Fast-facts about Water Related Problems in Malaysia
1. Excess water (Floods) - ~ 29,720 (km)2 or 9% of the country?s land is flood-prone area.
- ~ 4.915 million people or 21% population resides in these flood-prone areas. Common types of floods (monsoonal, flash and tidal floods)
Causes of excess water (floods): - Surface runoff and discharge from developed urban and industrial area
- Sediments from uncontrolled land clearing activities
- Clogging of rainage systems by solid wastes
Impacts of excess water (floods): - Severe property and structural damage
- Causing many homeless people
- Threatening human lives
- Disrupt economic growth
Average annual economic losses of RM 915 million Consequential economic losses of RM 1.83 billion
One of the worst floods recorded in Malaysia was the Bah Merah in 1926 and 1967 as well as the recent f lood in the end of 2014 (Peninsular Malaysia).
Suggested solution of excessive water (floods): - MaSMA (Storm Water Management Manual or Manual Saliran Mesra Alam) in 2002 implementing control at source concep
- Construction of swale
- Detention and retention ponds in new development schemes
2) Water shortages (Droughts) - ~ 97% of consumptive water is extracted from surface water sources
- Most notable drought was the El Nino episode in the 1997 and 1998.
Causes of water shortages (droughts): - Rapid increase of urban population ( > 60%)
- Fast growing water demand (extensive industrialization and agricultural activities)
Impacts of water shortages (droughts): - Loss of agriculture value and food production
- Extensive wild forest fire (Selangor, Sarawak and Sabah)
- Threat to human health
Suggested solutions of water shortages (droughts): - Further explore of groundwater resources (water stressed and isolated remote areas) E.g. highlands and offshore islands
- Supply driven approach to be replaced by demand management approach (reduces the water demand, maximize the usage of water, minimize wastage and water conservation)
- Rainwater harvesting guidelines (collection of rainfall from roof of buildings to be recycled) in 1999
- Installation of 6-liter toilet flushing cisterns (reduce volume of water required per flush) in 2002
3) Water quality (Pollution) - The uptrend in population, urbanization and industrialization influence the changes of water quality
- Urban dwellers and industrial sites are the major culprits of water pollution
Causes of poor water quality (pollution): - Direct sewage (livestock and agriculture farming)
- Untreated industrial effluent (chemical fertilizers and pesticides)
- Sediment-laden runoff
Impacts of poor water quality (pollution): - Limits the availability of clean water supply resources
- Endangers human health (shortens the average life span expectancy)
- Destroys aquatic lives and biodiversities
Suggested solution of poor water quality (pollution): - River awareness campaigns
- Promotion of public awareness (long term sustainable river basin management
Source: Summarized and modified from Department of Irriggation and Drainage, Malaysia
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