Hydroelectric Dams Should Not Be Built in Borneo
ByTo the Editor,
Hydroelectric dams on the Baram River in Sarawak, Malaysia, should not be allowed as they are destroying Borneo’s rainforest, and the way of life for the native people in that area. Borneo’s forests may be facing extinction. This land has suffered tremendous environmental loss due to deforestation, and this loss will greater due to hydroelectric dams. The Government of Sarawak announced the plan for building 12 new hydroelectric dams. Economic efficiency including hydro power is essential however, these dams would harm the country far more than it would be helping. These would not only severely impact the already decreasing jungle, but it also affects the people in the area. The project would cost millions of dollars. The hydroelectric dam project needs to come to a stop to save both the jungle, and the community.
As we know, hydroelectric dams are a beneficial, useful, and renewable energy source, making it appear as the perfect answer for electricity generation in Sarawak. However, building 12 of these massive dams will cause harm more than help. “In Sarawak, megadams have drowned hundreds of kilometers of rainforest in one of the world’s most vital carbon sinks. Worldwide, decomposing organic material at the bottom of reservoirs releases about a million tons of methane — mega-hydro does not produce clean energy,” (Earth is Land). The impact on Sarawak’s environment will be devastating. The construction of these dams is destroying what forests remain in the region and when these dams are complete, the likelihood of severe flooding is troubling. “According to International Rivers, the Bakun dam, which was finished in 2010, put 700 square kilometers of virgin rainforest and prime farmland under water.” (The Borneo Project). These massive hydroelectric dams are affecting endangered and endemic plants and wildlife, and causing extensive damage to rich biodiversity in river headwaters.
The people of Sarawak, especially the Indigenous, have faced many challenges with the government of Malaysia. The dams which the government declared to be built are all located along the Baram river. It is estimated floods could cover an area of 388 square kilometers, including 32 villages that are home to 20,000 people. “Although indigenous community members have voiced opposition to the 1,200 MW Baram dam on multiple occasions, government officials posit that the people of Baram will benefit from its construction – although an estimated 20,000 people will be forced from their homes,” (The Borneo Project). The people of Sarawak know from experience what happens when dams are built in remote areas of the province. The government promises that people will be relocated to prime locations, and will be given new homes, and good schools. Yet based on pass experiences, the reality never lives up to the promises. Children in the area are left with no schools, families are forced to move from their home villages, and Aboriginals are forced to give up their land. This is violating the rights of the Indigenous people who have called that land home for generations, and nothing is being done to help.
The financial costs of these massive dams are another reason they should not be built. The total cost of the 12 dams is expected to be 21 billion dollars. This will take the country years to remake that money in electricity and will cost more in the process. There are always setbacks which the government does not consider which results in costing even more affecting the country economically. And, if the government follows through with their promises to the community such as resettlement programs for the thousands of Indigenous citizens forced to relocate, houses, access roads, and many more factors will cost an extra several million.
There is a solution to every problem, regardless of the size or situation. Borneo is facing severe deforestation and biodiversity loss, along with Indigenous citizens losing their land and territory. However, Sarawak is still in need of energy, and they are looking for a clean and renewable source. “The government and the dam builder, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), claim that the dams will create the energy needed to develop industry in Sarawak,” (The Borneo Project). This may be true, but there is more harm being done to the community and environment then good. Fortunately, there is an alternate clean and renewable energy source, micro-hydro turbines. Micro-hydro turbines extract energy from streams and rivers by placing small turbines in the mid-stream flow without altering the integrity of the river as a dam does. They have become increasingly popular in Sarawak and for the right reasons. There is little to no flooding, no land cleaning required, and much more cost efficient compared to the massive dams.
This is why hydoelectric dams should not ever be built in Borneo, there is far too much environmental loss and economical loss to building them, the negative impacts far outweigh any possible benefit.
Caitlyn T
REFERENCES
About Mega-dams. The Borneo Project. (n.d.). https://borneoproject.org/about-mega-dams/.
Homepage. Homepage | Cultural Survival. (n.d.). https://www.culturalsurvival.org/.
Indigenous groups expel workers, blockade another dam in Sarawak. Mongabay Environmental News. (2013, November 5). https://news.mongabay.com/2013/11/indigenous-groups-expel-workers-blockade-another-dam-in-sarawak/.
Protests continue amid signs that controversial Borneo dam cancelled. Mongabay Environmental News. (2016, March 29). https://news.mongabay.com/2016/03/protests-continue-amid-signs-that-controversial-borneo-dam-cancelled/.
Renewable Energy. The Borneo Project. (n.d.). https://borneoproject.org/village-scale-renewable-energy/.
Stop the Dams! The Borneo Project. (n.d.). https://borneoproject.org/our-work/ongoing-campaigns/stop-the-dams/.
Superuser. (2013, June 8). The future of hydropower in Sarawak. Borneo Post Online. https://www.theborneopost.com/2013/06/09/the-future-of-hydropower-in-sarawak/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=891f0fb036adc7469e73dbd30169a115fd2661e2-1623372427-0-AbfzHZsOgEdRllHtxSvJqVtH1m2wkwyjZXtnbKQ_0nUbCFeh6EQ4YShxHK80_zkNqELpmO5sog8y-ItaneTWLRCC88AgElHIeRpdc1fsjruXyj_s92djXrUy9dnpSY77eL0mslMr_9dvXs3aviCTwNKtUqKXoR7u6wE7efUNFiNRkOToz9dGljyILn1CEYtGxFlCpA4IF_25YZccIzi-vtTFL76TbYoU8tV8_tO-IupqSgCgc4gKPHK3e5YBD7n9zLxqVb6F3Tp30wOioXDWFIKKbVBk_WKxKXImtJWO13CrCfNVi6GmKFxaYueARCtmPLBTju5LawYmovU12tt8HIbT9k_P6jIGB4a0F72nFMUZfbd96zJElRH4Z0fwnlxqUByhxn7l0o0vsfef-G5z1LASn4ZEFCufqvca8FUVD6cFDXR4kTQeKBPyzodbC6zCE9USTLckJNairpBeKv7K9VM.
Tackling Energy Poverty in Sarawak. The Borneo Project. (n.d.). https://borneoproject.org/tackling-energy-poverty-in-sarawak/.