International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia

Reviving Kampung Sungai Ular: Smart farming breathes life into forgotten lands

In the region of Kampung Sungai Ular (Pahang, Malaysia) with its rural communities, the sandy “BRIS” soil contains few nutrients and is classified as infertile. Low-income communities have traditionally been farmers but despite significant efforts, crop and harvest yields remain low. Especially, the rising cost for fertilizers has recently impacted these communities.

Our interdisciplinary university team of faculty and students has collaborated with the State Department of Agriculture to develop new ways of sustainably farming the land and offered capacity-building to farmers and villagers. Abandoned local lands were recovered through smart farming infrastructure, i.e., smart fertigation and diversifying farming. Now, further capacity-building is offered to the community to engage more farmers to carry out smart farming activities. Student engagement provides experiential learning opportunities with purpose.

The project has contributed to secure proper natural resource management, to recovering lands for farming, generating income, and overcoming systemic, community-wide poverty.

Top 3 Learnings

1. With shared efforts and on equal footing with the community, we created positive impact.
2. Our respectful and holistic engagement with the community secured continuous ownership for the project.
3. Supporting continuous monitoring of project operations and outcomes is crucial for positive impact long term.