KUCHING: The current method of producing hydro power will change said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“Sarawak’s strength lies in its wealth of natural resources that include water and sunlight. We have harnessed about 3.5 gigawatt of our hydro potential with an overall potential of 20 gigawatt.
“For the future, we want to change the way of producing hydro power by using energy from running water instead of creating a large reservoir of water that would certainly flood a large area,” he said in his Chinese New Year message.
Abang Johari added the state government is also looking to harness the solar energy potential immensely by using floating solar panels in Sarawak’s hydro dam reservoirs.
“These are renewable resources which we must exploit in accordance with the goals set by the United Nations under its Social Development Goals (SDGs).
“These goals are not only meant to boost the economy as measured by the growth of GDP but also to benefit the people across the board,” he said.
Abang Johari added that the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030) augurs well with the goals set by the United Nations.
“This is where economic prosperity must benefit everyone irrespective of race and religion while also giving emphasis to the sustainability of our environment”.
The Premier said GDP figures do not always present a true picture of the wealth and social progress of a country.
“This was to the extent that a special commission was formed in West in 2008 to examine how the wealth and social progress of a nation could be measured rather than relying on the uni-dimensional GDP.
“The commission’s report has led to the adoption of the SDG by the UN that has been the basis for PCDS 2030 which was formulated as a roadmap for Sarawak’s development towards 2030,” he said.
