Deputy Premier: Geological data vital to Sarawak’s development, disaster risk planning

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By DayakDaily Team

MIRI, Oct 1: Sarawak is stepping up the use of geological expertise and data in development planning, particularly for the oil and gas, energy and infrastructure sectors, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

He said geoscience information was also crucial in identifying disaster-prone areas, safeguarding water resources and opening up new economic opportunities.

“Geoscience is not only about resources beneath the ground. It is also about creating communities that are safer, more liveable and more inclusive,” he said when officiating the 39th National Geoscience Conference (NGC 2026) here today, as reported by Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas).

Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, emphasised that geological data should be integrated into national and urban planning to strengthen disaster risk reduction.

“We must move from reactive disaster response to proactive risk reduction. This means geological mapping and hazard assessments must be fully integrated into national and urban planning,” he said.

He cited the landslide at Canada Hill in Miri as an example of the importance of engineering geology and hazard assessments in development planning.

Such assessments, he said, could help identify areas vulnerable to landslides, floods and other hazards, enabling measures to be taken to protect communities and infrastructure.

On the resources sector, Awang Tengah said geoscience expertise continued to support the exploration and development of oil, gas and mineral resources to meet Sarawak’s development needs.

He also referred to Miri’s oil industry, which dates back to 1910, as well as efforts to resume onshore oil drilling in the State after nearly five decades.

On energy, he said Sarawak needed to diversify its power generation sources despite its substantial hydropower potential to ensure a reliable electricity supply.

“Geoscience helps identify and assess natural gas resources used as fuel for electricity generation, while geological studies support site selection and the safety of dam construction,” he said.

He said hydropower, including cascading dams, together with solar and biomass energy, would also contribute towards Sarawak’s aspiration to become a regional energy hub supporting the ASEAN Grid.

Awang Tengah said geoscience would also play an important role in managing critical minerals, developing carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), monitoring the environment and strengthening resilience to climate change.

These efforts, he said, were aligned with the three pillars of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).

He said Sarawak had also prepared a mining sector master plan aimed at ensuring resource development was guided by geological knowledge, reliable environmental data and responsible decision-making.

“I hope research findings will not be limited to academic purposes, but instead be translated into actionable policies, sustainable industry practices and tangible benefits for society,” he said.

Meanwhile, the three-day conference, from Oct 1 to 3, is organised by the Geological Society of Malaysia (GSM) in collaboration with the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG) Sarawak and Curtin University Malaysia.

Held under the theme “Innovation and Sustainable Geoscience for a Resilient Future”, the conference brings together about 300 participants from Malaysia and abroad. It features about 165 oral and poster presentations covering 12 themes.

Also present were Curtin Malaysia Pro Vice-Chancellor, president and chief executive officer Professor Vincent Lee Chieng Chen; GSM president Associate Professor Meor Hakif Amir Hassan; and JMG Sarawak director and NGC 2026 Organising Committee chairman Jaithish John. — DayakDaily

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