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Foreword by UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, Dr. Richard Leete (October 2003-March 2008)
Rivers have played an integral part in human development. They have served as a mode of cheap and relatively) safe transportation and a source of food. Great civilisations and cities have grown on riverbanks all over the world. History, in fact, would be so much poorer without the rise of, for example, Mesopotamia, the land between the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates; Egypt, one of whose ancient names, Kemet, refers to the fertile black soils deposited by the flooding of the Nile River; or the Yellow River, often referred to as “the cradle of Chinese civilisation.â€
Away from the grand designs of history, rivers have just as great an impact on the present. The importance of the Mekong and Chao Phraya Rivers in Indochina to the communities that live on its banks cannot be overestimated. The same could be extended to the Batang Rajang, or any of the 55 major rivers of Sarawak.
Just as in Indochina, the rivers of Sarawak serve as an important means of transportation. For the rural communities of Sarawak, rivers are usually the only viable way of transport. They are often the only way these communities can stay in touch with the larger world and seek access to medical care, education, employment and trade. Although provision has been made for the upgrading of rural villages in Sarawak, especially with the allocation of RM702 million for this purpose in the Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006–2010, rivers remain an especially viable alternative for transporting passengers and cargo. And while there is no doubting the Government’s commitment to build connecting roads, the vastness of Sarawak and its native terrain make this an expensive, laborious and long-term undertaking.
In this joint collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme and the Sarawak Rivers Board, the Sarawak Inland Waterway Transport System Study aims to promote the development of community water transport, primarily for the benefit of the rural communities located in scattered settlements along the state’s navigable rivers. The study also seeks to draw up an Inland Waterway Transportation Master Plan that can chart how this can be achieved.A number of issues confront the success of developing a feasible community water transport system, not least pollution and safety. There is no doubt that the water quality of Sarawak’s rivers is deteriorating. Development in its many forms has lead to increasing river pollution that has impacted the health of plants, animals and human beings. Safety aspects that need to be studied include boat operations and infrastructure such as terminals, jetties and landing points. A further challenge is to create a system that is both commercially viable to operators and affordable enough for commuters.
This book presents the many voices that speak of the rivers that flow through their lives. It presents unique aspects of rivers and of life. It represents all those who we, the UNDP and Sarawak Rivers Board, believe would best benefit from the development of a community water transport system.
Please refer to the book's table of contents for more information. |
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