Bakun Dam Research Articles

Using Remote Sensing to Study Impact El Niño Southern Oscillation on Reservoir Level at Murum and Bakun Dam Hydropower, Sarawak

In the years 2015 and 2016 has happened El Niño phenomenon was one of the three worst in history that has been happened since 1908. The El Niño phenomenon is usually related to the drought in Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, and the Caribbean. This study analyses the impact of El Niño in the year 2015/2016 on rainfall at Bakun and Murum Hydropower using the technique of remote sensing. Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite was applied to understanding, the impact of 2015/2016 El Niño on rainfall at Bakun and Murum Hydropower. The results of this study show that drought conditions are widespread have reduced the total amount of rainfall and reservoir level and led to unusually low lake levels in Bakun and Murum reservoirs. Better understand the hydrological response and the complexity of different methods. The study found the rainfall decrease 20 until 30 % from normal during neutral and reduced 25 until 30 meters above sea level the reservoir water level at Murum and Bakun dam during the El Niño 2015/2016. The impact approach can support the design of more adaptive management strategies for specific areas.

Large dams, norms and Indigenous Peoples

AbstractMotivationIn this article, we examine the role of norms in protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples with regard to hydroelectric dams. We argue that the way large‐scale dams are built and managed—including their impacts on Indigenous Peoples—varies according to the political context of the host country. In more restrictive political contexts, norms may often be neglected or compromised.PurposeThe political system and domestic legislation are crucial factors that need to be considered in more depth in research scholarship on dams. We contribute to filling this research gap by presenting a comparative analysis of the Bakun dam in Malaysia and the Gibe III dam in Ethiopia, demonstrating that norms tend to be ignored or compromised in restrictive and authoritarian political environments.Approach and MethodsWe compare the similarities and differences of these two dam projects systematically drawing on empirical field research comprising interviews, focus group discussions and the analysis of primary and secondary documents.FindingsOur research reveals that international and private norms are often neglected in partly free or unfree political systems. Even domestic legislation can be circumvented by a strong or authoritarian state government, and this can lead to serious delays and neglect of protective standards.Policy ImplicationsInternational standards are often more ambitious than national standards and their implementation in the hydropower dams industry can help to improve the social and environmental sustainability of projects. Active civil society organizations can use norms and standards to strengthen social mobilization within the country and can transmit important information outside the country to build transnational alliances. Pressure and persuasion mechanisms can lead to norm change and norm compliance by state actors.

Quantifying water storage change and land subsidence induced by reservoir impoundment using GRACE, Landsat, and GPS data

The construction of hydropower dams is a common strategy to support a country's increasing need for electricity and river water management for industry and agriculture. Although the hydrological and geophysical impacts of water relocation are usually assessed prior to impoundment, their accuracy is generally limited due to the lack of in situ observations, especially in a remote area. This study presents a workflow to quantify the terrestrial water storage change (∆TWS) and land subsidence induced by a reservoir's water impoundment using multiple satellite observations (GRACE, Landsat), land surface models (CABLE, GLDAS, NCEP, ECMWF), and GPS data. The study site is the Bakun Dam, located in Sarawak, Malaysia, which is the largest hydropower dam in Southeast Asia. Commencing operation in late 2010, the dam induced a change of water mass and lake surface area that was clearly observed by GRACE and Landsat observations, respectively. During the 17-month impounding period (from August 2010 to December 2011), GRACE observed a dramatic increase of approximately 200 mm equivalent water height, while Landsat detected an increased lake extent of around 600 km2. In this paper, a forward model is developed to determine the increased water surface level corresponding to GRACE observations, estimated to be about 120 m. In contrast to GRACE, the TWS derived from land surface models cannot capture the increased ΔTWS, due to the lack of reservoir routing algorithms in the models. In addition, the land subsidence was calculated using the disk load model constructed based on the GRACE-derived lake level and Landsat-derived lake extent; the result is validated with the GPS data from BIN1 station, located at the western coast of Borneo. The commencement stage of the Bakun Dam induces the large-scale land subsidence, which causes the GPS-BIN1 station to subside by ~9 mm, and move toward the Bakun Lake by ~4 mm. Computation of the surface displacements directly from GRACE spherical harmonic coefficient data fails to capture the subsidence feature, mainly due to the truncation error. Overall, this study demonstrates that evaluating GRACE in conjunction with Landsat, LSMs, and GPS data allows the exploitation of the gravity signal at a much smaller spatial scale than its intrinsic resolution. Benefiting from global coverage, the newly developed satellite-based algorithm is a valuable tool for assessing the impacts of reservoir operation on hydrological and geophysical changes from local to regional scales.

Assessment of water quality and pollutant loading of the Rajang River and its tributaries at Pelagus area subjected to seasonal variation and river regulation

Other than seasonal variation, river regulation due to hydropower generation can influence the water quality downstream. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the water quality and estimate the pollutant loading of the Rajang River and its tributaries at the Pelagus area downstream of the Bakun hydroelectric Dam. The study was conducted at 11 stations three times, in July 2015 during dry season (spillway opened), in January (spillway closed) and March 2016 (spillway opened) during wet season. Results of the water quality classification show deterioration from 91% Class II in dry season to 64–82% Class III in rainy season mainly due to an increase in total suspended solids caused by soil erosion in the river basin. The pollutant loads were high particularly during wet season with TSS reaching 945,763 Mg/day, and hence, mitigation measures to reduce the pollutant loads in the river are essential. Nevertheless, two tributaries, Mela River and Kapit Hulu River where stations 4 and 5 are located, are recommended for the conservation of sensitive aquatic organisms as they are classified as Class II throughout the seasonal variation indicating good quality freshwater. The Bakun dam turbine discharge affected the downstream river water quality as shown by the low dissolved oxygen content of < 5 mg/L extending beyond 204 km downstream of the dam when the spillway was closed. Thus, raising the level of dissolved oxygen downstream of the dam during closed spillway and reducing suspended solids are recommended for the benefits of sensitive aquatic organisms.

Effects of Opened and Closed Spillway Operations of a Large Tropical Hydroelectric Dam on the Water Quality of the Downstream River

Water quality downstream of a hydroelectric dam is potentially affected by dam operations and other land uses in the river basin. Previous short-distance studies below the large Bakun Dam indicated poorer water quality during closed spillway. However, the extent of the impact is still unknown. Such knowledge is essential for mitigating the impact of the dam. Thus, the objectives of this study were to determine the water quality up to a distance of 210 km under two spillway operations, namely, closed and opened spillways, and also to determine the changes in water quality from the predam condition. Physicochemical parameters were measured at 15 stations along the Rajang River. Results of this preliminary study indicated that there were significant differences in eight out of nine water quality parameters between opened and closed spillway operations with opened spillway showing better water quality. During closed spillway, as we approached the dam, there was an increasing acidity and a decreasing oxygen content. Furthermore, as the water flows downstream, the unhealthy DO level (&lt;5 mg/L) extended up to 165 km and the linear model showed an increasing DO rate of 0.09 mg/L per km. With opened spillway, DO decreased exponentially from 9.74 mg/L towards the downstream direction to 7.67 mg/L. The increasing turbidity and TSS in the downstream direction indicate contributions from erosion due to other land uses. The river is polluted with organics as indicated by COD of Class IV or V with sources from the dam and the activities in the river basin. Compared to the predam condition, the regulated river is less turbid but warmer and higher in ammonia. Closed spillway led to lower DO and acidic water. However, opened spillway water pH and DO were similar to those in the predam condition. Thus, it is recommended that DO be consistently high enough for the health of sensitive aquatic organisms downstream.

Large dams, energy justice and the divergence between international, national and local developmental needs and priorities in the global South

This paper investigates from a socio-technical and energy justice perspective the lack of coordination of international, national and local developmental priorities and inclusion of local needs in the decision making process of large dam construction in the global South. The paper argues that the analysis of energy infrastructures as socio-technical systems requires an energy justice approach to capture the true environmental and social nature of energy production and consumption. In doing so, this paper proposes a conceptual framework called “The Energy Justice Framework for Dam Decision-Making” as a tool to inform energy decisions on infrastructure development based on energy justice principles and social impact assessment. The proposed framework is used in this paper to analyse distributional, procedural, restorative justice, and power relations throughout the entire dams’ energy system in the case of four large dams located in Africa and Asia, namely Kamchay dam in Cambodia, Bakun dam in Malaysia, Bui dam in Ghana and the planned Zamfara dam in Nigeria.

The Limits of Social Protection: The Case of Hydropower Dams and Indigenous Peoples' Land

AbstractHydropower dams have been criticised for their social and environmental implications. There have been attempts to create international social standards for hydropower dam projects, but these standards have had limited impact. This article uses an extended environmental justice framework to make sense of the resettlement and compensation schemes for Indigenous peoples who were resettled for the construction of the Bakun dam in Borneo, East Malaysia. The article therefore analyses the social protection measures designed for the protection of Indigenous peoples and their livelihoods. The case study is based on in‐depth interviews and focus group discussions with local communities, institutional actors in Malaysia, Chinese actors and dam builders. The article concludes that the social protection policies did not protect Indigenous people and their land sufficiently, but it facilitated a commodification process of both land and people. This should also be understood as a colonisation of their land and their cultures.

Assessment of the Water Quality of Batang Rajang at Pelagus Area, Sarawak, Malaysia

This study was carried out to examine the water quality of Batang Rajang at Pelagus area, Sarawak, Malaysia. Water quality was determined at 12 stations along Batang Rajang and its tributaries in terms of in-situ and ex-situ water quality parameters. The results showed that most stations at main river were categorized as slightly polluted while most tributaries were clean according to the Water Quality Index. The river is suffering from organic pollution where almost all stations along the river contained high chemical oxygen demand (≈ 43.1 mg/L) and total ammonia nitrogen (≈ 0.520 mg/L) and were classified as Class III and IV at most of the stations. High suspended solids (218.3 mg/L) and low dissolved oxygen (4.6 mg/L) were observed at the main river. The low dissolved oxygen content from the Bakun dam upstream of the study area has an impact on the river particularly during dry season where DO dropped below the minimum required for sensitive aquatic organisms. As seven tributaries are within Class II indicating healthy freshwater ecosystems, they should be conserved as habitats for sensitive aquatic organisms. Conversely, proper management need to be initiated in particular, Sungai Merit tributary and the main river where DO were below the minimum required for sensitive aquatic organisms.

Compensation policy in a large development project: the case of the Bakun hydroelectric dam

Compensation to indigenous communities forced to relocate as a result of a development project is examined in this study. A survey of 379 families displaced by the construction of the Bakun Dam in Sarawak, Malaysia, reveals a high level of dissatisfaction with the compensation provided. The compensation given by the government to the relocated indigenous communities was lower than they had expected. The average compensation gap (the difference between the expected compensation and the actual compensation received for land) is 20 acres per study household. This has resulted in dissatisfaction among the indigenous communities. Greater participation of indigenous communities in the compensation process is needed to reduce the compensation gap. Indigenous communities' rights and freedom to participate in the compensation process is important and should be an integral part of compensation policy for large development projects.

Beyond hydrology in the sustainability assessment of dams: A planners perspective – The Sarawak experience

Summary There is increasing concern about the availability of water supplies in developing countries to provide clean drinking water and sanitation as well as providing for irrigation for food security. This has led to hydrologically led investigation to establish the feasibility and storage capacity of potentially new dam sites. This task has become more difficult for hydrologists and others with the uncertainties created by climate change and the measurement of the hydrological, geographical and ecological footprint of new dams. The questions asked by hydrologists are increasingly likely to be required to be cast in terms of the four pillars of sustainability; environmental, economic, social and institutional. Similarly, regional planners have to be more cognisant of the social outcomes of dam development while understanding the wider hydrological context at a watershed and basin level. The paper defines the concept of sustainability assessment in the context of resettlement and analyses its implications for the Bakun Hydro-electric project in Sarawak, Malaysia. Specifically it attempts to address the question of what social sustainability would really mean in the context of communities affected by dam projects, and their catchments using hermeneutics, tradeoffs and offsets. The findings of this question were presented at a hydrological conference held in Santiago in October 2010, based on the outcome of specific questionnaire responses received from indigenous peoples affected by the Bakun Dam hydroelectric project. The paper also offers some insights pertaining to the social sustainability assessment aspects of dams and their catchments.

Behind an ambitious megaproject in Asia: The history and implications of the Bakun hydroelectric dam in Borneo

Using a case-study, inductive, narrative approach, this article explores the history, drivers, benefits, and barriers to the Bakun Hydroelectric Project in East Malaysia. Situated on the island of Borneo, Bakun Dam is a 204m high concrete face, rock filled dam on the Balui River in the Upper Rajang Basin in the rainforests of Sarawak. Bakun Dam and its affiliated infrastructure could be the single largest and most expensive energy project ever undertaken in Southeast Asia. Based on data collected through site visits, original field research in Sarawak, and more than 80 research interviews, the article begins by teasing out the complex history and drivers behind the Bakun project before identifying a set of potential social, political, and economic benefits the project could deliver. It then delves into six sets of barriers in the technical, economic, political, legal and regulatory, social, and environmental realms. We find that Bakun illustrates how centralized energy megaprojects, while ostensibly championed for reasons of economies of scale and the ability to bring about transformational change in the shortest period of time, often fail to address broader development goals such as fighting energy poverty and improving the livelihoods of the local communities they are supposed to serve.

Sustainable Energy Strategy for the New Millennium—The Bakun's Dam Strategy Versus Photovoltaic Technology

“Mega dam-induced development” represents one of the most critical causes of irreversible disappearance of geomorphic wonders or extinction of many rare plants and animal species in the world. Taking this as a point of departure, this article investigates the general thrusts of the Malaysian Bakun's dam technology in harnessing its national development policy under the litancy of sustainable development. It also explores the relevant of Photovoltaic technology vis-à-vis Bakun's technology as a long-term development strategy in Malaysia.

Energy demand, economic growth, and energy efficiency—the Bakun dam-induced sustainable energy policy revisited

In embarking on a dynamic course of economic development and industrial modernism, Malaysia sees the need to increase its electricity generation capacity through the development of a mega-dam project—the Bakun dam. Although hydroelectricity generation offers one of the benign options in accommodating the increasing energy consumption per capita in Malaysia, it is argued that the construction of Bakun’s dam which involves a complete and irreversible destruction of 69,640 ha of old forest ecosystem remains a difficult and uncertain endeavour. It is further argued that apart from mega-dam technology, there are also other means to orchestrate a sustainable energy system in Malaysia. These include the implementation of demand and supply initiatives, such as the deployment of energy saving technology or influencing behavioral change towards a sustainable energy consumption pattern.

An Empirical Application of Probabilistic CBA: 3 Case Studies of Dams in Malaysia, Nepal and Turkey

This paper empirically applies cost benefit analysis to hydroelectric projects in Malaysia, Nepal and Turkey. The main characteristics of each dam and the development stage of each country largely differ. The study attempts to bring all the major issues attached to each hydro project together and analyses quantitatively what would be happening if these dams were to be constructed. The cost benefit analysis model in this study takes account of premature decommissioning of dams and the correlation between the parameters of generation capacity, total construction cost and construction period. The mean cumulative net present value at the 100th year of the analysis with the 5% discount rate for Sharada-Babai dam in Nepal shows a positive figure, whereas the net present value for both Bakun dam in Malaysia and Ilisu dam in Turkey are negative. The mean value of the cumulative net present value for Sharada-Babai becomes negative when the pure rate of time preference is larger than 6%; for Bakun and Ilisu, it converges to zero as the pure rate of time preference becomes larger. The sensitivity analysis shows the dominant positive impact of the generation capacity parameter on net present value for Bakun; and the parameter expressing initial expected increase in economic output for Sharada-Babai and Ilisu.

Geotechnical aspects of the Bakun dam in Sarawak, Malaysia : Schenk, V; Sing-Siew Lee Proc ninth southeast asian geotechnical conference, Bangkok, 7–11 December 1987V1, P3.57–3.66. Publ Bangkok: Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society, 1987

Geotechnical aspects of the Bakun dam in Sarawak, Malaysia : Schenk, V; Sing-Siew Lee Proc ninth southeast asian geotechnical conference, Bangkok, 7–11 December 1987V1, P3.57–3.66. Publ Bangkok: Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society, 1987