Rising demand for freshwater
Published on: Friday, April 10, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: The recent Sabah State level World Water Day seminar and exhibition here was an opportune forum to learn how the National Water Resources Policy ensures water security and safety, although water is a state matter in accordance with the Federal Constitution.The National Water Resources Policy in a nutshell states: "The security and sustainability of water resources shall be made a national priority to ensure adequate and safe water for all, through sustainable use, conservation and effective management of water resources enabled by a mechanism of shared partnership involving all stakeholders."Director of River Basin Management Division, Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Malaysia, Dato' Ir. Haji Hanapi Mohamad Noor presented the paper 'National Water Resources Policy guiding Malaysia towards the future in Integrated Water Resources Management' at the seminar.ADVERTISEMENT According to him, there is an urgent need for an Integrated Water Resources Management process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.Ir. Hanapi elaborates: "Due to growth in population, increased economic activity and improved standards of living, have led to increased competition for and conflicts over limited freshwater, and a combination of social inequity and economic marginalisation forces people to overexploit soil and forestry resources, with damaging impacts on water resources."Principles of Integrated Water Resources Management have been incorporated into five-year development plans since the 8th Malaysia Plan with increased allocation for flood mitigation projects, water supply and sewerage services," he said. "This resulted in better infrastructure to solve the basic needs of water, minimise flood, health and sanitation problems of the nation.ADVERTISEMENT "To achieve sustainable water resources in Integrated Water Resources Management, all stakeholders must have common understanding and acceptance of its concept. The full participation of all parties will enable an effective transformation of Integrated Water Resources Management principles into appropriate regional and national policies and action plans to ensure the sustainable management of Malaysia's water resources," he stressed.Ir. Hanapi pointed out that the National Water Resources Policy's four guiding tenets are:
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1. Water for the people: All shall have access to safe, adequate and affordable water supply, hygiene and sanitation.2. Water for food and rural development: There shall be sufficient water to ensure national food security and to promote rural development.3. Water for economic development: There shall be enough water to spur and sustain economic growth for a high income economy country.4. Water for the environment: There shall be adequate protection for the water environment to preserve flow regime, biodiversity, cultural heritage along with the protection of water hazards."The year 2012 was a significant year for the water sector in Malaysia when the National Water Resources Policy was officially endorsed and approved by the government on February 22 and launched on March 24."With the National Water Resources Policy in place, there is now a much clearer direction for Malaysia to move forward to ensure water security for all sectors such as domestic, industry, agriculture, energy, environment and tourism."There is a dire need to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihood, human well-being and socio-economic development as well as preserving ecosystem and harmonious environment in the country."The National Water Resources Policy attempts to consolidate measures and mechanisms for effective and efficient water resources management, providing guidance to address knowledge gaps and strengthen methods and practices in Integrated Water Resources Management."The main thrusts of the National Water Resources Policy are towards ensuring water resources security and sustainability in view of the changing environment, increasing demands and challenging expectations," said Ir. Hanapi.According to him, the five achievable objectives of the National Water Resources Policy are:1. To set out the direction and strategies2. To provide means and measures to complement existing policy directions related to water resources3. To provide a platform to strengthen water resources intelligence4. To set out the means and measures for the adoption of water resources conservation plans, andStay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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5. To build the capacity of all stakeholders for effective participation and collaboration in water resources governance."The National Water Resources will benefit the people and environment through the principles of security, sustainability and collaborative governance. Well managed water resources serve as catalyst for social and economic development of Malaysia," Ir. Hanapi said in conclusion.