Brunei Darussalam

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Geography, climate and population

Geography

Brunei Darussalam lies in Southeast Asia, on the northwest coast of the island shared with Indonesian Borneo and Sabah and Sarawak states of Malaysia. It is bordered on the landward side by Sarawak. The country consists of two enclaves separated from each other by the valley of the Limbang River in Sarawak. Brunei Darussalam is divided into four districts with a total area of 5 770 km2 (Table 1).

The districts of Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Belait, which form the larger western portion, are dominated by hilly lowlands, swampy plains and alluvial valleys. Mountainous terrain abounds in the eastern district of Temburong. The highest elevation of the country, Bukit Pagon, is 1 850 m.

The cultivable area is estimated at 13 000 ha, which is about 2.5 percent of the total land area. In 2008, the cultivated area was estimated at 8 000 ha, about 61.5 percent of the cultivable area. About 5 000 ha consisted of permanent crops, the remaining 3 000 ha being under annual cultivation. In 1997, the cultivated area was estimated at 6 000 ha, of which 4 000 ha permanent and 2 000 ha annual crops.

Climate

Brunei Darussalam has a tropical climate characterized by high rainfall and temperature throughout the year. Climatic variations follow the influence of the monsoon winds. The northeast monsoon blows from December to March, while the southeast monsoon occurs around June to October.

Total average annual precipitation is estimated at 2 722 mm. There area two rainy seasons: from September to January and from May to July.

The temperature is relatively uniform throughout the year, with an annual average of 27.9°C, ranging from 23.8 to 32.1°C. The drought months of March and April are the warmest. Due to high temperature and rainfall, humidity is high throughout the year with an average of 82 percent.

Population

In 2008, Brunei Darussalam has a population of 392 000 inhabitants, of which about 25 percent is rural (Table 1). In 1998, the population was 318 000 inhabitants, thus the annual population growth rate during the period 1998-2008 is estimated at 2.1 percent. In 1996, the district of Brunei-Muara, which includes the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, had the largest population with 201 100 inhabitants, while Temburong district in the east was sparsely populated with a total of 8 700 inhabitants. The average population density in the country is 68 inhabitants/km2.

Economy, agriculture and food security

In 2006, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was US$11 471 million (Table 1). In 2007, agriculture accounted for 0.69 percent of GDP. In 2008, the total economically active population is 188 000 inhabitants, or slightly more than 48 percent of the total population. The economically active population in agriculture is estimated at 1 000 inhabitants, which is 0.5 percent of the total economically active population, of which 100 percent is male.

Some 55 percent of the cultivated land is under ruminant livestock production with the rest comprising horticulture, mixed cropping and poultry farming. Crop production is dominated by horticulture, which includes vegetable growing, production of fruits, floriculture and growing of ornamental plants. Vegetable growing is mainly concentrated at the urban fringes while fruit orchards are more scattered across the country. In 2003, vegetable production recorded almost 10 360 metric tons, mainly comprising tropical leafy vegetables. In the same year, crop production registered over 4 600 metric tons of fruits and nearly 547 metric tons of rice. Floriculture produces small quantities of orchid flowers and an assortment of tropical ornamental plants (MIPR, 2009).

Brunei Darussalam gives much importance to agriculture and agri-food development to ensure the security of food supply and enhance economic contribution to GDP. Agricultural development is the main factor in sustaining national food supply and agri-food production. For the past decade, the trend of the agriculture production has been impressive with the value of primary production increasing from US$82.56 million in 1996 to US$158.98 million in 2005. In 2005, the livestock sector including processed products continued to dominate the agricultural sector development with a market value of US$104.9 million compared to crop sector and its processed products with an output value of US$54.08 million, contributing about 66 percent and 34 percent to the total agriculture output respectively. Poultry, eggs and leafy vegetables are commodities that have attained self-sufficiency level (MIPR, 2009).

Water resources and use

Water resources

There are four main river basins in Brunei Darussalam: Temburong, Belait, Tutong and Brunei:

  • The Temburong, the smallest of the rivers, drains a catchment area of about 430 km2.
  • The Belait is the largest basin, with an area of 2 700 km2. The lower catchment comprises an extensive area of peat swamp forest. The river narrows at the town of Kuala Belait and a sandbar restricts the discharge of water to the South China Sea. Some areas in the upper catchment have been cleared for agriculture.
  • The Tutong basin, which is about 1 300 km2, has a complex estuary system formed between two sand spits. Subject to fairly high tidal influence, its lower catchment is mainly floodplain. The upper catchment is jungle with patches of agriculture.
  • The Brunei River flows into Brunei Bay. The upper reaches of the river are a major freshwater source particularly for the western part of the country.

By analogy with the whole island, the runoff coefficient is estimated at 1.5 m/year corresponding to a surface flow of 8.5 km3. Limited reserves of groundwater have been identified in the Liang and Seria areas of the Belait district and in the Berakas area of the Brunei-Muara district. The estimated safe yield is 17.3 million m3/year. Also by analogy with the whole island, the total groundwater resources are estimated at 0.1 km3/year, all being drained by the rivers. Internal renewable water resources are estimated at 8.5 km3 (Table 2).

Brunei Darussalam has two dams with a total storage capacity of just over 45 million m3. The Tasek reservoir used for water supply has a total capacity of 13 000 m3 and a catchment area of 2.8 km2. The Benutan dam, an impounded reservoir used to regulate the Tutong River, has a total storage capacity of 45 million m3 and a catchment area of 28.6 km2.

There is no hydropower dam, though one suitable site has been located within the National Forest Reserve of Temburong.

Water use

In 1994, the total water withdrawal was estimated at 92 million m3 (Table 2). Urban water supply is entirely from surface water. The major use of water in industrial processes is for the liquefied natural gas industry which abstracts and treats its own water from the Belait River. Other industrial uses are on a smaller scale for timber/sawmills, dairy farms, soft-drink manufacture and workshops which account for an estimated 25 percent of overall water demand.

Initially, groundwater abstraction was undertaken in the 1950s for use by the oil and gas industries. This has been replaced by surface water resources. Groundwater abstraction, which accounts for 0.5 percent of the total water supply, is currently limited to the local bottled water industry (Figure 1).

Brunei Darussalam has excellent facilities for the treatment of its drinking water at six government treatment plants situated throughout the country (WHO, 2004).

Irrigation and drainage development

Evolution of irrigation development

All irrigation facilities were equipped in 1980. There are only small-scale irrigation schemes (up to 0.9 ha). In 1995, the area equipped for irrigation was 1 000 ha, all surface irrigation (Table 3). The existing infrastructure and facilities are being upgraded in rural areas, but the irrigated area has remained unchanged since 1980.

Of the total irrigated area of 1 000 ha, 48 percent is irrigated only in the first season, 37 percent only in the second season and 15 percent is continuously irrigated area.

At present, the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) is working to improve the irrigation system to address farmers’ plight in rice planting (Goh De No et al, 2009).

Role of irrigation in agricultural production, the economy and society

In 1997, the major irrigated crops are rice, vegetables and fruits. Rice accounts for 375 ha. The figures for rice show that the country is able to meet only 3.6 percent of the total demand of 27 500 tons/year. Lack of labour is the main constraint on agricultural development in the country.

Status and evolution of drainage systems

MIPR is working towards improving the irrigation system, as it is recognized as one of the major issues, and has already introduced dykes and drainage systems to improve the water flow into and out of the fields (Goh De No et al, 2009).

Water management, policies and legislation related to water use in agriculture

Institutions

The main institutions related to water management are:

  • The Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) is responsible to facilitate and develop industries and primary resources for local markets and export.
  • The Department of Agriculture of the MIPR is responsible for irrigation and drainage as well as water and electricity supplies. It actively promotes development of various agricultural commodities and facilitates outsourcing of raw materials and food supply.
  • The Technical Services Division of the MIPR is responsible for coordination and facilitation of agricultural infrastructure development in the Agricultural Development Area (ADA land) and Department of Agriculture premises. The responsibilities cover mechanical and agricultural engineering support, development and maintenance of agricultural infrastructure such as buildings, access and farm roads and irrigation and drainage systems, the supply of main electrical and domestic water requirement.
  • The Departments of Water Services and of Public Works and the Ministry of Development are responsible for monitoring treated water at treatment plants, storage points and end-points.
  • The Department of Health Services audits the quality of water at the treatment plant and end-points

Water management

Efforts are being made to diversify the economy away from a heavy dependence on oil and gas towards a more independent agriculture sector. The first of the Government’s four major objectives in agriculture is to enhance domestic production of rice, vegetables, poultry and livestock. The Government is trying to stimulate greater interest in agriculture through the establishment of model farms, and by providing training, advice and support.

The Government has been supportive towards the development of agro-industries in providing various kinds of agricultural infrastructure. In this context, the Department of Agriculture has spent a large sum of money on farm roads, irrigation and drainage infrastructure as well as water and electricity supplies to help entrepreneurs to develop their farmlands. The Department is also actively involved in facilitating inflow of technology and provides various kinds of technical services in an effort to boost the productivity and quality of domestic agriculture.

Environment and health

Brunei Darussalam has excellent facilities for the treatment of its drinking water at six government treatment plants situated throughout the country. In addition, Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) and Brunei Shell’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) manage two other facilities privately. There are also bottled water factories using advanced technology to produce purified water.

Monitoring of treated water at treatment plants, storage points and end-points are carried out daily by the Departments of Water Services and of Public Works, and by the Ministry of Development. In addition, the Department of Health Services also audits the quality of water at the treatment plant and end-points.

Brunei Darussalam has been declared malaria-free by WHO in 1987. New cases were reported in 2003 (17) but they were all imported cases. Malaria vigilance activities continue to be maintained and implemented by the Department of Health Services. Water supply- and sanitation-related diseases such as diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis, cholera and typhoid occur in Brunei Darussalam (WHO, 2004).

Prospects for agricultural water management

The future direction of the Department of Agriculture is to strengthen the primary production sectors and to develop the agri-food processing industry by creating a macro-business environment that is attractive for investments. The Department is committed to reform itself to better serve the needs of the agricultural sector, where the water sector is included.

The Department of Agriculture is currently working on improving the system implementation in the department. This includes re-assessing the agricultural policies, supportive programmes, marketing system, legislations and other matters that affect the progress of this new direction.

Main sources of information

FAO. 1999. Irrigation in Asia in figures. FAO Water Report no.18. Rome

Goh De No and Ubai Mash. 2009. MIPR To address farmers’ padi planting problems. Brunei’s Local News

MIPR [Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources]. 2009. Department of Agriculture. Available at: http://www.bruneimipr.gov.bn/public/portal/

WHO [World Health Organization]. 2004. Brunei Darussalam environmental health country profile