ArticlePDF Available

Health impact of river water pollution in Malaysia

Authors:

Abstract

n the sustainability of water resources. Not only has that but also affected plants and living organisms, the health of the population and the economy. This study reviews the state of river water quality and sources of river water pollution in Malaysia. The Department of Environment program continued monitoring of the quality of river water in 2014 to determine the status of water quality of the river and to detect changes in water quality of the river. They found that 52% of the river was found to be clean, 39% slightly contaminated and 9% contaminated. The number of the polluted river is declined over the period of time. They also observed that beverage industries are the major source of pollution in this country. This paper reviews the environmental policy related to water pollution and studies related to water pollution and health impacts.
Health Impact of River Water Pollution in Malaysia
Rafia Afroz1, Ataur Rahman2
1Department of Economics
Faculty of Economics and Management Science
International Islamic University Malaysia
2Department of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
International Islamic University Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Water pollution is a severe problem in Malaysia and has an adverse impact on the
sustainability of water resources. Not only that but also affects plants and living organisms,
the health of the population and the economy. This study reviews the state of river water
quality and sources of river water pollution in Malaysia. The Department of Environment
(DOE) program continued monitoring of the quality of river water in 2014 to determine the
status of water quality of the river and to detect changes in water quality of the river. They
found that 52% of the river were found to be clean, 39% slightly contaminated and 9%)
contaminated. The number of the polluted river is declined over the period of time. They also
observed that beverage industries are the major source of pollution in this country. This paper
reviews the environmental policy related to water pollution and studies related to water pollution and
health impacts.
1.0 Introduction
Water pollution is a serious problem in Malaysia and has an adverse impact on the
sustainability of water resources. Not only that, but it also affects living plants and organisms,
the health of the population and the economy. The total availability of water significantly as
the cost of treatment of contaminated water is too high and in some cases, polluted water is
not susceptible to consumption is reduced. A lot of water resources available in the basin,
unfortunately, does not guarantee an adequate supply to all users due to river pollution (Ling,
2010). Development in our watersheds leads to an increase in population activities and urban
life. The effect of urbanization typically changes the quality of runoff in a basin, which in
turn affects the water quality of the receiving waters. Rainfall in urban areas washes
pollutants accumulated on the surface of the ground in rainwater facilities. Wastewater from
residential, commercial and industrial zones causes a bad odor, especially in the presence of
trash, and quality deteriorates existing rainwater systems and contaminated rivers. Most
sources of pollution have been caused by human activity, although some come from natural
sources of contamination. The problem of water pollution is becoming increasingly
dangerous, with reports showing a downward trend year after year. However, water pollution
is not a recent environmental issue, as it has been synonymous with urbanization and
modernization. Malaysia's primary freshwater source, accounting for approximately 97% of
the total water supply (Gasim et al., 2009). Malaysia is well endowed with copious amounts
of water and water resources. With an average precipitation of 3,000 mm, it is estimated that
566 billion m3 of water run in the river system each year (Weng 2005).
1.1 River Water Quality Classification
There are mainly two main methods used to classify the water quality of the monitored river.
First, the Water Quality Index (ICA), and secondly, the National Interim Water Quality
Standard (INWQS). The INWQS defines six categories (I, IIA, IIB, III, IV and V) referring to
the classification based on descending order of water quality of the rivers of Class I and Class
V is "worse." Table 1 shows the class definition provided by INWQS.
Table 1: INWQS Class Definitions
Class Definition
I • Conservation of natural environment.
• Water supply I - Practically no treatment necessary (except by disinfection or
boiling only).
• Fishery I - Very sensitive aquatic species.
IIA Water supply II – Conventional treatment required.
• Fishery II - Sensitive aquatic species.
IIB Recreational use with body contact.
III Water supply III – Extensive treatment required.
• Fishery III - Common of economic value, and tolerant species; livestock
drinking.
IV Irrigation
V None of the above.
Source: Zainudin, (2010)
On the other hand, six parameters were chosen for the water quality index, such as dissolved
oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD),
suspended solids (SS) The ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) PH. Calculations are performed
not on the same parameters, but on their subscripts. The subscripts are called BEEN, SIBOD,
SICOD, SIAN, SISS, and SIPH. The best Fit equations used to estimate the six index values
below Table 2.
Table 2: DOE Water Quality Classification Based on Water Quality Index
Parameters Index range
Clean Slightly polluted Polluted
SIBOD 91-100 80-90 0-79
SIAN 92-100 71-91 0-70
SISS 76-100 70-75 0-69
WQI 81-100 60-80 0-59
Source: Zainudin, (2010)
The Department of the Environment (DOE) program continued to monitor river water quality
in 2014 to determine the state of river water quality and detect changes in river water quality.
Water samples were collected at regular intervals at designated in situ stations and laboratory
tests to determine the biological and physicochemical characteristics. The Water Quality
Index (IQE) is used to indicate the level of pollution and water classes and corresponding
methods compared to the Malaysian National Water Quality Standards (ANEQ) (ANNEX).
ICA takes into account parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen
demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), suspended
solids (SS) and pH. In 2014, the water quality of the rivers was evaluated in a total of 6,076
samples taken from a total of 891 manuals of monitoring stations that cover 477 streams. The
plants consist of 801 stations and environmental baseline, 55 upstream of selected water
intakes, and 35 stations for the River Life Project (RLP). Water quality was also evaluated
from 10 monitoring stations of continuous water quality.
1.3 State of the River Water Quality
Of the 473 rivers monitored, 244 (52%) were clean, 186 (39%) were slightly contaminated,
and 43 (9%) were infected (Figure 1). As in previous years, biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) and suspended solids (SS) continued to be significant
regarding river pollution. High BOD can be attributed to inadequate treatment of sewage or
effluent from the agriculture and manufacturing industries.
Figure 1. River Water Quality Trend in Malaysia
The primary sources of NH3-N were livestock and domestic wastewater. From the
formulated WQI, total contaminated rivers (including the slightly contaminated Class III
river) are declining by 10% of all streams monitored in 2007, approximately 5% in 2011. At a
glance in Figure 2, the WQI data Show a decrease in the number of contaminated rivers.
Figure 2.. Number of the polluted rivers as reported by DOE Malaysia from 2010-
2014 based on suspended solid (SS), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and ammoniacal
nitrogen (AN).
It may reflect any properly implemented environmental regulations or common concerns
among citizens are increasing. However, when we focus on BOD-based river classes (Table
3), we find that contaminated rivers (class III and IV) are rising 34.6% (in 2010) to 89.3% (in
2014) of the total monitored river. Table 3 shows the percentage of the polluted river as
reported by DOE Malaysia between 2010-2014 based on water quality index, biological
oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solid (SS) and ammoniacal nitrogen (AN).
Table 3: Percentage of polluted river
Year
Suspended solid
Biochemical oxygen
demand
Ammoniacal Nitrogen
(NH3-N)
Clean
Slightly
Polluted Polluted Clean
Slightly
Polluted Polluted Clean
Slightly
Polluted Polluted
Percentage Percentage Percentage
2010 47.6 18.8 33.6 8.4 55.2 36.4 24.5 46.1 29.4
2014 70.7 15.7 13.6 10.7 89.3 29.3 42.1 28.6
Depending on the results of monitoring by the DOE in 2012, regarding the river basin
formed, the Klang River Basin received the highest BOD load (142 tons per day). The Klang
River basin also received the highest SS load (360 tons per day) and the NH3-N load (37 tons
per day) between the Malaysian watersheds (Environmental quality Report, 2012).
1.4 Sources of River Water Pollution
Sources of water pollution can be classified into point sources and non-point sources. Point
sources refer to sources with discharges that enter the body of water at a particular location
such as pipelines or emissaries. Point sources include discharges from industries, sewage
treatment plants, and animal farms. Non-point sources are derived from diffuse sources that
have no examples of specific release points from which they come from agricultural activities
and surface runoff. Table 4 shows the sources of water pollution in Malaysia. In 2014,
1,488,848 sources of water pollution were identified compared to 1662329 sources of
pollution in 2013. It has been found that there is a decrease in the total number of polluting
sources in 2014 compared to 2013. But if you look at the Individual sources of water
pollution, there is a significant increase in food services, rubber mill, public and private
wastewater treatment plants and wet market.
Table 4. River Water Pollution Sources in Malaysia in 2014
Type of source
No of Source Percentage Change
2013 2014 2013 2014
Manufacturing industries 4595 3355 0.276 0.225 -0.051
Agro Based industries
Rubber Mill 72 80 0.004 0.005 0.001
Palm Oil Mill 436 451 0.026 0.0003 -0.026
Animal Pig 754 755 0.045
Sewage Treatment Plant
Public 5800 6201 0.349 0.416 0.068
Private 4083 4594 0.246 0.3 0.054
Individual septic tank 1449383 1276195 87.190 85.76 -1.430
Commercial septic tank 3631 3628 0.218 0.24 0.022
Food Services Establishment 192710 192710 11.593 12.95 1.357
Wet Markets 865 879 0.052 0.11 0.058
1662329 1488848 100 100
An analysis of manufacturing industries in 2000 showed that the food and beverage industry
accounted for 23.7 percent of total sources of water pollution, while electricity and
electronics accounted for 11.4 per cent. The chemical industry contributes 11.2%, and the
paper industry generates 8.8% of the total contamination. The finishing industry/textile
accounted for 7.4 and 5.3% of the sources of water pollution, respectively. Effluents from
factories, oil palm, and rubber generated in water resources amounted to 5.3 and 2%,
respectively (Muyibi, Ambali, & Eissa, 2008). In general, Selangor, Johor, and Perak were
severely contaminated by these sources of parameters (Department of the Environment,
2014).
1.5 Impact of Water Pollution on Health in Malaysia
Contaminated water consists of discharged industrial effluents, sewage, and rainwater. The
use of this type of water is a common practice in agriculture. The estimate indicates that more
than 50 countries in the world with an area of 20 million hectares are treated with
contaminated or partially contaminated water (Ashraf, Maah, Yusoff, & Mehmood, 2010). In
developing countries of the world, more than 80 percent of contaminated water has been used
for irrigation with only seventy-eight percent of food and safety in urban and semi-urban
industrial areas (Mara and Cairncross, 1989). Contaminated water has both advantages and
disadvantages. The uses of contaminated water for the effects of water pollution are
numerous. Some effects of water pollution are recognized immediately, while others do not
appear for months or years. When toxins are in the water, toxins travel from the water that
animals drink to humans when the meat of animals is eaten for contaminants to enter the food
chain. Infectious diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera can be contracted by drinking
contaminated water. This health impact of water pollution is called microbial water pollution.
The human heart and kidneys may be adversely affected if they drink contaminated water
regularly. Other health problems associated with contaminated water are poor blood
circulation, skin lesions, vomiting and damage to the nervous system. In fact, the effects of
water pollution are the leading cause of death for humans around the world (Ghafoor, Rauf,
Arif, & Muzaffar, 1994). Good health is something everyone wants, for them, their children
and for the broader economic and social benefits it brings to society. It plays a significant role
in the long-term economic growth and sustainable development. Malaysian society has
become increasingly urbanized and more involved. By supporting contemporary lifestyles,
air, water, and soil pollution have increased; Persistent chemical pollutants have gradually
become generalized and global climate change poses new risks to environmental health.
These factors are contributing to communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases,
physiological and neurological disorders.
Amirah, Afiza, Faizal, Nurliyana and Laili (2013), is responsible for assessing the risk to
human health of metal contamination through the consumption of fish in the selected area in
Kuantan, Pahang River. This research describes the analysis of the evaluation experiment on
metal and the high risk for health. The inductively coupled plasma membrane system (ICP-
MS) was used to determine the concentration of heavy metals in fish. The average
concentration of Cu, Pb, and Cd at three sites is about 0.0205 μg / g, 0.0145 μg / g of 0.0004
μg / g. The hazard risk ratio (THQ) was used in the health risk assessment to determine the
carcinogenicity of the sample. The result shows that the concentration and THQ around the
metal pin IED (Cu, Pb, Cd) are less than 1; This means that daily exposure at this level is
unlikely to cause adverse effects throughout the person's life.
Lonercan and Vansickle (1991) conducted a study on the relationship between water quality
and human health. The implicit assumption behind these projects is to improve physical
infrastructure, and further improvements in water quality, substantially reduce water-related
diseases. This study questions this assumption and uses a socio-ecological model as a
framework for assessing risk factors associated with increased likelihood of waterborne
diseases. The research focuses on Port Dickson, a district that defines the conditions of
existing waters and the mostly semi-rural sanitation of Malaysia. We used health service
utilization data and a survey of 268 diarrheal disease households to measure the burden of
waterborne diseases in the district's disease and to identify predictors of disease. While
treatment facilities will reduce the health burden in the region, some behavioral and sanitation
factors may be more important and could act to minimize the potential impacts of improved
water quality.
Jamaludin, Sham, and Ismail (2013) conducted a study on the health risk assessment of
nitrate exposure in residents of the drinking water well area to determine the health hazard of
inhabitants in the intensive cultivation zone By Bachok Kelantan. The nitrate in safe water
was determined with a spectrophotometer, while the health risk was determined by
calculating chronic daily intake (ICD) and the risk index (HI). The results indicate that the
nitrate level in this study was below the limit of the maximum National Drinking Water
Quality Standards (NDWQS) concentration (<10 mg L-1) at the mean ± standard deviation of
1, 66 ± 2.11 mg L-1 and the range from 0 to 9.60 mg L -1.
A cross-sectional study was conducted by Qaiyum, Shaharudin, Syazwan and Muhaimin
(2011), Mukim Part Lubok (MPL) and Parit Raja (PR), Batu Pahat, Malaysia determine the
concentration of aluminum in drinking water and to predict health. The respondents were
from these two residential areas. A total of 100 respondents were selected from the study
areas by inclusive and exclusive criteria. Two duplicate samples of treated water were taken
from the household of each respondent using 200 ml of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
and 0.4 ml (69%) of pure concentrated nitric acid as the preservative. The concentrations of
aluminum were analyzed using a Lambda 25 UV / V spectrophotometer. The result showed
that the concentration of aluminum in MPL drinking water was 0.18 ± 0.022 mg / L and 0.22
± 0.044 mg / L for PR. Statistical analysis showed that 14 samples (28%) of water collected
from MPL and 35 (70%) of an aluminum concentration of PR were recorded above the
standard limit established by the Ministry of Health's guide for drinking water (0, 2 mg / L).
The mean value of daily chronic aluminum intake (CDI) in PR drinking water (0.00707 mg /
kg / day) was significantly higher compared to MPL (0.00164 mg / kg / day). The calculation
of the risk index (HI) showed that respondents had less than 1. In conclusion, there was an
incredible potential for adverse health effects of aluminum intake in drinking water from the
two areas of study. However, it was necessary to take some measures to reduce aluminum
levels in drinking water for both places.
When analyzing data on river pollution from 2007-2012, Wahab (2015) found that river
pollution has a high correlation with gross domestic product, not in the same year, but in the
previous two years. It indicates a time delay. It was also found that under-five infant mortality
has a strong correlation with river pollution. The triangular cycle of health development must
be put in balance to ensure national prosperity and sustainability of the nation.
Afroz et al., 2015 conducted a survey in Gombak in 2014 to investigate the perceived risk of
household water contamination and to examine demographic and socioeconomic factors that
influence their perception of risk. Respondents were asked to rate the six specific diseases
caused by water pollution in the Gombak River area. The results reported that 45.2% of the
interviewees selected diarrhea as the most severe disease in the Gombak River area. To them,
diarrhea was much higher than that of other types of diseases. 13.3% of respondents
classified dengue fever as the second most dangerous disease. Water pollution causes only
2% of households classified hair conditions ( Figure 3 and 4).
Figure. 3. Disease caused by water pollution
Figure. 4. Source of drinking water
In their study, they asked respondents where they got their drinking water. There were several
sources of drinking water. 40% of respondents who buy for drinking water, city water (30%),
individual well (16.0%) and only 5% respond that they do not know the source of drinking
water. During the storage of drinking water also, they did not use any special precaution.
About 68% stored water in plastic buckets, 16% in earthenware, 10% in stainless steel
containers and 6% in others as shown in Fig. 5. Most of them did not use any separate glass
to draw water from The containers in which the water was stored. Villagers, especially
children, did not use basic hygiene measures such as washing their hands before removing
water from the storage container. Most villagers reported that they wash their water storage
utensil once a month, while some wash it once every 2 to 3 months. Most of them were
unaware of some precautions to be taken before and after storing water and preventing
waterborne diseases.
Figure. 5. Storage of drinking water
The findings show that 58.9% of children aged 0-12 years are more affected by diarrhea
despite demonstrating only a small fraction of the population. On the other hand, those over
60 consider an exaggeratedly small percentage (2.4%) of diarrhea, despite apparently having
a high vulnerability to diarrhea as shown in Fig. 6. It may occur due to a various treatment
depending on the traditional medicine. It may be attributable to statements made by several
respondents, who are confident that they have developed a form of "immunity" to diarrhea
disease through an extended connotation with diarrhea and untreated, unboiled water. The
results of their study also indicate that gender, age, education, income, awareness, and
attitude have a significant impact on the perception of the risk of water pollution in
households.Although it has been shown that water quality influences rates of health
problems, the impact of programs to improve water quality can only be minimal since it only
affects the primary source. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop parallel programs to
accompany water improvement projects.
Figure. 6. Mostly affected by diarrhea disease
1.6 Water Resource Policies in Malaysia
There are several strategies to combat the problems of water quality at international,
national and local level. In order to obtain water quality, there are four key strategies to
combat the problems of water quality that can form the basis of policy solutions to improve
water quality (Dabelko & Aaron, 2004), such as prevention pollution, treatment of
contaminated water, the safe use of wastewater and the restoration and protection of
ecosystems. In this section, we discuss the policies of water resources in Malaysia as follows:
1.6.1 National Policy
The National Environmental Policy states that the nation must implement
environmentally sound and sustainable economic, social and cultural development progress
and improve the quality of life of Malaysians (Daud, 2009) development. It is based on eight
inter-related principles of mutual support and respect to water will include the sustainable use
of water resources, preservation of the vitality and diversity of a river, and the continuous
improvement of water quality. The policy outlines strategies and actions to be taken towards
effective management of water resources, pollution control, and prevention of environmental
degradation. A holistic approach is needed to manage our water quality of the river.
1.6.2 Environmental policy in Malaysia to control river water pollution
Malaysia has been pollution-related legislation from the 1920s through the Water Act
1920.The main objective of the legislation was to control river pollution. However, the
legislation was limited in scope and insufficient to handle the complex environmental
problems that emerged. This led to the creation of the Environmental Quality Act 1974
(EQA) for a more comprehensive form of legislation and an agency to control water pollution
(Wichelman, 1976). Importantly, the Act was designed as a framework for other laws and
regulations or ordinances which were enacted after it. EQA is a piece that allows the
legislation to prevent, reduce and control pollution and improving environmental resources in
general. Pollution, as stated in EQA, including direct or indirect alteration of any quality of
the environment or any part of it through positive act or act of broadcasting. Pollution control
was through the mechanism of the license issued by the Department of Environment. The
control mode includes prescribing licenses that were mandatory for prescribed use and
occupancy of premises; discharge or emission of residues exceeding acceptable conditions to
the atmosphere causing pollution or contamination of any type of soil or any land surface;
and discharge or deposit any waste or oil above the acceptable conditions in Malaysian
waters inland. Currently about 16 of the 43 sets of regulations and orders to avoid damage to
the environment, they are particularly pollution of various kinds and executed by the
Department of Environment under the EQA 1974. One of the three strategies incorporated in
EQA 1974 was the regulation of pollution. The other two strategies were to prevent and
reduce all forms of pollution, especially water pollution. Overall, the pace of EQA in 1974
marked a new chapter in national efforts to improve the quality of the environment conducive
to a life of the population. He also represented a new focus on prevention, reduction, and
control of water pollution. A detailed analysis of the provisions of Article 25 of EQA shows
that Malaysia's approach to environmental pollution management is broad in scope and not in
relation to pollution itself, but with the pollution affecting the beneficial use of water
resources examination. Beneficial use involves the use of any element or segment of the
environment that is conducive to public health, welfare or safety requires protection against
the effects of waste discharges, emissions, and deposits in rivers. The general scheme Section
25 EQA, in relation to the preservation of the environment, leans more towards controlling
water pollution. This should be done through licensing by the Department of Environment.
EQA authorizes the relevant minister to prescribe the level of acceptable conditions, although
it may involve some contentious arguments between affected and polluters. To achieve the
objectives of control water pollution in the country as outlined in EQA, laws/orders and
regulations relating to the control of an agro-based episode of water pollution were enacted
chronologically. An indirect measure to prevent water pollution was Street, Drainage and
Building Act enacted in 1974. Section 70A of the Act dealt with the basic requirement for
earthmoving to ensure protection from pollution of water resources. They could awaken the
earthworks. In this regard, local authorities were entitled to use their discretion to reject any
activity that may create soil erosion and sedimentation of water resources. There were several
other provisions of this Act authorizing local authorities to control and prevent pollution of
inland waters. This was most pronounced in section 7A of the Act 1976.The Local
Government Act contains provisions on pollution reduction in overall control, but water
pollution in particular. Local authorities were empowered to curb disorderly conduct to
ensure that the source of drinking water supplies is not contaminated. Another regulatory
policy for the protection of inland waters is Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974
(McCourt, 2008).This Act is a federal law enacted to amend and consolidate the laws relating
to drainage and construction areas local authorities, with particular reference to the infra-
structure facilities to be provided to buildings, such as adequate access to modern sanitation
system and proper drainage system can also protect pollution. In water, it requires the Local
authority to properly maintain clear, emptying sewers, drains, and waterways in your area.
You can also empty the sewage in the sea areas or other adjustment or transmitted throug16h
own channel in the most convenient dump. The local authority can use its discretion to reject
any activity that may result in water pollution or soil erosion and sedimentation of the
watercourse. The Town and Country Planning Act 1976 have also been formulated to include
a provision for the prevention of environmental pollution. Although it is not ready directly to
water pollution, provides for the development and use of land and measures to improve the
physical environment. The inclusion of environmental and social dimensions of well-being in
the process of planning in the Act indicates that the planning process is not simply focused on
the built and natural environment, but takes into account the social implications and the
public view of development. In this sense, planning is central to the notion of a balance
between development and environmental ethos protection of natural resources. It ensures that
development projects do not cause damage to water resources or to ensure that development
projects and factories and is adjacent to the river and in close proximity to rivers. Under the
Act 3 of 1970, the Malaysian government has formulated the Land Conservation to protect
some of the major contributors of pollution of inland waters, such as sedimentation and soil
erosion. In view of the fact that the nature of the discharge of sediment and erosion leading to
water pollution are from non-point sources such as activities involving earthmoving
operations, logging and land clearing a regulatory policy were enacted at the state and federal
levels Malaysia. Following the Federal Regulation, many control enactments have been
adopted under the competence of the state authority. Other Acts and Regulations include:
(Licensing) Regulations of Environmental Quality, 1977; Environmental Quality (Local
prescribed) crude palm oil Order, 1977 and its amendment in 1982; Environmental Quality
(prescribed Premises) Order relating to Raw Natural Rubber, 1978 Environmental Quality
(prescribed Premises) Regulations related raw Natural Rubber, 1978 Environmental Audit
(EA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) .With respect to control municipal and
industrial wastewater pollution, environmental quality related to sewage and industrial
effluent regulation was enacted in 1979. In fact, control of industrial emissions caused a
concern for the government. To update this, Mahathir administration in 1981 enacted the
Environmental Management Control hazardous waste. Environmental quality standards
related to waste programmed was approved in 1989. In order to take action, Orders and
Environmental Quality Regulation (prescribed premises) related to waste treatment and
disposal facilities are scheduled simultaneously introduced in 1989. In 1990, Investment
Promotion Order (made under the Investment Promotion Act, 1986) was enacted to regulate
environmental issues in the context of investment activities that may affect any
environmental resource, particular water. This was then followed by the Prohibition of Use of
Controlled Substance in soap, synthetic detergents, and other cleaning products Order
approved in 1995. These were strictly emphasized in the EIA, 1987.
1.7 Conclusion
Water pollution is a serious problem in Malaysia and has an adverse impact on the
sustainability of water resources. Not only that, but it also affects living plants and organisms,
the health of the population and the economy. The total availability of water significantly as
the cost of treatment of contaminated water is too high and in some cases, polluted water is
not susceptible to consumption is reduced. Muyibi et al., 2008 shows that development
regarding industrialization, urbanization and population growth explains several changes in
the annual level of pollution in Malaysian rivers. As such, water pollution trends tend to be
sporadic in nature to the present situation, despite all policy measures and actions were taken
by DOE, as well as technologies for waste treatment. The document has considered
technology and policy measures as moderating the balance between development activities
and water pollution. The findings of his study have also pointed to many implications for
lawmakers. First, the outcome of the interactive effects of predictors on contaminated water
implies that policy measures that could be taken against individual sources of water pollution
would be ineffective when actions were concentrated to control only one source of water
contamination. In other words, it implies that co-policy instruments and effects must be very
strict; Working together against all identified sources of water pollutants. Secondly, policy
measures against water pollution may be appropriate and effective, but the lack of
coordination actions and holistic actions in policy implementation could lead to a failure to
improve the level of river pollution in the country. Third, the problem may also be associated
in part with financial constraints to invest in appropriate technology, especially sewer systems
to control the human source of water pollution in the country. In the case of waste treatment,
most technologies currently rely only on primary and secondary treatments. Since Tertiary or
Advanced Treatment is not used in the country, it, therefore, implies that the effluent from
such treatment plants will be very high in nutrient loads. Fourth, the problem could be
associated with a lack of cooperation between government and private companies to comply
with water pollution regulatory policies. Fifth, the availability of technologies in industries
does not require a reduction of water pollution, but depends on the adequacy of these
techniques regarding capacity and dates; And the conformity of industries interested firms to
install these technologies. Also, most of these technologies are only capable of primary and
secondary operations. Advanced and tertiary waste treatment operations are needed to reduce
water pollution. Sixth another central point of the problem is the issue of the license policy of
infringement awarded to some film industries as well as their renewals.
Finally, personal awareness is one of the most important recommendations to protect
water from pollution. Therefore, an individual should not use any products that are harmful to
the environment. They urge stores to abandon the packaging and use of biodegradable
materials. In addition, the authority must provide adequate sewerage and drainage systems, as
well as formulate strict pollution control standards and educate the people of this city to
develop ecological awareness. In addition, an awareness campaign is needed to change
attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of the public. Furthermore, participation in partnerships
is necessary for the contribution and support of local and national groups working to resolve
environmental problems at institutional, national and international levels. Each person should
have enough information, participate in public hearings, serve on advisory committees, and
go to review boards.
References
R Afroz, H Banna, MM Masud, R Akhtar, SR Yahaya. 2015 Household’s perception of water
pollution and its economic impact on human health in Malaysia. Desalination and Water
Treatment, 1-9.
Amirah, M. N., Afiza, A. S., Faizal, W. I. W., Nurliyana, M. H., & Laili, S. (2013). Human
health risk assessment of metal contamination through consumption of fish. Journal of
Environment Pollution and Human Health,1(1), 1-5.
Ashraf, M. A., Maah, M. J., Yusoff, I., & Mehmood, K. (2010). Effects of polluted water
irrigation on environment and health of people in Jabber, District Kasur,
Pakistan. International Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences,10(3), 37-57.
Dabelko, D., & Aaron, T. (2004). Water, conflict, and cooperation.Environmental Change
and Security Project Report, 10, 60-66.
Daud, H. (2009). Legislative approach to water quality management in Malaysia: Success
and challenges. Malaysia: Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment.
Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE). (2014). The study on pollution prevention and
water quality improvement of Sg. Melaka. Malaysia: Government of Malaysia, Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment.
Gasim, M. B., Ismail Sahid, E. T., Pereira, J. J., Mokhtar, M., & Abdullah, M. P. (2009).
Integrated water resource management and pollution sources in Cameron Highlands, Pahang,
Malaysia. American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Science, 5, 725–732.
Ghafoor, A., Rauf, A., Arif, M., & Muzaffar, W. (1994). The chemical composition of
effluents from different industries of the Faisalabad city. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural
Sciences, 31, 367–370.
Jamaludin, N., Sham, S. M., & Ismail, S. N. S. (2013). Health risk assessment of nitrate
exposure in the good water of residents in the intensive agriculture area. American Journal of
Applied Sciences, 10(5), 442-448.
Ling, J. K. B. (2010). Water quality study and its relationship with high tide and low tide at
Kuantan river (Doctoral dissertation, Universiti Malaysia Pahang).
Lonergan, S., & Vansickle, T. (1991). The relationship between water quality and human
health: A case study of the Linggi River basin in Malaysia. Social Science & Medicine, 33(8),
937-946.
Malaysia Environmental Quality Report (2012).
Mara, D. D., & Cairncross, S. (1989). Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater and excreta
in agriculture and aquaculture: measures for public health protection.
McCourt, W. (2008). Public management in developing countries: From downsizing to
governance. Public Management Review, 10(4), 467–479.
McCourt, W. (2008). Public management in developing countries: From downsizing to
governance. Public Management Review, 10(4), 467–479.
Muyibi, S. A., Ambali, A. R., & Eissa, G. S. (2008). The impact of economic development on
water pollution: trends and policy actions in Malaysia. Water resources management, 22(4),
485-508.
Qaiyum, M. S., Shaharudin, M. S., Syazwan, A. I., Muhaimin, A., (2011). Health risk
assessment after exposure to aluminum in drinking water between two different
villages. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 2011.
Sikder, M. T., Kihara, Y., Yasuda, M., Mihara, Y., Tanaka, S., Odgerel, D., ... & Kurasaki, M.
(2013). River water pollution in developed and developing countries: judge and assessment
of physicochemical characteristics and selected dissolved metal concentration. CLEAN–Soil,
Air, Water, 41(1), 60-68.
Wahab, M. A. A. (2015). River Pollution Relationship to the National Health Indicated by
Under-Five Child Mortality Rate: A Case Study in Malaysia.BIOREMEDIATION SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (e-ISSN 2289-5892), 3(1), 20-25.
Weng, C.N. (2005). Sustainable management of rivers in Malaysia: Involving all
stakeholders. International Journal of River Basin Management, 3(3), 147–162.
Wichelman, A.F. (1976). Administrative agency implementation of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969: A conceptual framework for explaining differential
response. Natural Resources Journal, 16, 263.
Zainudin, Z. (2010). Benchmarking river water quality in Malaysia. Jurutera, 12-15.

Supplementary resource (1)

... Afroz et. al. has reported that the consumption of contaminated water can cause a number of illnesses, including cholera, diarrhoea, and typhoid fever [3]. Furthermore, contaminated water sources can lead to a water outage. ...
... Water pollution is mainly caused by human activities such as illegal dumping [2], farm fertilizer and livestock farming, [3], [6], [7], and industrial wastage [7], [8], [9] where the content of the wastewater contaminated natural water sources. The content in wastewater is bad for all living things that depend on natural water sources. ...
... Discharging untreated water can introduce hazardous contaminants, such as heavy metals and radioactive elements, into water sources [7]. The Department of Environment Malaysia has identified three major water pollutants in Malaysia's water sources, namely Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Suspended Solid (SS), and Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N) [3], [26]. ...
Article
Full-text available
This study describes a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-based planar microwave sensor. Its capability in detecting several samples which are based on the usual water contaminant in Malaysia was investigated. The CSRR sensor was designed with an unloaded resonant frequency of 2.0 GHz, and it was fabricated on an FR-4 substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm and a dielectric constant of 4.3. The S-parameter responses of the sensor were measured under two conditions; i) unloaded and ii) loaded. For the latter, samples of tap water, salt water, isopropyl alcohol, filtered water and cooking oil were used to load the resonant element of the CSRR. The measurement result of unloaded CSRR shows that the designed sensor resonates at 1.99 GHz, which is in line with the simulation. The measurement results also showed that the presence of all samples caused the resonant frequency of the CSRR to shift, with filtered water and cooking oil showing the biggest frequency shifts (0.84 GHz and 0.96 GHz, respectively). A sensitivity analysis of the CSRR was carried out and it shows that it achieves 0.25% sensitivity. The proposed sensor may be a useful substitute for pricey commercial sensors for applications involving water quality because of the inexpensive materials and ease of fabrication.
... Studies have also reported that other macroalgae can accumulate high levels of metals, including toxic heavy metals, especially when cultivated in polluted coastal areas with imbalanced pH (Gosavi et al. 2004). The pH fluctuation in Malaysian rivers is influenced by rapid urbanisation, development, agriculture, and anthropogenic activities associated with polluted rivers and coastal areas (Afroz and Rahman 2017). The incorporation of Caulerpa spp. ...
Article
Full-text available
The deficiency in the worldwide protein provision from marine capture fisheries has led the Malaysian government to reevaluate its aquaculture approach, prioritising three commodities: seaweed, fish, and marine shrimp. However, comprehensive documentation of the performance of the Malaysian aquaculture sector, particularly in seaweed production, is lacking. Caulerpa (Chlorophyta), a seaweed genus abundantly available in Malaysia, holds the potential to emerge as a primary alternative food source in the future. This paper offers an overview of Caulerpa aquaculture, specifically focusing on C. lentillifera and C. racemosa, covering aspects such as taxonomy, phytomorphology, geographical distribution and habitat, cultivation system, chemical composition, pharmacological properties, and future prospects for sustainable aquaculture. Although the cultivation system has been implemented on a small scale in various districts in Malaysia, it is anticipated to escalate production and productivity due to the substantial demand for Caulerpa spp. both domestically and globally. The cultivation of Caulerpa spp. in Malaysia, in alignment with the National Agrofood Policy 2021–2030 (NAP 2.0), signals a trajectory toward enhancing the nation's food security in aquaculture and meeting the economic requirements for seaweed production.
... If the river water in Malaysia is further polluted, river pollution will become a severe problem in Malaysia, which will affect the sustainability of the water resources in fulfilling the water demand (Rezania et al., 2016). River contamination is known to affect the economy and the life of living organisms and plants (Afroz and Rahman, 2017). River water pollution causes eutrophication which will affect the biodiversity of aquatic life. ...
Conference Paper
The issues concerning pollution concentration that significantly affects the water quality throughout a river network have led to the increase number of studies addressing this problem worldwide. Pollutants upon entering a water body immediately take course and disperse according to the flow and the magnitude of the water current. Depending on the concentration and volume, the receiving water body has a certain capacity to dilute and disperse it further downstream within a river basin. This research is conducted within the lower basin of Perak River to evaluate its water quality status and to map out the pollutant distribution. Three types of water quality parameter were carried out, i.e. total suspended solid (TSS), turbidity, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). The results according to the parameters in sequence fall within a range of 30.67–742 mg/L, 21.55–87 NTU, and 0–4.928 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of heavy metals analysed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) yielded in the following descending order, Cu > Fe > Mn > As > Pb > Cr > Cd. The concentration of the analysed metals is Cu, 0.0465–26.1427; Fe, 0.5816–5.6658; Mn, 0.0461–0.3522; As, 0.0168–0.1816; Pb, 0.0456–0.0812; Cr, 0.0012–0.0685; and Cd, 0.001–0.0507 mg/L. A modelling software, Qual2K, was applied to model the dispersion of heavy metals throughout the lower basin of Perak River. The pollutant distribution is finally plotted out using geographic information system (GIS) mapping.
... (Lee Goi, 2020) f. (Chia, 2019) g. (Fitri et al., 2020) h. (Toriman et al., 2012) i. (Ying, 2020) j. (Osmi et al., 2016) k. (Afroz & Rahman, 2014) l. (Loi et al., 2022) m. (Che Osmi et al., 2018) n. (Adnan et al., 2022) o. (Khullar & Singh, 2021) p. (Shamsuddin et al., 2022) q. (Khalid et al., 2018) r. (Xu et al., 2022) s. (Taghipour et al., 2019) t. (Bai et al., 2021) u. (Yessenamanova et al., 2022) v. (Mustapha et al., 2017) w. (Al Hadidi & Al Hadidi, 2021) Table 1 summarizes the common themes found in the literature for monitoring compliance with discharge limits in terms of final effluent quality, load estimates, and river conditions. Among the Sustainable Development Goals that are often discussed are water quality, climate change, and sustainable management. ...
Article
Full-text available
It is necessary to continuously monitor industrial wastewater discharges to maintain a clean and healthy environment in waterways. There is an increase in the number of industries in Malaysia and a significant increase in polluted and slightly polluted rivers. As a result, this study describes the concept and categorisation of industrial effluent compliance. It considers the urgent need to improve Malaysia's river water quality and the contribution of the industrial sector to river water pollution. This paper presents the argument on the critical issues of industry compliance and river pollution, with a focus on Industrial Effluent Regulation 2009. As part of this review, readers will understand the various concepts of rating assessments used to measure compliance with industrial effluent discharges. In this paper, the author seeks to identify the themes discussed in the literature concerning measuring compliance. A discussion of alternative compliance rating assessments based on research findings and document review. There were four themes identified in the literature research related to compliance with industrial effluent discharge: policy, testing/laboratory requirements, consent requirements and regulatory standard. As part of the compliance monitoring process, community empowerment, regulatory, plant operations, environmental audits, and environmental risk and emergency planning, are often covered in papers.
... In addition, it affects more highly populated modernised communities too, so journalists are more willing to report on such issues. Bacterial contamination is a long-standing problem affecting a minority of the population (Afroz & Rahman 2017;See et al. 2017), so may not be considered to be newsworthy. ...
Article
Full-text available
Water access, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) data for Malaysia suggest that almost 100% of the population have access to basic sanitation and basic drinking water, but this data may not include marginalised communities and stateless individuals, indigenous or otherwise. The aim of this study was to evaluate WASH provision for residents of the Johor River Basin and evaluate the disparity in facilities between indigenous Orang Asli and more modernised communities. Questionnaires were distributed to eight communities. In total, 899 questionnaires were completed including 100 from indigenous communities and 799 from more modernised communities. Significant differences existed between communities with regard to education levels (p < 0.001), occupation (p < 0.001), household income (p < 0.001), type of toilet, sewage and sanitation facilities (p < 0.001) and perception of health risks and concerns (p < 0.001). There is a significant difference in access to water and sanitation facilities between indigenous and modernised communities. Further study is now required to understand behaviours and educate river-based communities on relevant potential health risks from water contamination in the Johor River Basin.
... [13] Some of the damages to daily lives in Klang Valley due to pollution include additional expenses to purchase clean water, food and hygiene issues. [14] Due to the added costs associated with purchasing bottled mineral water and the lack of readily available water for cooking, the citizens are compelled to buy food from restaurants. On top of all these, they are forced to waste time and effort to collect water from nearby tanks or other water sources. ...
Article
Full-text available
Water is one of the most essential substances on Earth, where all plants and animals rely on water for living and survival. Similarly, humans have utili sed water for various purposes since the beginning of civilisation. In addition to consuming it daily for survival, people utilise water for various other uses, such as cooking, washing clothes, bathing, and irrigation for agriculture and other manufacturing.
... In the past, little importance was given to the treatment of contaminated water by industries, causing irreparable consequences, in addition to entailing a high economic cost in finding a solution. According to Afroz & Rahman (2017), water pollution is a serious problem in Malaysia and has an adverse impact on the sustainability of its water resources, on plants and living organisms and on the health and economy of the population. The total availability of water is significantly reduced since the cost of treating contaminated water is too high and, in some cases, the contaminated water is not suitable for consumption. ...
Chapter
Water is a fundamental element for the sustenance of all living beings in nature, hence the importance of its conservation and the correct management of its sources. In the case of the Portoviejo River, water is used as a means of irrigation in plantations, a drinking water supply to the city, and a space for developing tourism. However, new settlements along the banks of the Portoviejo River have led to a rise in pollution levels and other misuses of the water. Owing to these circumstances, there was a clear need to evaluate the historical background and conservation mechanisms of water sources used by the canton authorities and its control bodies. The main objective of this study was to carry out an exhaustive analysis of good practices in the use of water sources within the Portoviejo Canton. The study used a hermeneutic research approach, which allows the researcher to perform a qualitative analysis of various interpretations of different texts through a dialectical process, which supports the investigation and substantiates the results obtained. Cite Chapter MLA González, Arturo Luque, et al. "Best Practice in the Use of the Water Sources of Portoviejo Canton, Ecuador, and Its Parishes." Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development, edited by Jared Keengwe and Benard O. Nyatuka, IGI Global, 2023, pp. 263-287. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9099-0.ch012 APA González, A. L., Ponce, J. H., & Popescu, C. R. (2023). Best Practice in the Use of the Water Sources of Portoviejo Canton, Ecuador, and Its Parishes. In J. Keengwe & B. Nyatuka (Eds.), Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development (pp. 263-287). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9099-0.ch012 Chicago González, Arturo Luque, José Humberto Ponce Ponce, and Cristina Raluca Gh. Popescu. "Best Practice in the Use of the Water Sources of Portoviejo Canton, Ecuador, and Its Parishes." In Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development, edited by Jared Keengwe and Benard O. Nyatuka, 263-287. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2023. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9099-0.ch012
Chapter
Heavy metal pollution has escalated significantly in recent decades as a consequence of the fast acceleration of urbanisation and industrialisation. Due to the fact that metals are resilient and, in most cases, harmful to living organisms if detected in an amount above a certain level, this issue has become a serious concern for the entire world community. Heavy metals originating from anthropogenic activity have significantly degraded clean freshwater sources, notably rivers. Also, harmful heavy metals have no known biological function in aquatic life and are highly toxic if permitted to collect in metabolically active regions, whereas beneficial heavy metals have known biological activities and are only dangerous in excess of threshold amounts. Heavy metals cause major ecotoxicological issues since they are non-biodegradable, persistent and harmful to the environment. Heavy metals have a tendency to bioaccumulate, and the degree of this bioaccumulation depends on the overall amount; the bioavailability of each metal in the environment; the mechanisms used for uptake, storage and excretion; and the routes taken. The most harmful heavy metals with a negative impact on the aquatic ecosystem include Pb, Cr, Hg, As and Cd, among others. They have the potential to disrupt the aquatic ecosystem, particularly fish, as well as have a significant impact on the hydrological, geological and, ultimately, biological cycles. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the occurrence, behaviour and movement of heavy metals from industrialisation into the river basin as well as mitigation techniques to ensure the quality of the river is within the standard.
Chapter
As a leading resource in the world, water has been useful in many aspects of our daily life, like drinking, farming resources, and some technological developments also need water. However, the growth of industrial activities and the human population has made water quality becoming a critical problem, especially in Malaysia. Thus, it is essential to monitor the water quality regularly so it can be safely used. This study proposes the development of autonomous radio control (RC) catamaran to be used for surveillance and water pollution monitoring. The solution is based on creating a self-autonomous boat with a multi-hull catamaran that contains several sensors to record the water quality around the Lake Tropica in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru Campus. The catamaran comprises a water quality monitoring system, an autonomous ground controller, and an autopilot navigation system. The data for water quality monitoring, including pH and temperature, was recorded in the mobile storage in real-time. Finally, results from the water quality analysis revealed that it was within the range of being clean and safe for everyday use when compared to the Department of Environment standard.
Article
Full-text available
The trend of global under-five child mortality rate showed a steady decrease at -3.14% per year approaching the United Nations millennium development goals target (-4.0% reduction per year from 1990-2015). This rate is usually inversely proportional to the nations GDP. However, the progress in the recent years (2006-2012) in Malaysia has raised a disturbing concern with an annual average increment of +0.81% per year. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify the reasons of such risky ecosystem. By analyzing recorded data on river pollution from 2007- 2012, we found that river pollution has high correlation with the gross domestic products, not at the same year, but for two years prior that indicates a lag time. We also found that under-five child mortality has strong correlation with the river pollutions. The development-pollution- health triangular cycle needs to be put in a balanced to ensure the nation prosperity and sustainability of the nation.
Article
Full-text available
A cross-sectional study was conducted at Mukim Parit Lubok (MPL) and Parit Raja (PR), Batu Pahat, Malaysia. The main objective of this study was to determine the aluminium concentration in drinking water and to perform health risk assessment prediction among respondents from these two residential areas. A total of 100 respondents were selected from the study areas based on inclusive and exclusive criteria. Two duplicates of treated water samples were taken from each respondent’s house using 200mL high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles and 0.4 mL (69%) pure concentrated nitric acid were added as a preservative. Aluminium concentrations were analyzed using a Lambda 25 UV/V spectrophotometer. The result showed that aluminium concentration in drinking water from MPL was 0.18 ± 0.022 mg/L and 0.22 ± 0.044 mg/L for PR. Statistical analysis showed that 14 (28%) water samples collected from MPL and 35 (70%) from PR recorded concentration of aluminium above the standard limit set by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia for drinking water guideline (0.2 mg/L). The mean value of Chronic Daily Intake (CDI) of aluminium in drinking water from PR (0.00707 mg/kg/day) was significantly higher compared to MPL (0.00164 mg/kg/day). Hazard Index (HI) calculation showed that all respondents had “HI” of less than 1. In conclusion, there was an unlikely potential for adverse health effects from aluminium intake in drinking water from both study areas. However, it was necessary for some actions to be taken in order to reduce aluminium levels found in drinking water for both locations.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The concept of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) was first introduced in Malaysia in the 1990s. IRBM propagates a unified approach towards surface water resource management encompassing various scopes of collaboration and integration among authorities, stakeholders and the general public. It is viewed as the ultimate solution in ensuring a sustainable outcome to water resource management for present and future generations. IRBM is advocated both in the 8th and 9th Malaysia Plan. However, there have been many hurdles towards its implementation, even at the conceptual stage, due to the fragmented administrative practice related to water resource management. Even at the federal level, various agencies, either directly or indirectly involved in river basin management seem to be practicing and implementing varying approaches in IRBM, be it by any other name. This in-turn causes the approaches put forward to have an uneven distribution of focus favoring one agency’s field of involvement versus the other. Quite obviously this is not what is meant by integration. At the state level, the same predicament is observable amongst local council and authorities. In order to successfully implement IRBM, the relevant agencies at both federal and state levels and other stakeholders have to be unified in their approach, coupled with NGO and public participation. An overall authoritative agency with a clear mandate and responsibility to formulate, plan, coordinate and manage the implementation of the IRBM action plan is advocated. In this regard the roles of agencies such as Lembaga Urus Air Selangor and the statutory body Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara in the operationization of IRBM are discussed.
Article
Full-text available
Environmental problem is one of the crucial issues the world facing today. Water pollution is one of the main causes of environmental problem. It is greatly acknowledged that water pollution has significant impact on public health. Hence, the main objective of this paper is to investigate households risk perception of water pollution and to examine what are demographic and socioeconomic factors influence their risk perception. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS. The findings indicate that gender, age, education, income, AWN and ATT have significant impact on household risk perception of water pollution. Finally, discussing the water resource policies in Malaysia we provided some recommendations that will be helpful for policy makers to improve river water quality particularly in Malaysia.
Article
Full-text available
Nitrate in well water has become a public health concern especially in agriculture areas.Nitrate contamination in drinking water poses health risks to humans. This cross-sectional study wasconducted with an aim to determine the health risk of residents in intensive agriculture area of Bachok Kelantan from nitrate exposure in drinking well water. Nitrate in well water was determined withSpectrophotometer while the health risk was determined through calculation of Chronic Daily Intake(CDI) and Hazard Index (HI). Results indicate that nitrate level in this study was below the MaximumConcentration Limit of National Drinking Water Quality Standard of Malaysia (NDWQS) (<10 mgL −1 ) with the Mean ± SD of 1.66±2.11 mg L −1 and range between 0 to 9.60 mg L −1. The highest Mean± SD of nitrate was determined in Kampung Aman (3.34±4.07 mg L−1). The mean ± SD for CDI was0.051±0.086 mg kg day −1 and the HI was <1. This indicate the health risk of residents from nitrateexposure in this area were in acceptable range.
Article
Full-text available
All over the world, including Malaysia, management of rivers is a central issue in this 21st Century. While government has always been traditionally entrusted with the responsibility of managing rivers, increasingly, the public, NGOs (Non‐Governmental Organisations), industrialists, farmers, and other stakeholders are playing a greater role. Sustainable management of rivers involves cooperation between countries and states sharing the same river basin, and cooperation between government and all stakeholders. Internationally, countries need to negotiate and use rivers as the basis for peace rather than conflict. In Malaysia, the Federal Government can initiate policies and remain in charge of governance of rivers, in consultation and cooperation with state governments. However, government must relinquish some of its responsibility on river management to all other stakeholders, viz. industrialists, entrepreneurs, farmers, communities/squatters, NGOs, educational institutions, fishermen, conservationists, tourists, the general public, etc. All stakeholders need to start taking proactive actions, even sacrifices, to manage, protect, conserve and restore our rivers so that their resources can be sustained for future use. This is where people from all levels ranging from politicians, policy makers, private companies, NGOs to individuals can play crucial roles. River management and related river issues need to involve NGOs and the people as these issues happen at the local level. Decision‐making regarding solutions should be carried out at the lowest appropriate level, ideally involving all stakeholders ranging from government to the private sector, NGOs, the local community and schools. People should be the focus both in decision making as well as active “workers” involved with restoration work. The motto of “Malaysia Boleh” (Malaysia Can) involves all Malaysians.This paper discusses how all stakeholders can contribute by working together in smart‐partnerships with government towards effective and sustainable management of rivers in Malaysia.
Article
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) directs Federal agencies to interpret and administer ''to the fullest possible extent'' their policies and regulations in accordance with its policy statement, making environmental protection part of the mandate of each Federal agency. NEPA also instructs the agencies to use systematic, interdisciplinary methodologies in environmental impact studies, and to improve the techniques through which they take into account environmental values in their planning and decision-making activities. The results of exploratory research that was designed to identify factors relevant to understanding how and why administrative agency response has varied are presented. A multi-phased conceptual framework was developed that identifies four general phases of implementation activity observed during the first 4¹/â years of the Act's operation and isolates the principal intervening variables associated with movement by an agency from one phase to another. The phases tend to occur as a progression, beginning with an ''Interpretive Phase'' and followed by a ''Formal Compliance Phase'' in which implementation activity focuses on putting the procedural and structural adaptations required to comply formally with the Act into effect. A third or ''Integrated Planning Phase'' follows. The final, or ''Programmatic Planning Phase'' integrates the formulation of proposed agency legislation, programs, policies, and regulations. (MCW)