Page 277 - The Guide To Sarawak

THE GUIDE TO SARAWAK 275
RIVER TRANSPORT
Even today, the best way to get around many parts of Sarawak is by boat, with over 3,000km of rivers navigable and almost every town and village in Sarawak’s interior located on a river bank; more
than 600,000 people
use Sarawak’s rivers for transport, and over 60,000 use them every day to get to school, to their farms,
or to the market, whether in express boats, motor launches, speedboats or traditional longboats. River transport and associated activities such as landing facilities, anchorage areas, river navigational safety, etc. are being further developed and promoted by the Sarawak Rivers Board as part of their “Streets of Tomorrow” vision.
RIVERS OF LIFE
Sarawak’s rivers provide more than everyday transport. Hundreds of small entrepreneurs live much of their lives on their boats, like “river gypsies” and deliver essential services such as mobile shops (kapal bandung), timber transport, repair services and food and fuel deliveries. The government also uses the rivers to deliver its services to
rural people, with floating clinics for their healthcare and floating libraries for their education. The police, fire service and other key
Passengers boarding express boats at Sibu. These powerful shallow-draught craft are the main means of transport for many riverine and coastal communi- ties in Sarawak.
agencies also serve these communities by boat. The rivers are also an essential source of protein and cash income for rural people, with many species of fish having high nutritional and commercial value.
KEEPING THE RIVERS SAFE
Like all waterways, Sarawak’s rivers present potential dangers, including flooding and shipwreck. In recent years the government has spent literally billions of
ringgit on flood mitigation projects such as the Kuching Barrage, the Sungai Sarawak Flood Mitigation Scheme, extensive dredging of the Batang Rejang and the re-routing of the Sungai Miri. Boating accidents are also a source of danger, and since its formation the Sarawak Rivers Board has been active in removing shipwrecks, enforcing safety regulations for river vessels and teaching safety, rescue and first aid to schools and communities.
The barrage and shiplock, key components of the Sungai Sarawak Regulation Scheme in Kuching. The first of its kind in Southeast Asia, it was completed in 1997 at a cost of RM170 million.