Hotels in Nusa Dua and Jimbaran are gearing up for Bali's biggest event of the year. It is estimated around 20,000 delegates, participants and support teams will be involved in the three day IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in October, and key participating hotels in the area are already booked.

In an interview with Nusa Bali, Chairman of the Bali Hotel Association (BHA) Ricky Putra, said there were approximately 15,000 available hotel rooms in Nusa Dua and the surrounding areas, and of those around 8,000 have already been booked.

There's no doubt this is good for business. Gapura Bali reported recently that around USD 400 million is being turned over as a result of the meeting and the events scheduled around it.

But being in the world's spotlight isn't all fame and fortune. It also comes with responsibilities and commitments. Water and waste are at the top of the list.

According to Bali Post, Badung Environment and Hygiene Agency (DLHK) held a meeting on May 2 with representatives of all hotels in Nusa Dua and Jimbaran, at which they were told by DLHK Badung Chief, Putu Eka Merthawan, that hotel environmental permits would be audited because "we do not want to see any media or waste-related participants in the places where they (the delegates) are staying."

This is an important move by authorities, especially as it addresses the pressing need for Bali to take positive steps with regard to water, waste and waste management.

The planned hotel environmental audits include checks on IPAL (Instalasi Pengolahan Air Limbah), a wastewater treatment technology designed to decompose the contents of pollutants in water, especially organic compounds, suspended solids, pathogenic microbes, and organic compounds that can not be broken down by microorganisms in nature, allowing the water to be used for other activities.

PT Cekindo Bisnis Grup are able to confirm that it is compulsory for all hotels, restaurants and villas to have an IPAL. However, this may be the first time an audit has been conducted to ensure compliance.

Sources: Bali Post, Nusa Bali, Cekindo, UPT PAL Provinsi Bali

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