Over the last few months, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Adenan Satem, has said that he has issued a “moratorium” on the massive proposed Baram Dam on the Baram River. Sarawak is a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo that is threatened by multiple massive hydro-electric dams called the SCORE project.
While some local activists are celebrating the moratorium, others see it as a possible stunt as elections approach and Chief Minister Adenan’s party struggles to maintain power. (See story in TheAntDaily.com here.)
Through its partnership with Earth Island Institute, Global Greengrants has provided multiple grants over the years to organizations fighting the SCORE dams, including SAVE – Rivers Sarawak and Borneo Resources Institute. SAVE – Rivers Sarawak issued a press statement saying it “cautiously welcomes” the moratorium, but is concerned about the government’s sincerity.
Chief Minister Adenan says that he intends to “listen to both sides” of the debate about the Baram Dam during the moratorium period.
Global Greengrants encourages Chief Minister Adenan to do just that: “Indigenous communities will be exploited, flooded, and displaced by this massive dam,” said Terry Odendahl, Executive Director and CEO of Global Greengrants. “We need to stop building mega-dams, respect the human rights of local people, and switch towards more sustainable mechanisms to achieve our development goals.”