BALI:Environment Editor Frank McDonaldfinds a mix of high security and island relaxation at the Bali summit
Nusa Dua on the south coast of Bali has been turned into a high security zone for the duration of the UN Climate Change Summit to ensure that there will be no repetition of the bombings in 2002 and 2005 that killed more than 200 people - mainly tourists.
The convention centre at the resort's Westin Hotel is surrounded by a high fence and guarded by paramilitary police armed with submachine guns, while sniffer dogs are used to check cars for bombs and Indonesian naval vessels patrol the island's waters.
Most of the conference facilities are housed in a sprawling tented village gathered around the hotel, with a battery of air-conditioners to ward off the sweltering heat; it was 30 degrees here yesterday, with humidity hovering around 75 per cent.
The island, located eight degrees north of the equator, is full of lush tropical vegetation and manicured lawns in its more luxurious resorts. It has the unique distinction of being the only Hindu island in southeast Asia, including predominantly Muslim Indonesia.
Mopeds outnumber cars on the roads, which are lined with small shack-like shops with corrugated roofs. At the conference itself, bicycles can be hired free of charge and many of the delegates are going around in loose-fitting shirts, slacks and even sandals.
With an attendance of more than 10,000, including media and environmental groups, the UN conference is a huge boon to Bali, where the tourism industry has been slowly recovering from the effect of the bombings - blamed on al-Qaeda.
The drive to devise a "road map" for what will replace the Kyoto protocol after 2012 will get into full gear at the weekend when ministers begin to arrive.
Among those coming to Bali will be the new Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, whose first act after taking office was to sign the protocol which his predecessor had shunned for more than a decade.
Ireland's most senior representative at the Bali talks will be Minister for the Environment John Gormley, who will no doubt be pointing to the range of green measures in yesterday's Budget as evidence of a more vigorous effort by the Government to meet our Kyoto targets.
Indonesian environment minister Rachmat Witoelar, who is presiding at the conference, is said to be determined to "pull the pieces together" to ensure that Bali produces a positive outcome. But it will take a lot of hard bargaining between the various blocs before that happens.