National Geographic criticizes Sarawak's dam plans
The National Gegraphic has published an article on the plans of the Malaysian state government of Sarawak to build a series of dams. The article titled "Megadam Project Galvanizes Native Opposition in Malaysia" describes the ecological and social consequences of these mega-dams, and questions the dams' economic necessity.
The article also quotes several concerned scientists, among them Daniel Kammen from the University of California, Berkeley. Kammen suggests that Sarawak explores renewable energy options first, before implementing mega-dams: "The political and infrastructure challenges are immense, and the ecological and cultural impacts have barely been evaluated." "What is vital to the long-term social and economic development of Sarawak, and of Borneo, is to explore the full range of options that are available to this resource-rich state, recognizing that community, cultural, and environmental resources have tremendous value that could be lost", he added.
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