Sabah coastal reservoirs proposed as an alternative to traditional dams

KOTA KINABALU – Coastal reservoirs and not traditional dams could be part of the long-term plan to alleviate Sabah’s water woes.

This move would meet the demand generated by population growth in coastal cities and fall in line with a global transition to new forms of storing water, stakeholders in Sabah’s development pointed out today.

Given its history of earthquakes, traditional dams may not be the best answer to the state’s water issues, members of the International Water Association (IWA), Datuk Amarjit Singh and Lim Sin Poh, claimed.

They expressed their views in response to plans to launch the Ulu Padas hydroelectric dam project in Tenom this October.

A similar project remains in the pipeline for Papar.

Feasibility studies in countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, China and the US for coastal reservoirs are being done, and Malaysia should make a similar move, they said.

“An increasing number of people is relocating to coastal areas and this has resulted in the emergence of numerous mega cities in delta regions,” they opined.

“This creates opportunities for the development of extensive coastal reservoirs.”

PKR vice-president Awang Hussaini backed their observations. The ex-Putatan MP said that coastal reservoirs are more fiscally modest, and “practical” than traditional dams.

He claimed that damming up waterways and changing the course would cause not only soil erosion, but also impact marine life and the region’s cultural heritage, as well as harm agricultural activity.

He also said that the construction of a dam could induce seismic events, due to heightened water pressure.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor recently announced that the state will forge ahead with plans to construct a dam in Ulu Padas in Tenom at a cost of around RM4 billion.

A proposed project at Papar or Kaiduan is meeting strong local opposition.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister cum Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya said that the state welcomes the proposal for coastal reservoirs and is open to exploring their suitability for future implementation.

They could remain part of the long-term plan to resolve Sabah’s water woes, he added. – The Vibes, September 6, 2023