Prolonged drought in Sarawak leaves rural schools and clinics without clean water as authorities rush emergency aid now
IGAN: Water crisis deepens in rural Sarawak as schools and clinics Run DryIGAN – Schools and clinics in rural Sarawak are facing a critical shortage of drinkable water as a prolonged dry spell takes hold across the state.
Students, teachers, medical personnel and patients in government facilities are struggling to secure clean water for daily use. With no rainfall for weeks, local rivers have become shallow and muddy, rendering them unusable for consumption or cooking.
One of the most severely impacted areas is the Igan parliamentary constituency in central Sarawak. Igan Member of Parliament, Ahmad Johnie Zawawi, confirmed he has been inundated with appeals for assistance from affected residents.
“The intensifying hot and dry spell has resulted in more areas running out of water,” Ahmad Johnie stated in a social media.
“My office has commenced the deployment of bottled drinking water to longhouses, schools, and clinics hit by these serious shortages.”
Initial consignments of bottled water have been delivered to 1,114 residents in Nanga Semah longhouse and Kampung Sabena.
Similar emergency supplies were dispatched to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Nanga Semah, SK Sabena, and the Nanga Semah Clinic.
The crisis is not limited to Igan; other populated rural districts, including Dalat and Sarikei, are also reporting critical shortages. Experts warn that the drought in Sarawak may persist until August this year.
State disaster management committees at the district level have been placed on high alert. The dry conditions have already triggered dozens of forest fires and wildfires across 11 districts since mid-March.
The Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) recently reported 18 active hotspots within the state. Meanwhile, 241 hotspots were detected in the neighbouring Kalimantan province of Indonesian Borneo.
A “hotspot” is defined as a wildfire covering at least one square kilometre, detectable as red thermal anomalies by satellite cameras orbiting the Earth.
