Baram River

Geography

The Baram river basin, an area of some 22,325 km2, has been part of Sarawak since it was ceded to the White Rajah of Sarawak by the then sultan of Brunei in 1882, for a perpetual annual payment of 6,000 dollars.

The river flows westwards through tropical rainfores (Köppen climate classification Af type) to the South China Sea. The Baram catchment receives around 3,800 mm of rainfall per year. The Baram River terminates in a delta, which is subdivided into two units: East Barma Delta of Middle-Late Miocene age and West Baram Delta of Late Miocene-Quaternary age. The western unit is composed of mudstones enriched in organic components (total organic carbon content is more than 1.0 wt.%) which constitute substantial oil and gas reserves.

The river is crossed not far from its mouth by the Miri-Baram Highway, Federal Route 22, on the Batang Baram Bridge opened in 2003. Some 100 km upstream lies the town of Marudi.

Etymology

Batang (meaning "trunk" in Malay) is the name used for the main river in the river system such as "Batang Baram" (Baram river). For upriver areas, such as the areas surrounding the headwaters, the place is named as "Ulu" (which means "upriver"). For example, "Ulu Baram" is the upriver part of the Baram river. "Long" meaning "confluence" is used by the Orang Ulu (upriver people). It is used to name the places located at the confluence between the smaller tributaries and the major river, same way as the Malay usage of the name "Kuala" (meaning river delta). The name "Pa'" (meaning "village") is exclusively used in the Kelabit Highlands such as "Pa Umor" village in Bario.

History

The Baram river flood happened in May 1962.

References

References

1. "FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF RIVER FLOW IN SABAH AND SARAWAK".
2. "Japan International Cooperation Agency".
3. Prabakaran, Krishnamurthy. (2017). "Environmental Geochemistry of the Lower Baram River, Borneo".
4. Ministry of Natural Reserves and Environment, Malaysia: [http://www.water.gov.my/images/Hidrologi/NationalWaterResourcesStudy/Vol20Sarawak.pdf National Water Resources Study, Vol. 29 - Sarawak]{{Dead link. (June 2019)
5. [http://explorion.net/ch.hose-w.mcdougall-pagan-tribes-borneo-1/page-228.html The Pagan Tribes of Borneo, retrieved 22-05-2007] {{webarchive. link. (September 28, 2007)
6. Reed L. Wadley. (2005). "Histories of the Borneo Environment". KITLV Press.
7. [http://www.geol.lsu.edu/WDD/ASIAN/Baram/baram.htm Louisiana State University]
8. Eric, Tilman. "Kalimantan-Borneo".
9. Hutchison, Charles. (2005). "Geology of North-West Borneo: Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah". Elsevier.
10. Togunwa, Olayinka. (2017-08-10). "Geochemical characterization of Neogene sediments from onshore West Baram Delta Province, Sarawak: paleoenvironment, source input and thermal maturity". Open Geosciences.
11. (15 June 2014). "处处垃圾 影响环境 美里河污染严重 (Garbage everywhere Miri River environmental pollution)". Xinhua Daily (Shihua News).
12. "Sarawak place names". [[Rough Guides]].
13. "Recorded Flood Events in Sarawak (1946 - 1996)". Sarawak Drainage and Irrigation Department.