After all this talk of reclamation here lately, wondering what an artificial island would look like in Bali? Look no further than Serangan Island, just on the edge of Benoa.
In the second of three installments promoting a 40-minute documentary on the perils of South Baliโs impending reclamation of Benoa Bay, French filmmaker Gary Bencheghib takes us through the grim reality that is Serangan.
South Baliโs first reclamation in the 90s left us with something of a wasteland, destroying the environmentโs coral, mangroves, and turtle population. And instead of bringing us a booming hot spot of hotels and another dynamic tourist area as was promised, there sits empty, unusable land, Bencheghib shows us in his teaser for โThe Reclamation.โ
Could this be Benoaโs future? Sure hope not.
Bencheghib seems to be doing everything he can to preserve the island that he was raised on from age nine.
Heโs brought the #forBali campaign international, all the way to NYC and we can see the progress heโs been making at raising awareness as heโs strived to help the activist group dedicated to the cause, forBali. The official petition calling to revoke the permit for the reclamation in Benoa to date is just shy of the 50,000 markโno small achievement at all.
ICYMI, hereโs part one, โBali vs. Mass Developmentโ which provides a good and quick backgrounder for the reclamation issue:
