IN recent months, we have been hearing the commotion about water pollution, logging and revival of colonial era exploitation of the environment via mining. Where do all these issues leave us? All the brouhaha about following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) does not reflect policy implementation and enforcement. Are we in drought of solutions to improve economic wellbeing without making the environment as a huge sacrifice?
Raw water pollution
Pollution has rattled the Klang Valley a few times in the recent months and many leaders at state and federal levels have promised to make amendments and increase federal-state collaborations to fight raw water pollution. Where are the amendments to the Environment Quality Act and the Water Services Industry Act? What happened to the polluters that were caught?
When is the government going to allow business sector and domestic consumers to be compensated due to pollution? Awer has given ample solutions to have a head start and continuity to ensure water security is maintained. Are the authorities waiting for another major crisis to take action or giving lip service as usual?
Logging
Logging is a quick but unintelligent way to increase state governments’ income. Once fallen, these virgin forests will not grow back. Loss of forest cover also poses huge impact on local climate and water cycle. This short-term income comes with problems like flood, soil erosion, landslide and reduction in raw water availability. In addition to that, change in local climate may also impact the output of Malaysia’s “golden fruit”, palm oil, due to drier weather. There are other methods of growing a harvestable forest in short period of time. Why are proponents of logging unable to think of better solutions?
Transboundary Water
The Kedah-Penang spat on the raw water issue is always comedic to watch. The statements issued by leaders of both state are equally non-compromising and show lack of scientific knowledge. Blocking Sg Muda from entering another state needs a lot funds and an alternative route to divert large volume of water; kampung folks would not be able to do this task.
On the other hand, Ulu-Muda is the source of raw water extracted by Penang on their side. Paying raw water charges based on quality of raw water does not put Penang in jeopardy. By the way, Penang is already charging raw water charges to their state water company. Sharing it with Kedah is a win-win solution that will require Kedah to legally protect Ulu-Muda. Let science, not inanity, prevail.
Mining
Globally, there are many downstream sectors that produce semi-finished and finished goods. There are new sectors that use advanced materials and carry out Life Cycle Assessments to ensure their operations have minimal impact on the environment. Just recently, a water treatment plant was shut down due to arsenic poisoning in the raw water. There was no detailed investigation carried out as the mentri besar of the state (at the time) declared the mine was a safe operation.
Does the law allow a mentri besar or a chief minister to declare a material or operation as safe without detailed investigations? What happened to the responsibility of the agencies at state and federal levels to find out true cause of the pollution?
The government is now driving a new initiative to revive the mining sector again. This also falls under the “quick but unintelligent way to increase income”.
Malaysia’s leadership gap in these sectors will leave bigger and more dangerous problems to the future generation. Do we have a law to hold these people accountable or they will escape with the reasoning of “collective decision”?
“Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.” – Lao Tzu
This article was contributed by S. Piarapakaran, president of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer), a non-government organisation involved in research and development in the fields of water, energy and environment.
Loss of forest cover oses huge impact on local climate conditions and the water cycle. – REUTERSPIX
Source: The Sun Daily
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