LAUSR

Abstract This paper explores the role of activist-academics to bring attention to Bali's water crisis. The impact case study examines how we shaped public discourse, supported NGOs, influenced the local tourism industry, and nudged government policy. We critically evaluate how as change makers we enhanced knowledge exchange, and the factors that supported impactful tourism and water nexus research. We explore how the unintended consequences of our “crisis” research have undermined our impact by being used to justify new unsustainable development projects, and how the power of the tourism industry has shaped legislation. From this we identify the lessons learned for creating impactful research including purpose, partners, time frame and on-going contact.