SABAH is blessed with rich natural resources, abundant rainfall, extensive forests, rivers and catchments. These natural resources have supported our communities and economic activities for generations. But as Sabah continues its development journey under Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0, ensuring a reliable and sustainable water supply become increasingly important.

The possible impact of El Niño and prolonged dry conditions provides a timely reminder that water security requires careful preparation. However, this should not be viewed simply as a response to one weather event. Rather, it is an opportunity for Sabah to further strengthen its long-term approach to water-resource management.

Water Security is a Foundation of Development. Water is essential to almost every aspect of our lives. Existing and new industries, agriculture, tourism, housing, commercial activities, healthcare and other economic activities all depend on a reliable water supply. Families also rightly expect safe, sufficient and dependable water as part of a good quality of life. Water security is therefore closely connected to economic growth, food security, public health, investment confidence and community wellbeing.

As Sabah moves forward with SMJ 2.0, water security should be regarded as one of the important foundations of the State’s long-term development.

The State Government has made significant investments over the years in water treatment facilities, pipelines, reservoirs and other infrastructure. The next step is to further strengthen the way these infrastructure assets and Sabah’s natural water resources are managed as one integrated system.

We need to manage the Whole Water Cycle. Water management is not only about treating water and sending it to consumers. We need to look after water from the time rain falls, enters our catchments and rivers, is stored and treated, delivered to homes and businesses, used by consumers, and where practical treated and reused. This means protecting forests and catchment areas, keeping rivers clean, providing adequate storage for dry periods, maintaining reliable treatment and distribution systems, reducing wastage and encouraging appropriate water reuse.

In simple terms, we should protect water when it is available, store it when we can, use it efficiently and reuse it where appropriate.

This whole-of-cycle approach can help Sabah make better use of its existing resources while preparing for future challenges.

Five strategic areas are proposed for consideration:

1. Strengthen catchment protection

Healthy catchments are the foundation of sustainable water resources.
Our strategic catchments, forests and river corridors need continued protection because they help maintain water quality and the reliability of our water sources. Catchment protection should therefore be viewed not simply as environmental protection, but as an investment in Sabah’s natural water infrastructure.

2. Enhance strategic water storage

Climate variability reminds us of the importance of having sufficient water reserves. Sabah could continue to assess suitable opportunities for reservoirs, off-river storage and other appropriate forms of water storage. Rainwater harvesting could also be encouraged for suitable public buildings, commercial developments, industrial facilities and other premises.

The principle is simple. That is to capture and store water when it is available so that reserves are available during dry periods.

3. Reduce water losses

Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) is one of the most practical ways to improve the efficiency of existing water infrastructure.

Ageing pipelines, leakage, inaccurate metering and excessive pressure can result in valuable, treated water being lost before it reaches consumers.

Systematic pipeline replacement, better pressure management, improved metering, leak detection and digital monitoring can progressively reduce these losses.

Water conserved through efficiency improvements can also help defer the need for some additional water-supply capacity. In other words, the most cost-effective source of additional water can sometimes be the water we currently lose.

4. Develop smart water management

Digital technology provides Sabah with new opportunities to manage water resources more effectively. We could consider developing an integrated State Water Information and Monitoring System that brings together information on rainfall, river levels, reservoir storage, water demand and weather conditions.

Sensors, telemetry, geographic information systems, satellite data and artificial intelligence could progressively improve monitoring and forecasting.

The objective is straightforward. That is to move from reacting to water problems towards identifying and managing them earlier.

5. Strengthen drought and climate resilience

Sabah’s water planning should prepare for both prolonged dry periods and excessive rainfall. A State-level drought management framework could establish clear indicators and response levels so that relevant agencies can coordinate their actions before conditions become critical. This could include water conservation, reservoir operation, emergency water supply, public communication and prioritisation of essential water uses.

A coordinated whole-of-state approach

Water does not follow administrative boundaries. Water-resource management involves many sectors and stakeholders, including water supply, drainage, irrigation, agriculture, forestry, environment, land development, local authorities and disaster management. Greater coordination among these areas can help ensure that individual projects and policies contribute towards a common State water-security objective. Sabah could consider further strengthening existing inter-agency coordination, with appropriate State-level mechanism for integrated Water Resource Council where necessary. The objective should not be to create unnecessary bureaucracy. It should be practical. That is better coordination; better information and better decisions.

Planning today for Sabah tomorrow

Looking ahead, Sabah could consider developing a Sabah Integrated Water Resource Management Plan 2027–2050, aligned with SMJ 2.0.

Such a plan could provide a long-term framework covering strategic water-source protection, river-basin planning, water storage, supply infrastructure, NRW reduction, groundwater protection, rainwater harvesting, water conservation and reuse, drought and flood resilience, and digital monitoring.

Most importantly, the plan should translate policy into clear priorities, measurable targets and phased implementation.

Water infrastructure has a long service life. Decisions made today will influence Sabah’s development for decades. Therefore, our planning should look beyond the next dry season and consider the needs of Sabah in 2030, 2040 and 2050.

The objective should not simply be to respond to the next water shortage. It should be to build confidence that every Sabah family, farmer, business and industry can have access to adequate and sustainable water resources for generations to come.

Water is more than a utility. It is a foundation of development. As Sabah advances under SMJ 2.0, let us take this opportunity to strengthen our water-resource management through good planning, sound engineering, responsible stewardship and close cooperation. El Niño may be a temporary climate challenge. Water security is a long-term responsibility.