DENPASAR ~

Academician from University of Udayana Dr. Ir Made Sudarma encouraged hoteliers to greening the upstream area to maintain the availability of water in Bali.

“On the development of tourism facilities, such as hotels and villas have to think also about the availability of water sources. The hotel company has to pay attention to the existing environment in the upstream,” he said on the show in Denpasar, Thursday.

He saw the hotel company is still relied on water supply from taps or wells drilled by exploiting underground water. But they must remember that water is flowing because of the infiltration of the forest in the upstream.

“Therefore, we expect the government to make rules that to take advantage of the water, then businessman must establish an area of land planted with trees at the upstream,” he said.

He regarded that hotel management concern for the environment in the upstream region is very low compared with the benefits that they acquired over the years.

Therefore, Bali provincial government and regencies / city should dare to remind them.

“They must think the presence of water in further, because upstream absorption area (forests) is still in good condition. What if that area begins to deteriorate, would it be possible to get water from other areas or to process sea water,” he said.

Sudarma gave input to local governments, before the water crisis, government should be firm to companies such as PDAM (State-owned water enterparise), mineral water companies and hotels that it is a must to have  upstream area related to nature conservation.