What happened
Badung Regent I Wayan Adi Arnawa said on Sunday, 11 October 2026, that the local government is pushing ahead with coastline works on the Kuta, Legian and Seminyak corridor in Kuta district. Together with Deputy Regent Bagus Alit Sucipta, he inspected how erosion control is going at Kuta Beach. The works combine a pedestrian project with a wider beach restoration.
The regent described Kuta Beach as an international tourism icon of strategic value. He said the authorities are trying to restore its standing as that icon. Two aims were stated: safety and comfort for visitors, and the resilience of the coastal zone.
The erosion figures
The report cites technical data from the Ministry of Public Works. Bali has 633 km of coastline, and about 215 km of it is eroding. Between 2007 and 2025 the state invested Rp 1.2 trillion to protect 130 km of shore.
For the remaining 85 km of critical shore, further work is needed, according to Triono Juno Asmoro, the minister's expert staff for inter-agency relations. His preliminary estimate is about Rp 4 trillion. This is a ministry estimate and not an approved budget line.
Scientific backing and political push
The ministry has proposed regular joint studies with BRIN, the national research and innovation agency. The studies would track climate dynamics, sea level rise and changing wave patterns. For now this is a proposal, and the report gives no schedule or budget for the studies.
The acceleration also follows remarks by Megawati Soekarnoputri, Indonesia's fifth president and chair of the BRIN steering board. She said coastal protection at Kuta cannot be done piece by piece. In her words, experts and science-based policy are needed, or Bali could lose part of its natural heritage.
What the report leaves out
The report does not name a contractor, the total budget of the Kuta, Legian and Seminyak project, or an end date for the works. It does not say which stretches of shore the pedestrian part will touch or which technical methods were chosen for restoring the beach. There is also no breakdown of how much money Badung will provide and how much will come from the central government.
The regent's remarks are therefore more accurately read as confirmation of direction, not a work schedule. The figures of 215 km, 130 km and 85 km belong to the Ministry of Public Works, and they set the scale of the task for all of Bali, not only for Kuta.
What it means for residents and business
Kuta, Legian and Seminyak remain one of the densest tourism corridors on the island. The state of the shore affects hotels, restaurants and tenants on the beachfront. The authorities tie the project to protecting the local economy, but the report gives no completion date.
The pedestrian project may change traffic and beach access while works are under way. The report mentions no timetable or closures, so these details are worth confirming with the Badung administration.