Rajang River crisis: NREB must answer

 Accountability, Energy resources, Environment  3 Responses »
Nov 232010
 

Sarawak Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit has admitted that the impoundment of the Bakun Dam had adversely affected the livelihood of the people downstream and the tourism industry. “Because of the shallowness of the river, some of them lose their jobs as tourist guides and have to chop firewood for a living because there are no more tourists coming after the water level has dropped,” the Borneo Post quoted him as saying. Ironically Dawos is the former environment adviser for the Bakun Dam project. The authorities must now release the Environmental Impact Assessment report. Let’s have a look at the conditions of approval.

Dried up stretch below Bakun

 Development issues, Energy resources, Environment, Sustainable development  16 Responses »
Nov 012010
 
Dried up stretch below Bakun

Another omen for Taib Mahmud: pictured below is a dried up stretch of river below the Bakun Dam. This picture was published in the front page of a local Chinese daily in Sarawak. View Larger Map Another photo can be found at the Sarawak Update website, which reports: The 51-door longhouse in Long Mejawah consists of 300 odd Kayan inhabitants who are now literally cut off from outside world due to the sharp decline of water level in the Balui River. Their communication with outside world has been interrupted, not to say obtaining essential supplies, sending children to schools, travelling to Belaga Bazaar to work or for official matters and other unexpected problems that may arise.

Ritual “to appease gods” in Sarawak

 Accountability, Development issues, Energy resources, Environment, Marginalised groups  17 Responses »
Oct 312010
 

Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud says that the interests of natives would be protected in all future dam projects. Can they believe that after the bitter experience of Bakun and Batang Ai? According to the Borneo Post, Taib said he was prepared to offer what the displaced natives would need – similar to what was done for the affected communities when building the Bakun and Murum dams. “We have plans to resettle our people, like the Penans, to adapt to the new way of life. Maybe the facilities given are not for them per se but will be for their generations to come.” Taib can’t even protect the interests of the displaced natives now and he is talking about protecting their interests in the future? I thought those displaced by the Bakun Dam were not exactly thrilled with conditions in the Sungai Asap resettlement scheme.

Now here come the smelters…

 Energy resources, Environment, Malaysian finance/business  5 Responses »
Oct 232010
 
Now here come the smelters...

Smelters are set to sprout in Sarawak to guzzle the energy that is expected to be produced by Bakun Dam, now that the government appears to have given up on the submarine cables. This is the situation at the moment: Press Metal Sarawak Sdn Bhd-Sumitomo Corp Current capacity – 60,000 tonnes. First phase – 120,000 tonnes. Second phase – 240,000 tonnes. Salco: Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS)-Rio Tinto Alcan Planned capacity – 720,000 tonnes. This would make it one of the largest in the world. GIIG Holdings Sdn Bhd-Aluminium Corp of China Ltd (Chalco) Planned capacity – 330,000 tonnes.

Rajang River silap mata

 Accountability, Development issues, Energy resources, Environment, Malaysian finance/business  9 Responses »
Oct 222010
 
Rajang River silap mata

The recent logjam on the Rajang River was a natural disaster caused by heavy downpour and not by over-logging or impoundment of the Bakun Dam – so says an initial report by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation. Sarawak Forestry CEO Len Talif Salleh was reported by Bernama as saying that a ’3D Airborne Hyperspectral Sensor’ taken on 15 October showed that the area was still covered by forest but traces of landslides could be seen due to heavy downpour at the Ulu Sungai Melatai catchment area. “We want to clarify the misconception and nonsense from an overseas source that the logjam was caused by over-logging or impoundment of Bakun Dam.” Over-logging was not an issue, he said, because there was no logging activity on both sides of Melatai River since 2006. Some questions and concerns:

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