A VILLAGE that stood against the construction of a multimillion ringgit, mega hydroelectric dam in Sarawak’s interior has one-upped the project by proving that all it really needs to light up the village, and their lives, is just one small dam.

For the village of Long Liam, Baram, some 250km from Miri in northern Sarawak, construction of the 1,200 Mw dam would have left the village submerged had it been built.

Former chief minister Adenan Satem had, in November 2015, given in to opposition to building the dam, announcing that the Sarawak government would place a moratorium on its construction.

Four years on, Long Liam on Saturday officially commissioned the micro hydro power (MHP) that they themselves built with guidance of several civil society groups, such as Save Rivers, Tonibung (Friends of Village Development), the Bruno Manser Fund, Green Empowerment and Seacology.

Boyce Anyie, who heads the village’s MHP committee, said the project showed how rural electrification could be a success even without large dams.

“Development is possible without destructive dams,” he said.

However, the villagers appealed to the government for help in dealing with one their biggest problems – water supply.

They urged the state government to support their effort to protect their water catchment area from illegal logging activities.

Save Rivers chairman Peter Kallang said his group would always back sustainable development efforts.

“We are ready to discuss and cooperate with the state as well as the federal government on sustainable energy.

“That is why we are organising the Clean Energy Collaboration (CEC) in Kuching in March,” Kallang said.

The two-day CEC from March 15 to 16 will see the participation of civil society groups, the state government, international and local energy experts, industry representatives and grassroots communities.

“The goal is to discuss concrete ways to achieve economically and environmentally sustainable energy systems that address energy poverty and energy needs for development in Malaysia,” Kallang said. – January 14, 2019.