WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN MALAYSIA, POLICY AND ACTION PLANS Department of Environment Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment Level 1-4, Podium Blok 2 & 3, Lot G43, Presint 4, Federal Government Administrative Centre 62574 W. P. Putrajaya.
NATIONAL POLICY ON THE ENVIRONMENT: Integrates the three (3) elements of sustainable development: Economic Social and Cultural development
Cont It is based on eight (8) inter-related and mutually supporting principles set to harmonize economic development goals with environmental imperatives: Stewardship of the Environment Conservation of Nature s Vitality and Diversity Continuous Improvement in the Quality of the Environment Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
Cont Integrated Decision Making Role of the Private Sector Commitment and Accountability Active Participation in the International Community The policy serves as an important guide to all stakeholders to ensure that the environment is clean, safe, healthy and productive.
FUNCTION OF DOE: To administer and enforce the Environmental Quality Act, 1974 and Section IV of the Exclusive Economic Zone Act, 1984.
STRATEGIES: Pollution Control and prevention - EQA, 1974 & Subsidiary Legislation Sustainable Development through Conservation of Resources - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Integration of Environmental Factors in Development Planning - Presiting Evaluation of Industries
Cont Promotion of Environmental Education and Awareness Public Participation - Complaints Inter-Agency and Federal-State Cooperation - Joint Enforcement Bilateral, Regional and International Cooperation - Basel Convention
WATER POLLUTION Point Sources Pollution Non-point Sources Pollution
POINT SOURCES POLLUTION: Pollutants that enter a stream or lake at identifiable locations and can usually be measured. Point sources pollution comes from: Municipal (sewage) Manufacturing Industries Agro-based Industries Animal farms
HOW DOE MANAGE POINT SOURCE POLLUTION: Prescribed Activities?: - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - Site Suitability Evaluation (PAT) Pollution Control Equipment: - Written Permission Effluents - Written Approval Clean Air Equipment
Cont Licensing: - Prescribed Premises Raw Natural Rubber - Prescribed Premises Crude Palm Oil - Prescribed Premises Schedule Wastes Treatment and Disposal Facilities Inspection: - Compliance to the conditions of licenses - Compliance to the EQA, 1974 & Subsidiary Legislation
Cont Legal Action: - Notice - Compound - Prohibition Order - Prosecution Procedures
NON-POINT SOURCES POLLUTION (NPS): Definition by US EPA: NPS comes from many diffuse sources associated with rainfall and snowmelt runoff moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and underground sources of drinking water.
LAND USE ACTIVITIES AND TYPES OF MAJOR NPS POLLUTANTS Land Use Activities Pollutants Responsible Agency Agriculture-tillage, cultivation, pest control, fertilization, animal waste management and etc. Forestry-timber harvesting, road construction and etc. Excess fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and siltation from open areas, bacteria Siltation from open areas due to timber harvesting and road construction Department of Agriculture Department of Forestry
Cont Land Use Activities Pollutants Responsible Agency Urban storm runoff - automobile maintenance, lawn and garden care, painting and etc. Construction-land clearing and grading and etc. Oil, grease, antifreeze, nitrate, phosphate, pesticides, paints sediment Local authorities Local authorities Surface mining-dirt, gravel, mineral excavation and etc. Sediment, heavy metals, acid drainage, nitrate, phosphate Local authorities
NPS POLLUTION AND SOLUTIONS Land use activities Agriculture Forestry Solutions Plant row crops along contours and plant cover crops, compost manure, reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, stream buffers, minimize disturbance of trees and vegetation Implement harvesting plan, implement selective harvesting system, minimize disturbance of trees and vegetation
Cont Land use activities Urban storm runoff Construction Surface mining Solutions Plant trees, shrubs and groundcovers to filter out nutrients and pesticides and reduce the amount of runoff generated, composting, reduced fertilizer and pesticide use, recycle or dispose of used oil Proper erosion and sediment controls, vehicle maintenance, properly contain chemicals Design best drainage system
ACTION PLANS TO CURB POLLUTION 1) Enforcement and Monitoring 2) River Pollution Prevention and Water Quality Improvement Programme 3) Environmental Awareness, Education and Communication 4) Cleaner Production (CP) 5) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
1. ENFORCEMENT AND MONITORING Objectives : Pollution prevention Extensive monitoring network Database for baseline studies
Cont Targets and actions : Implementation of Environmental Quality Act (EQA), 1974 and its subsidiary laws (mixture of preventive and end-of-pipe control) Monitoring of marine, river and groundwater quality
WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMMES
THREE (3) TYPES OF WATER QUALITY MONITORING: River Monitoring Groundwater Monitoring Marine Water Monitoring
RIVER WATER QUALITY MONITORING TYPE OF STATION NUMBER Continuous/Automatic 15 Manual 1069 TOTAL 1084
CLASSIFICATION BASED ON WQI & SUBINDEX WQI Index/Sub Index Value Polluted Slightly. Clean -Index Polluted WQI 0-59 60 80 81 100 BOD 0-79 80 90 91-100 NH 3 N 0-70 71 91 92-100 SS 0-69 70 75 76-100
100 Clean 90 Slightly Polluted 80 74 Polluted 80 70 NUMBER OF BASIN 60 50 40 34 60 47 63 43 59 52 58 53 51 30 20 10 12 13 14 9 9 15 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 YEAR Figure 1. Malaysia : River Basins Water Quality Trend ( 2000-2005)
GROUNDWATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMMES
DISTRIBUTION OF GROUNDWATER MONITORING WELLS, 2005 Category Agricultural Areas Urban/Suburban Areas Industrial Sites Landfills Golf Courses Radioactive Sites Rural Areas Ex-Mining Areas Municipal Water Supply Animal Burial Aquaculture farms Resorts Number of Wells 12 12 18 27 7 1 5 3 11 16 9 1 Total 122
MARINE WATER QUALITY MONITORING TYPE OF AREA NUMBER Estuarine 70 Island 60 Coastal 151 TOTAL 281
2. RIVER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME Objectives : Identify pollution sources Determine impact Formulate action plans
Cont Targets and actions : Comprehensive study to formulate specific action plan. Implementation of action plan Monitoring throughout and after the project
8 th Malaysia Plan - Six (6) river basins selected. They are: Segget River, Johor Tebrau River, Johor Langat River, Selangor Melaka River, Melaka Batang Rajang River, Sarawak Rivers in Cameron Highlands, Pahang Selection is based on beneficial uses and status of water quality
WQI Trend For Sungai Segget (2001-2005) 100 80 WQI 60 40 20 44 46 54 50 47 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
WQI Trend For Sungai Tebrau (2001-2005) 100 80 WQI 60 40 71 72 77 68 59 20 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
WQI Trend For Sungai Langat (2001-2005) 100 80 WQI 60 40 66 66 71 70 70 20 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
WQI Trend For Sungai Melaka (2001-2005) WQI 100 80 60 40 20 0 68 69 73 73 71 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
WQI Trend For Sungai Batang Rajang (2001-2005) 100 80 WQI 60 40 71 72 77 68 59 20 0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
WQI Trend For Sungai Batam (2001-2005) WQI 100 80 60 40 20 0 86 87 85 89 89 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year
Action Plan Generated: Action Plan For Sungai Langat: Action Plan Components 1. Pollution prevention, control and management of point sources: - Installation of Central Sewage Treatment Plant - Installation of Central Treatment Plant for small and medium industries in selected areas Implementation Agency SSD DOE Supplementary Agency IWK LA
Cont Action Plan Components 2. Integrated Langat River Basin Management: - Development of an integrated Langat River Basin Management System 3. Installation of gross pollutant traps at outfalls in selected areas Implementation Agency LRC LA Supplementary Agency LUAS DOE, DID
Cont Action Plan Components 4. Pollution prevention, control and management of non-point sources: - Construction of retention ponds and wetlands 5. Effective management and Monitoring of Water Quality: -Establish representative sampling stations (manual/automatic) Implementation Agency DID DOE Supplementary Agency DOE ASMA, Department of Chemistry
Cont Action Plan Components - Assessment of data/trend - Stringent and more frequent enforcement of effluent discharge standards - Management and updating pollution information database 6. Promote educational & awareness programme and enhance effectiveness of Implementation Agency DID Supplementary Agency DOE
Cont Action Plan Components regulatory mechanisms: - Promotion of modules for industries, school & institutions and traders - Revise effluent discharge standards and ambient water quality standards - Stricter enforcement on illegal factories - Relocation of squatters along the river Implementation Agency DOE, DID, LUAS DOE DOE LA Supplementary Agency LA Police Department
3. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, EDUCATION AND Objectives : COMMUNICATION Formal & informal education, promote and enhance role of various parties, conveyance of environmental messages, enhance environmental awareness, understanding and capacity building
Targets and actions : Environmental awareness for schools / institute of higher learning - Environmental Awareness Camp - Environmental Competition - Environmental Awareness In Schools and institute of higher learning - Sustainable Schools Programme Environmental Awareness for the public - Development of Action Plan for the National Environment Policy - National Environmental Awareness Campaign - Public Exhibition/Audio visual - Environmental Courses/Seminars/Dialogues/Forums
Cont Environmental Information Dissemination - Publication of Environmental Quality and Annual Report - Publication of Environmental Information - Dissemination of Information through Information Technology - Enviro-Library International Environment Programme International/Regional/ASEAN Conference: - Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) - ASEAN Working Group on Marine and Coastal Environment - Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)
4. CLEANER PRODUCTION (CP) Objectives : Promoting & enhancing CP Capacity building, Training & audit.
Cont Targets and actions : Provide facilities for Environmental Sound Technology & CP centre Incorporate CP elements in legal provisions Human resource development programme Develop CP application system, option scheme, information & data network Introduce registered CP auditors, award /acknowledgements
5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Objectives : ASSESSMENT Incorporate environmental considerations into project planning for better decision making Targets and actions : Activities subjected to EIA under the EQA, 1974 Specific EIA guidelines
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