Delegates miss Nusa Dua beaches

The preparatory committee meetings for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Bali have kept some people so busy that they seem unaware that they have a beautiful stretch of beach behind their conference rooms.

The organizers are probably the busiest people at this event, and Hening Parlan of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) is no exception.

She has been so busy it took two days before she realized that she was staying very close to the beach.

"I am so busy that I was not aware that I am staying very close to Nusa Dua beach," said Hening at the forum's secretariat at the Amphitheater, Nusa Dua. The beach is just a few meters behind the Amphitheater.

'Water crisis' at UN conference

It sounds ironic. All the people are talking about the global water crisis in the PrepCom, but they themselves are facing a fresh water crisis.

The price of fresh bottled water at the conference venue, the Bali International Convention Center, is so expensive so that only a few people dare to buy on site, and kiosks selling cheaper bottled water are located far from the scene.

"It's ridiculous. One bottle of Aqua costs US$1.50," a journalist said on Monday.

Another journalist suggested that people bring water from outside to prevent a drain on their pocket.

Delegates nowhere to hide

NGOs are grateful for Bali's isolated location for the preparatory committee (PrepCom) IV meeting on sustainable development.

Cochair of the NGO energy and climate caucus, Deling Wang, commented on Sunday that the Nusa Dua area makes it easier for NGOs to lobby government delegations.

"The location of the prepcom in Bali is very advantageous for us, because in a sense we are all stuck in one place, the Nusa Dua area, and delegates cannot escape us," she said laughing.

Deling said that in the previous PrepComs in New York, delegates were difficult to approach because they could easily escape NGOs.

Too cold in Kuta

In spite of the scorching sun of Bali, international non- governmental organization (NGO) representatives suffered from chills and dehydration at the strategic meetings organized by the Indonesian People's Forum (IPF) at Sahid Hotel in Kuta on Sunday.

The cold was so intense that the representatives opted to turn off the hotel's excellent air conditioning facilities rather than brace the freezing cold.

Unfortunately the controls were nowhere to be found, and the doors of the meeting room had to be flung open during the whole session to let out the cold air.