Piles of sand believed to be from dredging activities in Kuala Baram. — Photo by Jofri Jaraiee
MIRI: Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) Sarawak is urging the authorities to review sand dredging along the Kuala Baram coastal area as it might contribute to erosion and cause flooding in the area.
Its commissioner and Miri chief Jofri Jaraiee in a press statement yesterday cautioned that if the dredging activities are not done in a regulated manner, there is a high probability that one day the coastal area will become part of the ocean due to severe erosion and high tide.
“Sand dredging along the coast of Kuala Baram needs to be reduced so that this erosion problem can be overcome. The dredging activities have been ongoing for many years and are done not far from the fishing village of Kampung Muhibbah in Kuala Baram,” he pointed out.
He added that residents of the village had become increasingly worried as they believed that the activity would soon affect their settlement area.
Jofri Jaraiee
“For fishermen, this activity causes their catch to decrease. Their source of income is also affected due to dredging and development activities around that area,” he said.
Jofri pointed out that the decline in fishermen’s catch will also affect the city’s fresh seafood supply and this will result in rising prices of seafood in the market.
“Residents there are appealing to the government to hear their voices and act immediately for the survival of the fishing community. Therefore, we urge the authorities to act accordingly so that the lives and safety of these residents are not affected by uncontrolled sand dredging activities.
“Residents of this fishing village who are poor and have difficulty earning a living, especially during this time of Covid-19 pandemic, desperately hope the authorities act fairly and protect their lives from this coastal erosion,” he said further.
“Coastal areas are sensitive areas and are prone to various threats such as erosion that can affect the wellbeing of human life, the environment and ecosystems. A short-term measure is to build sandbag fortifications to strengthen the shoreline against the effects of rapid waves while at the same time reducing the erosion of the cliffs.
“Medium-term adaptations are like planting trees like coconut palms as well as making modifications to the house they live in. This step is felt to be able to be done by the community within one year to five years,
“Coastal erosion can be overcome immediately. Therefore, cooperation from all the parties involved in overcoming this problem is greatly appreciated,” he elaborated.
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