Sarawak looks to Sichuan to advance sustainable connectivity, ecological conservation

by DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 29: Sarawak is exploring strategic collaboration with China’s Sichuan Province to strengthen its sustainable connectivity and ecological conservation efforts, drawing lessons from one of China’s most advanced and environmentally responsible transport systems.

During a courtesy call and technical briefing hosted by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Transport, the Sarawak delegation, led by the Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, examined how the province’s complex and extensive infrastructure network balances connectivity with environmental protection.

Uggah said the engagement with Sichuan is both timely and strategic, given the similar geographical and environmental contexts of the two regions.

“Sichuan’s ability to harmonise infrastructure growth with environmental protection provides valuable lessons for Sarawak. We aspire to adopt and adapt such best practices to ensure that our infrastructure and road connectivity projects meet the highest ecological standards,” he said.

“Sichuan’s success in developing an extensive and award-winning road network across complex terrains offers valuable insights for Sarawak as we continue to advance our infrastructure and connectivity agenda under the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030,” he added.

Sichuan currently ranks first in China in total road mileage, with approximately 418,000 kilometres of highways, including about 369,000 kilometres of rural roads and 10,310 kilometres of expressways, the latter ranking third nationally. Despite its challenging terrain shaped by the Tibetan Plateau and the Yangtze River basin, the province has developed one of China’s most advanced and environmentally responsible transport systems, with features such as elevated road technologies designed to uphold both safety and ecological integrity.

Sarawak expressed keen interest in learning from Sichuan’s comprehensive ecological management system, particularly in areas of transport governance, industrial support mechanisms, and technology-driven environmental safeguards.

“This visit further reinforces Sarawak’s resolve to pursue a development pathway that balances modernisation with conservation. We look forward to enhancing cooperation with Sichuan to advance sustainable, smart, and resilient infrastructure for the benefit of our people,” Uggah said.

The Sichuan authorities also shared that their planning framework integrates Building Information Modelling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based assessment tools to identify, predict, and mitigate potential geological and environmental risks.

The Sarawak delegation was also invited to visit selected expressway sites and receive further briefings on Sichuan’s planning systems, construction technologies, and environmental protection frameworks. – DayakDaily

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