Batang Ai Dam, Embankment dam and hydroelectric power station in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Batang Ai Dam is an embankment dam and hydroelectric power station on the Batang Ai River in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is around 810 meters long and holds back the river to form a large reservoir that covers a wide area of forested land.
Work on the dam began in the early 1980s and was completed before the decade ended, making it one of the first major infrastructure projects of its kind in Sarawak. It was part of a broader effort by the state government to secure a reliable power supply for a growing population.
The flooding of the valley displaced many Iban communities who had lived along the river for generations in traditional longhouses. Visitors to the area today can still meet Iban people in nearby villages and learn about the longhouse way of life that continues in the region.
The dam is in a remote part of Sarawak, so having your own transport is the most practical way to get there, and it is worth stocking up on supplies before you leave the main towns. If you plan to stay overnight, accommodation options exist near the reservoir, and booking ahead is a good idea.
The reservoir created by the dam sits right next to Batang Ai National Park, one of the remaining habitats of wild orangutans in Sarawak. Boat trips across the water are one of the few ways to reach the deeper parts of the park and the longhouse communities that still live around its edges.
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