The Provincial Government of Bali is targeting to create 12,000 biopori holes across the Island of Bali before the end of 2016. A biopori hole, an environmental innovation invented in Bogor, West Java, is a cylindrical hole in the earth designed to dramatically enhance the ability of soil to absorb water and replenish badly depleted ground water reserves. An invention created at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, introduced the concept of vertical holes filled with organic waste that create compost and act as channels for water to be returned to depleted ground water tables. Biopore holes have been shown to prevent flooding, increase the water absorption rate of soil, reduced greenhouse gasses (CO2 and methane) and improve soil fertility. The head of the Provincial Environmental Agency (BLH-Bali) say that 7,000 biopore holes have been created across Bali thus far in 2016, with an additional 5,000 holes targeted for completion before the end of the year. All schools and government units are being told to install biopore holes at schools, villages and at every government office. Biopore holes are seen as a possible means of alleviating Bali’s worsening water crisis. In addition to helping to build ground water supplies, biopore holes also become an important source of compost to richen otherwise nutritionally-depleted soil. Another essential means of conserving ground water is by ensuring sufficient green spaces exist for the absorption of rainwater. Current zoning laws require hotels, residential buildings and other building projects retain 40% of their land area in the form of open gardens to aid the retention of ground water.
