Bedugul geothermal project raises controversy

Bedugul geothermal project raises controversy

I Wayan Ananta Wijaya, Contributor, Tabanan

The island of Bali is blessed with abundant water resources, vegetation, natural resources and beautiful landscapes.

One of the island's ubiquitous natural assets is the Bedugul forest area located between busy Tabanan in the south and Buleleng regency in the north.

Surrounded by mountains enriched by three large lakes, Bratan, Buyan and Tamblingan, Bedugul has become the island's major source of water for irrigation and is considered a "holy and sacred place" by most Balinese Hindus as it has given them endless prosperity and abundant harvests.

The pristine lakeside areas are considered to be the holy places of Dewi Danu Bratan, a goddess of agriculture, who is prayed to by farmers around the island. Major Hindu temples, including the famous Pura Ulun Danu, have been built in the area to honor the lake deities.

Up to the present time, People from all over the island still feel the sanctity of the place. As Bali grows as a tourist destination, the Bedugul area has become a hot commodity, offering scenic routes and views, and a cool climate as an alternative to the hot, sunny places in the Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua beach areas.

For scientists, Bedugul forest is home to rare vegetation indigenous to Bali, including hundreds of wild and cultivated orchids, and lush tropical rain forests filled with plant species such as stag horn ferns and beds of colorful flowers, all of which are now protected by the provincial government.

Suddenly, all the quietness and beauty will have to be destroyed to make way for the development of large geothermal electricity plant, which it is expected will be able to provide electricity for the entire island of Bali, at present heavily dependent on supplies from Java.

Controversy has erupted as the plant is to be developed in a "socioreligious and environmentally" sensitive area. The construction of the geothermal plant within the protected forest has sparked noisy debate among experts, community leaders and government officials.

Project pros and cons

To make way for the project, hundreds or maybe thousands of rare trees will have to be felled, and deep shafts stretching kilometers beneath the ground will have to be sunk in order to allow the heat to come to the surface. Experts believe that Bedugul has immense reserves of geothermal energy, adequate to supply electricity to the entire island.

Officials at the state-owned electricity firm, PLN, together with investors, argue that the project will benefit the island and its people. If not built, Bali will likely face serious shortages in its electricity supply by 2007.

Amid the ongoing debate on whether the Bedugul geothermal plant is necessary and beneficial for the majority of Balinese people, a study carried out by a team from Udayana University's Environmental Research and Study Center revealed the bleak side to the project.

"The study found there will be three direct benefits from the project -- increased employment, economic activity and revenue for the provincial government," said Ketut Mika, the head of the team.

Unfortunately, the study also revealed that the project could possibly cause environmental degradation, including water and air pollution, landslides and serious forest destruction that could destroy habitats, the forest's biodiversity and soil structure.

In addition, decreases in the lakes' water levels and water flows through the lakes could seriously affect the island's irrigation system as well as its water resources.

The team found that high levels of hazardous gases, including H2S, CO2 and NH3, have been polluting areas within the Bedugul Botanical Gardens and around Beratan lake.

Based on a decree of Bali's governor, No. 515 of 2000, the maximum permissible level of H2S in Bali's air is only 0.02 ppm. Currently, the H2S levels in the Bedugul Botanical Gardens stands at 0.24 ppm, or 12 times the tolerable level, while air pollution at the Ulun Danu Temple on the shores of Beratan lake has reached 0.026 pp., or 1.3 times the permissible level.

Possible ecological disaster

In addition to a possible ecological disaster, the development of the Bedugul geothermal plant would have a severe social and religious impact on the people of Bali as it will be built near a sacred complex.

Chairman of the Environmental Research and Study Center, I Wayan Suarna, however, explained that the team's study only dealt with the facts.

"These are our recommendations based on detailed research and study into the environmental impacts. It is the responsibility and the authorities in the form of the Environmental Impact Commission to give the green light or to stop the controversial project," he said.

The team has been actively communicating its findings to local communities in the Bedugul area.

Made Rediasma, a resident of Gesing village, Banjar district, said he was very concerned about the future environmental condition of his village and surrounding areas.

"I'm really frightened by the dangers presented by this project and its potential impact on our lives," Rediasma said.

He said that the majority of Gesing residents had never been fully informed about the harmful effects that could arise from the project.

Gde Darmada, head of the Pancasari Village Council, expressed similar concerns. Pancasari village is located next to the proposed location of the geothermal plant.

Pancasari is also known for its fragile soils, and landslides frequently occur during the rainy season.

"We hope that the authorities will pay attention to the welfare of people living in these areas. Don't build any project that would harm the people or the environment," he said.

Nyoman Sutama, another representative from Jatiluwih village, Tabanan, said that the development of the geothermal plant would cause a significant reduction in the water flow through Beratan and Buyan lakes.

"The rich and preserved paddy fields of Jatiluwih village, which have been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, heavily depend on the water from the Bedugul lakes," he explained.

Raised eyebrows

Officials from Bali's forestry agency have also reported that many people in Tabanan and Buleleng regencies were very concerned about the geothermal project.

"The majority of the people are farmers who need water more than electricity," commented Sumartana.

A number of academics and environmentalists also questioned the legal basis for the project.

According to Nyoman Gelebet from Udayana University's School of Engineering, the construction of the Bedugul power plant had been put on hold since the time of the Dutch as it was not feasible.

"I would suggest that the central and provincial governments, investors, independent experts, community and religious leaders, and the people who are directly affected sit down together to comprehensively discuss all aspects of the project," Gelebet said.

Reports say that the Bali administration has not yet issued the necessary permits to allow the construction of the project to go ahead. According to Nyoman Silanawa, the project is being carried out under an exploration permit issued by the Forestry Planning Agency on Aug. 10, 2004.

"We still have to thoroughly consider and examine the legality of this permit," Silanawa said.

He further said any exploration activity within the protected forest should have a permit from the Ministry of Forestry based on the consent of the House of Representative.

Ni Nyoman Sri Widiyanti, an executive of the Bali chapter of WALHI (Indonesian Forum for the Environment), criticized the province's environmental agency, which has allowed the project to continue despite the lack of the necessary permits.

"I really wonder why Ibu Sudji (Ni Wayan Sudji, director of the Bali Environmental Agency), is so determined to support the project," she said.

Sudji, representing the Bali provincial government, became angry at a recent meeting when questioned about the project. "We will have to discuss it later. No decision was made at this meeting," Sudji said curtly.