The waste woes of tourism hotspot Bali have come under intense scrutiny after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shamed island authorities for what he said were improper steps to tackle the problem.
But even as Balinese officials scramble to clean up their beaches, experts point to structural problems endemic to the issue, such as overtourism, lack of enforcement and insufficient education among locals.
Prabowo publicly dressed down Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, and his regents earlier this week, saying he received complaints from foreign dignitaries about the state of cleanliness in the country’s holiday jewel, which welcomed 6.9 million foreign tourists last year, up from 6.3 million in 2024.
