PENAMPANG: Instead of building conventional dams, Sabah state government should consider the possibility of using coastal reservoirs technology to address future water shortages.
This was suggested by Penampang Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Donald Mojuntin recently following concerns raised by residents over the plan to build the Kaiduan dam at Ulu Papar, to provide sustainable water supply for the population in the west coast of the state.
The proposed Kaiduan dam has been a heated issue in the constituency due to negative environmental and social impact to villagers in the surrounding area.
Donald said coastal reservoirs technology has existed since 1980s and being used in China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries. It is a system built to retain rainwater which flowed into the sea via the river mouth.
He said building a dam has huge environmental consequences and could wiped out potential resources suitable for ecotourism.
“The construction and maintenance of coastal reservoir is also cheaper than a dam for the same volume of water.
“The technology also has minimal negative impact on the ecosystem and would not cause flooding,” he said, after handing over appointment letters to Village Development and Security Committee chairpersons for Moyog constituency here.
He added that the reservoir system would not only be able to cater adequate water supply for the west coast but also the entire state, as Sabah has the highest average annual rainfall of 3,800mm.
It was reported that during a meeting with Sabah Water Department, villagers and non-governmental organisations in March, had also suggested several other alternatives which included desalination of seawater and reusing of wastewater.