Sunday, September 12, 2010

Belaga, Sarawak braces for tourism boom

BELAGA: People living in Belaga, among the most remote districts in Malaysia, are looking forward to the completion of the Bakun hydroelectric project to generate a new economic activity – tourism.

Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang said the project, which was expected to be completed in December, would change the landscape in the district.

“There will be a lot of new islands created (once the water level at the Bakun Dam is raised), providing new potential for the people here to promote them to anglers and eco-tourists.

“More people will be involved in the tourism industry,” he said.

He said although there were already tourism activities in Belaga, these had yet to achieve the economies of scale that could yield better profits for the locals.

The 205m-high Bakun hydroelectric dam, which creates a reservoir of water measuring 695 sq km, is the second tallest concrete rock-filled dam in the world. It will have the capacity to generate 2,400MW of power.

The entire Bakun catchment area, situated at the Balui River, about 37km upstream of Belaga town, measures about 14,759 sq km, which is equivalent in size to 12% of Sarawak.

Several longhouses, particularly within the Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme, have started promoting homestay programmes in recent years.

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