Is Bali’s Kuta Beach disappearing? Coastal erosion crisis threatens famed shoreline

Powerful waves have chewed away large sections of Bali’s iconic Kuta Beach, raising fresh concern about the future of the Indonesian island’s most famous stretch of sand.Officials say the latest damage, driven by recent rough seas, has intensified a long-running problem of coastal erosion that experts warn is being worsened by extreme weather and decades of coastal development on the resort island.Abrasion along Kuta’s shoreline is not new, but officials say this year’s extreme weather has made it more severe than in previous years.“Regarding the erosion on Kuta Beach, it’s currently quite severe. The last few weeks, especially during the peak of the full moon, the waves were quite high, and some areas looked critical. But this isn’t new erosion; it’s happened before, it’s just worse this week,” I Nyoman Arya Arimbawa, manager of Kuta Beach Tourism Destination, said on Tuesday, as cited by news portal RRI.Screenshots from videos shared to social media this week showing the erosion of Bali’s iconic Kuta Beach. Photos: Instagram / smithersgnome17 and tim_jimboKuta’s traditional village head I Komang Alit Ardana also attributed the severe abrasion to extreme weather, which triggered heavy flooding on the island last month.