Project threatens Sarawak heritage park
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Malaysia’s plan tobuild a series of hydroelectric dams on Borneoisland threatens the World Heritage status of a key national park, environmentalistshave warned.
Quoting Swiss-based group the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), AFP said parts ofMulu National Park in Sarawak state would be flooded if the proposed220-megawatt hydropower plant on the Tutoh river went ahead. The sensitive,52,864-hectare park contains some 3,500 species of plants, with 109 species ofpalms, according to the UNESCO website. The park is dominated by the2,377-metre Gunung Mulu which has explored caves that are home to millions ofcave swiftlets and bats. The proposed Tutoh dam by Sarawak Energy Berhad ispart of plans for 12 new hydroelectric projects in Sarawakfrom 2008 to 2020, the report said.
The BMF was quotedsaying that ethnic groups who live in the national park would have to berelocated if the project went ahead.
Comments are closed.