Earlier this month, we reported on the Balinese government's plan to build a concrete seawall around the base of Uluwatu cliffs , in an effort to save the Pura Luhur temple from one day sliding into the ocean.
"The threat of the Uluwatu temple first arose in 1992 when a significant crack was discovered in the cliff after a major earthquake," wrote Ben Mondy. "However, in the intervening years, the Balinese government’s only response was to limit visitor numbers. The iconic Hindu temple has been perched at the cliff's edge for centuries, but as more cracks in the cliffside appeared below, the government was forced to act."
Saving the temple makes all the sense in the world. But was this really the only way to do it?
The government's approved plan is to excavate a large swath of earth and burrow deep into the cliffside north of the temple, in order to build an access road and ultimately a concrete breakwall that wraps the base of the cliff below the temple. As you'll see in the video update above, it's a huge — and heartbreaking — development. Not only are they destroying a huge area of untouched natural beauty (and paving right over it), but a project of this size and scale threatens the inshore reef environment, and potentially even some of the waves in Uluwatu, as nobody knows how the flow of sand (or lack thereof once a section of the coastline is paved over) contributes to the waves.
Even worse, is that fact that many are skeptical that a concrete seawall will even work. Remember, the crack appeared after an earthquake in 1992, not a big swell. And many are pointing out that the saturation of the cliff from rainwater is a bigger contributor to the cliff's crack/collapse than waves are, making this solution all the more frustrating.
Nobody is arguing the importance of the temple. But destroying the cliff to protect the cliff? It makes no logical sense, which is why the project appears to be opposed by everyone, including the entire Balinese surf community. We reached out to one prominent surfer in Uluwatu and he told us he was basically shut down when he went to ask the hard questions. That's the most frustrating part: This plan has supposedly been in the works for 10 years, but was ultimately green-lit without any community input. It appears that nobody knew this was the plan until it was already in place.
The Pura Luhur Temple is a sacred place and means so much to so many. The sad thing is, we're not sure anyone to which it means the most are happy about "protecting" it in such a destructive way. And while it seems highly unlikely the excavators get called off at this point, it's not too late until the concrete is poured. Until then, we can hold onto a tiny shred of hope.
Related: Save The Waves Sounds the Alarm on Uluwatu Construction Project
Related: Construction of Concrete Seawall Has Begun at Uluwatu Cliffs
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