The Protection of Water and Livelihood in Two Communities in Sarawak
Abstract
The Penan and Lun Bawang communities practice sustainable management of natural resources in Sarawak. Both communities have a vocabulary which expresses simultaneously their claims to the usage of natural resources of the forests and rivers and their responsibility to conserve them for the future. Both communities pay special attention to the cleanliness of water which is vital for the production of their staple foods of sago and rice respectively. The arrival of logging companies since the late 1980s has resulted in contamination of the water. The Penan attempted to blockade logging roads and petition government while the Lun Bawang erected signage warning the loggers to stay away. These community lands merit definition as areas of High Conservation Value.
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