Five settlements of the indigenous Kadazandusun ethnicity live in the Ulu Papar valley. They survive by hunting pigs, bats, and macaques, fishing, gathering wild vegetables, planting rice on small fields, and burning from the dense forest, as they have done for centuries. They are primarily housewives and firewood gatherers. Some of their daily activities, such as burning and cooking from firewood and using kerosene lamps, are dangerous to health. Their underdevelopment, topographical isolation, energy scarcity, and poverty have worsened their life.

To answer the issue, hydropower is an ideal source of electricity for rural people in this region of Borneo, where rainfall is plentiful all year. In addition, this power is one of the essential sectors for development since it will give jobs and income for the people in the village. Also, this initiative is anticipated to improve people’s management capacity. They learn about watershed management concepts, the uses of electricity, and Micro-Hydro system operation and maintenance.

This project minimises greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change, by replacing the need for fossil fuels for generators. Also, the micro-hydro project addresses a community-based groundwater management system, preserves natural resources, and introduces social, economic, and environmentally sustainable activities, which will boost their income and combat global warming.

 

Sources:

Mongabay. 2017. “Cross currents: Mega-dams and micro-hydro offer two different futures for rural Borneo”. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/cross-currents-mega-dams-and-micro-hydro-offer-two-different-futures-for-rural-borneo/

ASEAN-RESP/ 2016. Renewable Energy Guideline on Small Hydropower Project Development in Malaysia. https://agep.aseanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ASEAN-RESP_RE-Guidelines-on-Small-Hydropower-Malaysia_Sept2016.pdf