Bali governor says disaster budget still adequate ahead of rainy season

Denpasar, Bali — Bali Governor Wayan Koster has assured that the province’s disaster-response funding remains adequate to face the upcoming rainy season, with emergency reserves in the regional budget still largely unused according to provincial authorities.

Speaking after a plenary session of the Bali Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in Denpasar on 14 September 2026, Koster said the provincial government still has sufficient allocation for disaster management, particularly through the Belanja Tidak Terduga (BTT) or unexpected expenditure line that can be drawn upon when emergencies occur, according to local media reports.

He stated that current disaster-related spending has only reached about half of the available allocation, leaving significant room to respond to potential floods, landslides and other impacts of the rainy season. According to coverage of the session, Koster emphasized that there has been no increase in the ceiling for disaster funding in the draft revised 2026 regional budget, arguing that existing allocations are still adequate because realization is only around 50 percent.

Nusabali.com reported that the Bali Provincial Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has a 2026 budget ceiling of approximately Rp 24.8 billion, covering both priority and supporting programmes for disaster mitigation and response. The outlet also noted that, in addition to BPBD’s sectoral budget, the provincial government has set aside Rp 50 billion in BTT funds in the 2026 regional budget that can be used for disaster handling when needed.

Metro TV News, citing remarks delivered at the same DPRD session, likewise reported that Bali’s disaster budget is considered sufficient to anticipate the rainy season. The report said the provincial government sees no need to amend the disaster budget ceiling in the draft revised 2026 budget because only around half of the available funds have been spent so far, and that the BPBD allocation for 2026 totals about Rp 24.8 billion, with roughly Rp 6.48 billion for priority activities and Rp 18.35 billion for supporting activities.

Earlier this year, BPBD Bali officials and local media highlighted that the agency’s 2026 budget represents a reduction from the previous year. IDN Times reported that BPBD Bali’s allocation fell by around Rp 8.9 billion compared with 2025, leaving the agency with Rp 24.8 billion to manage disaster mitigation and response across the island. Nusabali.com carried similar figures, noting that the 2026 BPBD budget is significantly lower than the 2025 allocation of Rp 33.7 billion.

Despite the lower ceiling compared with 2025, both the governor and BPBD leadership have publicly stated that current funding is being managed to remain adequate for core disaster-response functions. Earlier briefings from BPBD Bali indicated that officials are adjusting programmes to work within the reduced allocation while maintaining essential mitigation measures.

With the transition from the dry season to the rainy season underway and the possibility of hydrometeorological hazards increasing, the provincial government is positioning its combination of BPBD’s dedicated budget and the BTT reserve as sufficient to finance emergency responses. Koster’s comments in the DPRD session suggest that, for now, the administration is focusing on maximizing use of the existing 2026 framework rather than seeking additional disaster funds in the revised budget.

Sources

• NusaBali.com
• Metro TV News
• IDN Times Bali