KUCHING: The Sarawak government is utilising excess hydropower production to ensure food security in the state.

Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg, said that Sarawak has numerous rivers serving as water sources for generating hydropower, which also produce a significant amount of excess water.

"This water can be a source of irrigation for our rice fields, and this is what we are doing now. This is something new.

"It can irrigate our land to produce rice, and at the very least, food security is also embraced in our efforts to supply energy," he explained.

He said this while speaking at the 2024 United States-Malaysia Clean Technology Forum at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Premier mentioned that the state government is identifying problems and solutions to climate change.

Among these is conserving forest cover in Sarawak by planting 35 million trees by 2025.

"Four days ago, I planted the 35 millionth tree, a year ahead of the 2025 target.

"This is the responsibility of the Sarawak government because we know we need to preserve our forest cover," he said.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, and Chairman of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), Tan Sri Datuk Amar (Dr) Abdul Aziz Husain.-UKASnews