Funds Sourced from Voluntary Donations and Collective Contributions by the Public and Bali Provincial Civil Servants
TABANAN – Bali Governor Wayan Koster distributed aid to victims of extreme weather disasters in Tabanan and Jembrana regencies. The total aid disbursed amounted to IDR 1,001,800,000, of which IDR 571,827,926 came from collective donations of Bali Provincial Government civil servants. The handover ceremony for both regencies was centralized at Gedung Maria, Tabanan, on Thursday (October 2, 2025).
For disaster victims in Jembrana, total aid reached IDR 497,800,000, consisting of IDR 210,500,000 for repairing houses with minor, moderate, and severe damage; IDR 192,300,000 for repairing places of worship; and IDR 95,000,000 for economic recovery assistance. Meanwhile, disaster victims in Tabanan received IDR 504 million, with IDR 419 million allocated for housing repairs and IDR 85 million for religious facilities.
Governor Koster explained that six regencies/cities were impacted by the extreme weather on September 10, 2025.
“Six affected areas include Denpasar, Badung, Gianyar, Klungkung, Jembrana, and Tabanan. The most severely affected was Denpasar City, particularly Badung and Kumbasari Markets. Traders lost their merchandise, and facilities as well as vehicles were damaged,” he said.
Beyond material losses, the September 10 floods also claimed 18 lives, with four people still missing.
“Of the fatalities, 12 were in Denpasar, three in Gianyar, one in Badung, and two in Jembrana,” Koster added.
All victims’ families have received compensation from the central, provincial, and local governments.
“The central government provided IDR 15 million per victim, the province another IDR 15 million, and specifically for Denpasar, the city government also disbursed IDR 15 million. All has been distributed,” he explained.
In addition to compensation for fatalities, the government also provided assistance for damaged homes, businesses, and houses of worship. “Aid is distributed based on requests submitted by each regency/city,” he said.
The provincial government has also received additional aid requests from Klungkung and Bangli. Bangli requested IDR 58 million, while Klungkung submitted IDR 533.6 million.
“Klungkung and Bangli will be covered soon. Meanwhile, Gianyar and Badung are able to handle recovery independently,” Koster said, while apologizing to Jembrana residents because the aid distribution was centralized in Tabanan.
“Please accept my apologies for not being able to go directly to Jembrana. Thank you to the local government for facilitating residents to attend here,” he added.
Governor Koster emphasized that aid distribution is adjusted according to the requests and types of damage. “In Tabanan and Jembrana, some houses were heavily, moderately, or lightly damaged. We provide assistance accordingly. There were also damages to small businesses such as food stalls, workshops, and poultry farms,” he said, expressing hope that the aid would help restore economic activity.
Disaster Mitigation: Normalization and Audits from Upstream to Downstream
Speaking to reporters, the governor outlined several measures to anticipate future floods. The provincial government is currently focusing on river basin (DAS) mitigation through normalization efforts and conducting upstream-to-downstream audits.
“Where sedimentation occurs, we will dredge it. Where forests are bare, we will replant them. For houses along riverbanks, we will engage in dialogue with residents. Flooding happens nearly every rainy season, and the largest occurred on September 10,” he explained.
The two-term governor also acknowledged spatial planning violations, particularly along the Tukad Badung riverbanks.
“However, these communities have lived there for generations, long before spatial regulations existed. From the perspective of today’s spatial planning, yes, it’s a violation. But they cannot simply be relocated. Now, new construction permits along river borders are strictly prohibited,” he clarified.
On land conversion issues often cited as a cause of flooding, Koster promised firm attention. Nevertheless, he stressed that heavy rainfall and extreme weather were the main triggers.
“This is a serious concern. We are drafting a regional regulation (Perda) to control the conversion of productive land for commercial purposes. The draft is being finalized and should be completed within two months,” he concluded.
The aid distribution ceremony at Gedung Maria was attended by Tabanan Deputy Regent I Made Dirga, members of the Tabanan Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), and officials from the Provincial and Regency Disaster Management Agencies (BPBD) of Bali, Tabanan, and Jembrana. (*)
