Bali declares state of emergency as drought and fires worsen

Bali Disaster Mitigation Agency workers look on as fire razes an area on the slope of Mount Agung in Karangasem on Oct. 1, 2023. -BPBD Bali

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): Acting Bali governor SM Mahendra Jaya has declared a state of emergency on the resort island for the next two weeks following prolonged drought and an uptick in land and forest fires.

The directive was issued on Thursday (Oct 19) in a governor’s circular and impacts all regencies and cities across the province, including Denpasar, Badung, Bangli, Buleleng, Gianyar, Jembrana, Karangasem, Klungkung and Tabanan.