This document summarizes a presentation on living on water in Borneo. It discusses the research agenda for studying traditional water villages (kampung ayer) on the island, which could provide knowledge for future waterfront and floating settlements. Preliminary results found 84 major water villages occupying 24.52 square kilometers around Borneo, housing an estimated 43,025 houses and 215,000 people. The presentation proposes a comparative study of these villages to document their architecture, technologies, cultures and resilience to climate change impacts like sea level rise.

1. Borneo Studies Network Inaugural Meeting and Workshop
Living on Water in Borneo
Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Evers

3. Climate Change 2013
WORKING GROUP I CONTRIBUTION
TO THE IPCC FIFTH ASSESSMENT
REPORT
CLIMATE CHANGE 2013: THE PHYSICAL
SCIENCE BASIS - Final Draft Underlying ScientificTechnical Assessment
“it is virtually certain that the
rate of global mean sea level rise
has accelerated during the last
two centuries” (p. 122)
Confidential – This document is being made available in
preparation of WGI-12 only and should not be cited, quoted, or
distributed

4. Climat Change and Sea Level Rise
• Global warming will have dramatic effect
– Warming of ocean temperature
– Melting of glaciers and polar cap
• Results: Sea level will rise
– During 21st century sea level will rise 18 to 59cm
(IPPC 2007), recent estimate 56 to 200cm, highest
estimate 4 to 6 m!
– Increase of „extremes“ is expected

5. Predicted
Sea Level Rise,
East and Southeast Asia

6. Effects of Sea Level Rise
Brunei Darussalam

8. Consequences of Sea Level Rise
Sea levels rises, land disappears:
• increased population density
• rising land prices especially in urban areas
Megacity
Population
Tokyo-Yokohama
37,239,000
Jakarta-Jabotabek
26,746,000
Soel-Incheo
22,868,000
Metro Manila
21,241,000
Density
4400
9600
10600
14800

9. Policies to deal with Sea Level Rise
(and rapid Urbanisation)
• (A) Hydraulic waterworks: canals and dykes
• (B) Land reclamation
• (C) Living on water

10. (A) Dykes and Canals
Mekong Delta

11. (B) Land Reclamation
Singapore

12. Living on Reclaimed Land:
Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang
Penang, Malaysia

14. (C) Living on Water

15. Living on Water
• Waterfront development – a new idea?
• Living on water – an idea for the future?
Archeological reconstruction of a Neolitic settlement, 4000 BC to 850 BC
Unteruhlingen, Lake Constance, Germany

16. Living on Water 2013
Kp Ayer - Brunei Darussalam

17. Living on Water
a research agenda for Borneo
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
There are more than 300 water settlements
(kampung ayer) on Borneo
They are settlements of historical importance
They are architecturally interesting
They are examples of Malay hydro-technology
They are repositories of local knowledge
They are focal points of popular culture
They provide local knowledge for future „living on
water“
They are local Bornean reaction to climate
change and sea level rise

18. Labuan

19. Brunei - Bolkiah A
Modern Water Village

20. Research Agenda
Water Villages (Kp Ayer) on Borneo
• The long history of „living on water“ has
ackumulated local knowledge
• This knowledge could be a basis for modern
seafront/water settlements
• Proposal: Comparative study of water villages
around Borneo island
• Phase 1: identify, classify and measure all water
villages around Borneo
• Phase 2: develop a template for the study of
individual Kampung Ayer and start field research

21. Preliminary Results
• We identified 84 major water villages (Kp
Ayer) on Borneo
• Water villages occupy a total area of 24.52
sqkm
• An estimated number of 43,025 houses and
215,000 people live in water villages around
Borneo
Source: Hans-Dieter Evers and Khairi Latif, preliminary GIS data
collection based on Google Earth, IAS-UBD 2013

22. Estimated Areas of Kp Ayer
State
Kp Ayer area in sqkm
Kp Ayer
sqkm
Brunei Darussalam
2,2
Kalimantan Tengah
2,0
Kalimantan Timur
6,4
Kalimantan Selatan
Sarawak
2%
6,7
Kalimantan Barat
1,1
Sabah
0,4
24%
Kalimantan
Selatan
27%
Kalimantan
Barat
4%
5,8
Sarawak
Sabah
Total
24,5
Source: Hans-Dieter Evers and Khairi Latif,
preliminary GIS data collection based on Google
Earth, IAS-UBD 2013
Brunei
Darussalam
9%
Kalimantan
Tengah
8%
Kalimantan
Timur
26%

23. Distribution of Kp Ayer
Borneo 2013
Source: Hans-Dieter Evers and Khairi
Latif, preliminary GIS data collection
based on Google Earth, IAS-UBD
2013

24. Distribution of Kp Ayer
Borneo 2013
Source: Hans-Dieter Evers and
Khairi Latif, preliminary GIS data
collection based on Google
Earth, IAS-UBD 2013

25. Modern Living on Water
Pontianak? Samarinda? Kuching?
Palm Island Dubai

26. Terima kaseh atas perhatian auda
Brunei Darussalam