LONDON, England: Sarawak is progressing steadily with its water supply sector reforms, aligning with global trends and best practices highlighted at the Water Horizon 2025 conference hosted by the International Water Association (IWA) here.
Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi said one of the key issues highlighted at the conference was the urgent need to replace ageing water infrastructure, especially in Europe, which requires massive investments for replacement.
He also said Sarawak has already taken such measures since 2024 by gradually carrying out projects to replace and upgrade old pipelines across the state.
“Based on the presentations earlier, we found that Sarawak is on the right track. They (developed countries) are talking about the need to replace old pipelines, and we have already started since last year. This means we are on the right track,” he said.
He said this to the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) following a discussion with IWA president Professor Hamanth Kasan after the conference recently.
Julaihi added that the approach implemented by the Sarawak government is also in line with measures discussed by experts and policymakers at the conference, covering policy aspects, digitalization, and long-term investments to upgrade water infrastructure.
He also stressed that the large investments required to upgrade water infrastructure are a challenge faced not only in Sarawak but also by many developed countries worldwide.
However, he said that the most important thing is to ensure that the value of water is appreciated by all levels of society, especially the involvement of the younger generation, particularly the ‘young water professionals’ mentioned at the same conference.
“This shows that we need to look forward, not only for the current generation to understand and appreciate the value of water, but also the younger generation must be meaningfully involved because they will be the ones responsible for managing and safeguarding water resources in the future,” he said.
