Malaysia's Hydropower Plans Cause Controversy

February 15, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

Environmental activists want Malaysia to stop building 12 more hydroelectric dams. The government says the dams are crucial for generating much needed power. However, critics say existing dams already produce more than enough electricity. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Sarawak in eastern Malaysia.

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Bakun Dam

The Bakun Dam is an embankment dam located in Sarawak, Malaysia on the Balui River, a tributary or source of the Rajang River and some sixty kilometers west of Belaga. As part of the project, the second tallest concrete-faced rockfill dam in the world would be built. It is pla... Explore this topic

Sarawak

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang, Sarawak is situated on the northwest of the island, bordering the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Indonesia to the south, and surrounding Brunei. It is the largest Malaysian sta... Explore this topic

Malaysia

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malays... Explore this topic

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy, accounting for 16 percent of global el... Explore this topic

Sarawak Hidro

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Environmental impact assessment

An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the environmental, social and economic aspects. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision ... Explore this topic

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hy... Explore this topic

Kua Kia Soong

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Electricity generation

Electricity generation is the process of generating electrical power from other sources of primary energy. The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday. His basic method is still ... Explore this topic

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples are ethnic minorities who have been marginalized as their historical territories became part of a state. In international or national legislation they are generally defined as having a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular ter... Explore this topic

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Bakun Dam

Sarawak

Malaysia

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