Geomorphological Landscapes of Borneo and Riverine Society of the Kemena Catchment, Sarawak

Abstract

Borneo, the world’s third largest island, was formed by the collision of several tectonic plates and is located on the southernmost edge of the Eurasian Plate. As a result, its broader geological structure often runs parallel to the plate boundaries. The landforms of the mountains and the channel patterns of the rivers are heavily influenced by this geological structure. Most of northwestern Borneo consists of well-weathered mudstone bedrock. Hardly any gravel exists in the beds of many large rivers. The uplift rate of the mountains is fast but the terrain is heavily influenced by weathering. As erosion by the rivers is weak, the terrain around the rivers does not change drastically over time. Moreover, the ecosystem based on the terrain alongside the river channels is highly homogeneous and the spatial diversity of the terrain and geological features is low. The landscape in this region was not considered a restricting factor for people when they were selecting areas to reside given that the geomorphological environment is fairly homogeneous from a spatiotemporal point of view. This fact may support the high mobility of Borneo’s indigenous people.