.  Prevent debris and waste from blocking waterways. Better systems for solid waste, especially in urban areas.

  9. Climate-Adaptive Design for Tourism Development

  10.  Tourism infrastructure needs to be built with climate risks in mind: elevation from floodplains, water management, sustainable design.

  11. Community Awareness & Early Warning Systems

  12.  Ensure residents know what to do during flood or landslide risks. Build trust, transparency, and disaster readiness at community level.


Bali’s September floods are a wake-up call: stunning natural beauty cannot mask the vulnerabilities caused by overdevelopment, deforestation, and infrastructure that wasn’t built for extreme weather. Recovering is not enough — Bali must rebuild smarter, greener, and more resilient. The choices made now will shape whether future floods are a disaster or a managed challenge.


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