Jan 2001Newsletter
Gazettement of catchment reserves essential towards
securing safer & cleaner water supply
The Malaysian Nature Society Nature Society
(MNS) applauds the recent directive issued by the Director General of the
Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia concerning the identification and
gazettement of water catchment areas in each state. The Society is glad
that the Forestry Department has taken the initiative in ensuring the protection
of the country’s ever essential water catchments.
In Malaysia, as in everywhere else throughout
the world, water catchment protection is essential as they maintain our
water supply. Streams and rivers originate from highlands and they,
with and without impounding reservoirs, contribute 98% of the total water
use in Malaysia. The remainder is contributed by groundwater. Most of our
downstream areas are converted into other land-uses and as a result, rivers
are abused by indiscriminate dumping of industrial and non-industrial waste,
making them unsuitable for water supply.
The present problem of water supply
in this country is not generally associated with inadequacy of water resources.
In fact, the 150 over river systems in the peninsula contribute some 566
billion cubic meters of water throughout the year. Thus there is little
need for the use of the larger 5000 billion cubic meter of groundwater.
The main problem though lies in inadequacies in the water and land use
management, water quality, water treatment and distribution facilities,
as well as capacity building. Gazettement of water catchments reserves
is definitely a wise step in land use management and this in turn will
ensure the quality and quantity of our water supply.
Nevertheless, a holistic approach towards
river basin management throughout the entire river basin is still needed.
This is true as good quality water depends on the entire river basin, which
includes both water catchments reserves and the downstream environment.
Conservation of water catchment areas
also go far more than just conserving water sources. By just conserving
these areas for water, we also conserve a large part of our nations biological
diversity. As more lowlands are being developed for plantation agriculture,
highways, and urban developments, more and more of our country's wildlife
are forced towards the highlands for sanctuary.
Water catchment reserves also increase
the value of these highlands for recreational,
eco-tourism purposes, as well as the potential benefits from
bio-prospecting and patenting of plant-derived drugs.
Other than making sure that forests
above 1000m and 40 degrees are gazetted, the states should also take into
consideration in maintaining larger blocks of forests. Larger forest blocks
have greater capacity as water catchements especially in the longer run
if compared to smaller patches of forest. In addition, larger blocks of
forests make better corridors for animal migration.
MNS also welcomes the move by the Forestry
Department in cultivating local herbal plants to ensure their continual
existence and supply. This step proves that the department is truly concerned
in maintaining the country's biodiversity. The Society, however, hopes
that the plantations would not in any way require new forest land to be
opened up for cultivation. Instead, the department could plant these plants
in degraded forest or logged over forests as a means of enrichment planting
and forest rehabilitation. This will not only reduce costs but will
enable easier cultivation, as these areas are much easier to plant in rather
then in newly cleared areas.
One again the Society would like to
thank the Forestry Department, especially its Director General Datuk Zulmukhshar
Shaari, for their efforts towards sustainable forest management and maintaining
the country's biodiversity.
Dato' Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor
Kuala Lumpur, 13 September, 2000
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Created on 1 Jan 2001