Sarawak lake in danger of drying up
BY STEPHEN THENMIRI: The largest freshwater inland lake in east Malaysia – the Loagan Bunut Lake in northern Sarawak – is being slowly “poisoned and choked to death”.
This vital 650ha water reservoir, which is roughly the size of 2,600 football fields, is projected to completely dry up and become a wasteland within 60 years because of severe sedimentation and pollution.
This was discovered following a survey conducted by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Environment Facility, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak Forestry and other agencies.
The lake, located 150km inland from here, is in the centre of the Loagan Bunut National Park.
Sarawak assistant forestry director Dr Penguang Manggil said various scientific studies, especially the Loagan Bunut Scientific Expedition late last year, showed that the lake was under threat of completely drying up.
He added that the sedimentation rate in the lake now was about 100 times more severe compared to the 1980s.
“This is due to the ill-coordinated land usage in the watershed, resulting in heavy concentration of sediments in run-offs from land clearing activities and development projects upstream.
“If no mitigating measures are implemented, the lake will be filled with sediment and dry up within 60 years.
“There is a dire need to save this lake,” he said at the state-level World Water Day celebrations here yesterday.
The UNDP has launched a campaign to save the Loagan Bunut Lake and also conserve peat swamps in Sarawak.
State Public Utilities Minister Datuk Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who launched the campaign, admitted that urgent measures must be taken to rescue the lake, which is also a popular nature tourist spot.
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Loagan Bunut a treasure trove of flora and fauna
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