Part 3/13:
This reckless development is not without consequence. Bali's environmental balance is precarious, with annual loss of thousands of hectares of farmland, depletion of underground water sources, and polluted rivers. Experts warn that the island’s unique subak irrigation system, which sustains its rice terraces and cultural landscape, is under threat as land conversion accelerates. The island’s water tables are critically dropping, and the original lush landscape is steadily shrinking.