Indonesia will ban the construction of new hotels and restaurants built atop cleared rice fields and agricultural land on the popular resort island of Bali, after recent flash flooding killed at least 18 people.<\/p>\n
A state of emergency was declared on Bali<\/a> on 10 September after the island experienced the most severe flooding in more than a decade.<\/p>\n Triggered by heavy rainfall, the flooding caused extensive damage to homes, public facilities and infrastructure and affected thousands across Denpasar and its surrounding areas.<\/p>\n Environmental activists have long sounded the alarm about the impacts of mass tourism<\/a> on the island, saying stricter controls to prevent land conversion would reduce the risks from flooding and other natural disasters.<\/p>\n In the wake of the floods the Bali governor, Wayan Koster, said this week that new rules had been issued.<\/p>\n \u201cStarting this year, yes, there is already an instruction to all heads of districts and mayors across Bali,\u201d he said on 14 September.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter handling the floods, we will meet again to ensure no more permits are issued for hotels, restaurants or other facilities on productive land, especially rice fields,\u201d he said, as quoted by Indonesia\u2019s state news agency, Antara.<\/p>\n \u201cStarting this year, the land conversion ban will align with Bali\u2019s 100-year plan. From 2025 onward, no productive land can be converted into commercial facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Famous for its lush, green rice paddies and stunning beaches, the \u201cisland of the Gods\u201d has undergone rapid change over the past half-century with locals and tourists complaining about the traffic, pollution and badly behaved foreigners<\/a> that have come with the hotels and resorts that now swamp the island.<\/p>\n