The Impact of COVID-19 on Livelihoods in Bali

The Impact of COVID-19 on Livelihoods in Bali

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Bali's economy especially on the tourism sector. The coronavirus outbreak has led to massive job losses and reductions in income across Bali. In May 2020, Kopernik conducted a rapid assessment to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods in Bali. This is a part of Kopernik’s broader COVID-19 Emergency Response initiative to support communities affected by the pandemic.

For the rapid assessment, we interviewed 87 respondents comprising of 10 business owners, and 77 households representing various sectors and all regions of Bali.

To understand the economic impact of COVID-19, we looked at income reductions at the household level and disaggregated data by gender, respondents’ origin and whether they worked in the informal or formal sectors. We also asked about the support they received, their coping mechanisms, and remaining unmet needs.

We found that 81% of the 77 household respondents have experienced a negative impact on their income as a result of COVID-19, of whom 44% have either permanently or temporarily lost their jobs. Overall, respondents have experienced a 61% decrease in their income. The rapid assessment found that COVID-19 is having a bigger impact on women, informal sector workers, and non-Balinese residents of Bali.

Support by the government, and non-governmental initiatives (including companies and individuals), has been wide-ranging. However, our data shows that the support provided has been uneven, leaving some people behind, including informal sector workers, non-Balinese Indonesians, as well as certain geographic locations where support has not yet reached.

Given the expected prolonged impact on the tourism sector, as well as the need for food security, those that are severely impacted by COVID-19 will need continued livelihood support. In the longer term, a targeted focus on the agricultural sector could be a logical way forward - if appropriate and targeted support is provided in re-skilling, agricultural value chain improvement, and access to markets, the livelihoods of people in Bali could become more resilient.

The report of our rapid assessment of COVID-19 impact on livelihoods in Bali has now been published - for more insights and the complete findings, we invite you to read the full report.

In addition to the rapid assessment, Kopernik also conducted a series of polls through ‘Apa Kabar Bali?’, a COVID-19 related news series which can be viewed on Kopernik’s Instagram TV (IGTV) and YouTube channel. From four rounds of polling, we were able to capture additional data from those who have been affected by the pandemic. The results of the polling are aligned with our rapid assessment findings. To see the complete online polling results, you can access the report here.