The Southeast Asian nation has a mammoth marine waste problem, ranking as one of the world's biggest contributors to plastic pollution and marine debris
A man collects recyclable items to sell amid plastic and other debris washed ashore at Kedonganan Beach near Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on March 19, 2024. Image: SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP©
AÂ tidal wave of plastic trash has left a normally pristine beach on the Indonesian resort island of Bali awash with garbage, a bleak annual event caused by the monsoon that has left tourists vexed and local officials scrambling to clean up.
The Southeast Asian nation has a mammoth marine waste problem, ranking as one of the world's biggest contributors of plastic pollution and marine debris.
Images showed Kedonganan beach in Bali's popular Kuta area covered in discarded plastic bottles, cups and packaging, much of which was driven towards Bali from Indonesia's cities by prevailing monsoon winds and rains.
"I call on all people in Indonesia, don't litter in empty lands, don't throw rubbish on cliffs and rivers because it will end up on sea and will arrive at our beautiful beaches," said local environment agency official Anak Agung Dalem.
Around 300 officers and six excavators were made available to help clear the trash, he said, with a local NGO also helping out.