The Sri Aman Master Plan: Promoting the Green, Blue and Climate-Resilient Environments
September 4, 2024
The Sri Aman Master Plan (SAMP) is a first-of-its-kind sustainable regional plan in Malaysia based on a network of greenways and blueways, green infrastructure, sustainable management, and the promotion of agrarian residential communities. It fully responds to Malaysia’s commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
The SAMP is the first step in initiating future sustainable development and growth in this isolated region. According to Malay Mail (June 11, 2024), a recent commitment of 10 billion RM by the Government of Sarawak to develop 10,000 hectares of land in the Sri Aman District for paddy rice cultivation is a significant boost to the region’s economy. This move, aimed at competing with Kedah as Malaysia’s major rice bowl, is expected to elevate Sri Aman to the status of Malaysia’s leading agriculture hub.
The long-term vision for the Sri Aman Division, as part of the sustainable SAMP, envisions the creation of new urban green and blue environments. These environments, characterised by urban farming, an ample fishing industry and riparian areas, aim to enhance the Division’s sustainability and resilience. This article addresses the SAMP’s Spatial Development Conceptual Plans, with special emphasis on the interconnecting green and blue environments.
CONTEXT
The Sri Aman Division
The Sri Aman Division contains two administrative districts: Sri Aman and Lubok Antu. The total population is 93,379, and is generally culturally mixed, with Iban as the predominant ethnic group, followed by Malay and Chinese. Sri Aman is located in the southwestern part of Sarawak, bordered by the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. The economy of the division is primarily agricultural, and it is the largest farming area in the state. It was traditionally an isolated and remote region; however, with the opening of the Pan Borneo Highway, it has become more accessible from Kuching and other parts of Sarawak.
The Sri Aman Master Plan (SAMP)
The SAMP, a multi-discipline document, was commissioned by the Economic Planning Unit of the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department. It was prepared as a joint venture between the University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Holdings, professional consultants including Daya Rancang and Frost & Sullivan, and representatives from universities such as the Universiti Sains Malaysia (Science University of Malaysia) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (University of Putra Malaysia). Endorsed by the Government of Sarawak in 2022, the SAMP calls for innovative development, a balanced social environment and economic activities to achieve desired regional changes. The main aim of the Master Plan is to create a regional centre featuring a well-established agrarian industry, a pristine tropical forest with unique flora and fauna, all supported by small- to medium-sized urban centres developed on the principles of sustainable development and environmental management.
Tropical climate-responsive design: Achieving climate resilience
In Sarawak, the urgency of considering climate change, especially in the planning and design of new housing estates, cannot be overstated. The challenges of climate change, such as increased air temperatures, extreme weather conditions, flooding and rising tidal waves, have already made their presence felt.
The Sri Aman Division, with its highly valued tropical character, calls for a different approach. Universal building design, driven by neoliberalism and property-led development, is not suitable for this part of Sarawak. Instead, there is a need to adapt and provide better opportunities for embracing the local tropical way of life. Incorporating tropical design principles into future development will not only reflect the local culture, the tropical climate, and sense of place and identity, but also reinforce good sustainable design and achieve sufficient climate resilience of the urban and rural environments.
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