Bali bans building of new hotels on rice fields after deadly floods

Indonesia will ban the construction of new hotels and restaurants built over cleared rice fields and agricultural land on the popular resort island of Bali, after recent flash flooding killed at least 18 people.

- Guardian staff

A state of emergency was declared on the island on 10 September after it experienced the most severe flooding in more than a decade.

Triggered by heavy rainfall, the flooding caused extensive damage to homes, public facilities and infrastructure, and affected thousands across its capital, Denpasar, and its surrounding areas.

Environmental activists have long sounded the alarm about the impacts of mass tourism on the island, saying stricter controls to prevent land conversion would reduce the risks from flooding and other natural disasters.