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Our Rivers, Our Heritage - Together We Conserve Them
Sarawak is a land of many rivers.
Some are navigable while others are not. Did you know that there are 32 rivers in Sarawak which have been gazetted under the management of the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB)" The SRB, together with the Forestry and Agriculture departments have recently launched the Sarawak River Riparian Rehabilitation Programme which initially involve a 1 1/2 km stretch of the Sungai Sarawak starting from the Sungai Sarawak Barrage area to the Bako causeway. This will later be extended further to cover the entire stretch of Sungai Sarawak.
River Heritage Programme
The introduction of the River Heritage Programme for Sarawak rivers is a timely move to ensure the long term protection of the soil, water and other natural resources of the watershed. The objectives of the Programme include the restoration of rivers and watershed; conservation and protection of river resources; recognition of present and future uses of rivers; formulation of guidelines on sustainable river management and education for sustainability. The Sarawak River Riparian Rehabilitation programme is in line with the government vision of a beautiful, clean and sustainable waterfront in Kuching where the people will be able to enjoy all forms of river recreational activities such as swimming, fishing, boating, water skiing, etc. Riparian areas are those portions of the watershed that borders the rivers, streams and creeks. Though they cover only a relatively small portion of the watershed, their functions are of paramount importance in the maintenance of biological diversity. The type and amount of vegetation and management of the riparian corridor is directly related to and interdependent on the nature of the river channel itself.
Plants to check erosion
Native plants such as Ensurai, Ara and Bungkang will be planted along the riverbank to help minimise and slow down the rate of erosion and at the same time providing a breeding ground for fish and other aquatic life forms. Riverbank erosion is one of the most significant contributor of sediments to any rivers. Simply repairing a falling bank will only be a short-term measure. Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that is easily accelerated by human activities. The sensitivity of the watershed environment to soil erosion heightens the need for sound land management practices that minimise the loss of soil into the river so as not to adversely affect its water quality.
Integrated effort
In Malaysia, only about 25% of rivers are clean. Of the basic natural resources that make up a watershed, water is perhaps the most critical. The quality and quantity of water available to the community and its ecological system is extremely important because the status of the water in a watershed is a good reflection of the health of the watershed in general. It is therefore vital that an integrated watershed management should involve everybody. Efforts should be encouraged to garner public participation by raising their awareness on the need for a long term plan to manage and maintain the environmental soundness of the river basins. In Japan and Canada, for instance, tremendous success have been achieved in the conservation and restoration of the watershed through partnerships, alliances and co-operation between the government and the people. Furthermore, mutual interests and concerns for the environment and collective actions by the people will bring about positive community growth.
Ensuring the availability of clean river for human and a clean environment is one of the many challenges of the present and future generation. There is a need for the Sarawak Rivers Board to re-examine and realign its role on the control of rivers in Sarawak. Besides regulatory aspects, its role should also include various aspects of restoration and conservation of our river resources for future generations.
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