Pokolon Paus village is home to 39 indigenous Dusun families who primarily rely on small-scale farming and ecotourism for their livelihoods. There is a road to the village, but it is still considered quite remote. Village residents have no access to electricity except from individual generators, and no phone signal.

The village, adjacent to the Kagibangan and Pokolon rivers, is at the foot of a valley covered in dense rainforest, connected to the Trus Madi Forest Reserve. It’s not far from Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak on Borneo. Like many areas in Borneo, it is a region of spectacular biodiversity, home to species such as the endangered pangolin, banded palm civet, pygmy squirrel, and several species of hornbills.

With the help of our project partner, one household installed a small micro-hydro system that has been running for a decade. This system meets most of their energy demands, but like the rest of the community, they still rely on diesel generators.

This project will expand the existing micro-hydro system, adding a solar power system to ensure a reliable, renewable, 24/7 energy supply. It will generate 180 kWh a day and supply electricity to all the village households.

In return, the community will protect 124 acres of forest connected to the Pokolon watershed that is under community-owned land tenure. This area includes virgin forest, as well as pockets of secondary forest where people have traditionally grown hill rice. The community will now preserve those areas, too.

The community will also double the existing 300-meter restricted fishing zone along the river. This no-take zone, protected under a traditional system called “tagal,” buffers critical fish breeding areas near the village.

Our project partner is TONIBUNG, founded by Seacology Prize recipient Banie Lasimbang. We have worked successfully with this innovative organization, based in Sabah, for many years on similar electrification projects.