Sarawak’s bold programme of building a long corridor of mega hydro-electric dams deserves public scrutiny. Serious concerns about environmental impacts and the rights of affected indigenous people have been raised but few answers have been forthcoming.

In total, 12 dams are envisaged. The four largest dams are Bakun (2400 MW), Baleh (1400 MW), Baram (1000 MW) and Murum (900 MW). The eight others will generate 1434 MW of electricity.

Together with the 60 MW extension of Batang Ai, an additional 7300 MW of energy would be generated. Bakun is all but completed and is awaiting clearance for impoundment (filling of reservoir).

The state has no need for the energy that these dams will generate. Sarawak already has an installed capacity of 1300 MW and the state’s present need is less than 1000 MW. The beneficiaries of the mega dams seems to be a few large aluminum smelting companies such as Rio Tinto Alcan, who want an abundant supply of energy but are willing to pay only a very low price for it. For the scale of these projects, the industry will create relatively few jobs.

In many countries, a large dam is now generally considered to be a project of last resort when all other sustainable options have been examined and exhausted. In fact, countries like the United States and France have decommissioned some dams for environmental reasons.

In contrast, Sarawak appears to have an eye on records. Whereas a large dam is defined as one above 15 metres, Bakun is a staggering 205 metres high and will flood an area the size of Singapore. Murum will flood half that area, and construction is underway.

Many environmental reasons have been put forward against large dams. For one, vast areas of terrestrial ecosystems and much of their animal and plant life are destroyed. Sediment build-up in the reservoir reduces sediment flow down river, increasing erosion rates of river banks and adversely altering river ecology. And reservoir build-up will gradually reduce the dam’s power generation capacity.

While dams can eliminate the incidence of natural flooding in the plains, the risk of a burst dam, as has happened often enough, greatly increases insecurity for those living beneath a large dam.

The dams will flood upriver valleys where indigenous communities have lived since antiquity, and their heritage sites.  The luckless folks are being relocated, many against their will. Bakun alone has displaced 15,000 people.

In an affront to affected communities and other stakeholders and contrary to the law, the state has not made available the social and environmental impact assessments. All goes on under a cloak of secrecy, calling into question the enforcement of Malaysia’s laws.