Bursting at the Seams

(6/27/2011)

Jakarta Post quotes Bali’s governor Made Mangku Pastika as saying Bali is becoming overpopulated with migrants from across Indonesia.

Saying that the ideal population for Bali’s 5,632.8 square kilometers of land area was around 1.5 million, the population of Bali is already twice that number, without taking into account the more than 4 million domestic and foreign visitors the governor estimates visit Bali each year.

Government statistics show that Bali’s population has grown by nearly 20% over the past ten years. Bal's growing need for workers, sees people flock to the island putting added strains on housing, water and traffic congestion.

Pointing out that Bali can’t refuse newcomers, Pastika said the island’s attractiveness to migrants is consequently bringing a host of problems to the island.