Reflections on the floods in Kuching

 Development issues, Environment  6 Responses »
Jan 152009
 

Blog reader Anak Kuching shares with us his thoughts about the floods that hit the Sarawak capital:

Many comments both official and unoffical have been made each time there is a flood in Kuching. The 2009 flood – was it as bad as the last one in 2004? Perhaps just as bad but the media didn’t highlight some of the areas as intensely this time like they did in 2004. Was it due to the fact it was supposed to be a happy week for Sarawakians on the Chief Minister’s 50th wedding anniversary?

I have heard of floods in the same areas as before. Locals blame it ignorantly or otherwise on the barrage and causeway across to Bako. I am pretty sure these two (the barrage and causeway) played a role in the flood. To what extent, perhaps one will have to go further back into the history of floods in Kuching and its surrounding areas and make comparisons then and now.

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Floods in Kuching: Is the Barrage any use?

 Development issues, Environment  11 Responses »
Jan 142009
 

Update on the floods:

Kuching flood background here.

Background to the role of the Kuching Barrage here. Note that many people dispute the effectiveness of the barrage, calling it a useless project.

CM Taib Mahmud did not make any statement on the Kuching floods at all. Instead, he was more interested in celebrating his golden wedding anniversary. How not to conclude that the CM is out of touch and beyond his use-by date? See his birthday party details here.

Businesses were badly affected by floods. See details here.

As for George Chan, he is of the view that Kuching folk need not worry anymore since the floods are over. But damage has been done. Here is another politician who appears to be out of touch.  See his view here.

Kuching and surrounding areas have been hit by floods, which has now receded. The Sarawak river overflowed its banks and water poured into the city. Floods also occurred in Sibu, Bintulu and the gold-mining town of Bau.

My friend over there says, tongue-in-cheek, that it was caused by an “act of God”.

More seriously, he thinks any combination of the following factors could be responsible for the flooding: heavy rainfall, high tide, historical factors such as poor planning of city buildings in the flood-prone plain.

Global warming too?

All “made worse by the useless barrage project which was supposed to control floods but which does not. Just a project for cronies”.

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