Environmental Conservation

What is Environmental Conservation?

Environmental conservation is the act of conserving or saving our natural resources through careful management. This means we can use the resources but wisely and responsibly. Examples: reducing your waste, saving trees, recycling, using renewable resources that don't deplete our natural resources. 

Don't get confused with habitat or wildlife conservation. That is similar, but pertains to animals. Also, preservation is different. When we preserve we strictly don't use it at all. when we put in in a simple context, it can be describe on how we protect our environment by using certain strategies that may help it to sustain in the future. 

Tapir - endangered species in Malaysia

What is has to do with sustainable?

Well, as the environmental is a part of sustainable framework, it does play an important role in the sustainable matter. Environmental conservation is important because if we use up our natural resources we will eventually run out of them. Take forests and plants for example. Without forests and plants there is no oxygen for us to breathe. the forest is also is important to act as the filter which may filter any sound, small yet dangerous particles in the air, and also may serve as the source of the water reservoir in many places, especially in the tropical countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil.

In Malaysia context? 

In the context of Malaysia, the role of protecting the environmental is bestow upon many government agencies like Department of Environment (Jabatan Alam Sekitar),  Jabatan Perhilitan, and also some prominent NGOs such as Sahabat Alam and WWF. the main functions of these agencies and NGOs are to manage, observe and protect the enviroment especially our huge forest reserve from being destroyed in the wake up "urbanization" all over the nation nowadays. they are also play an important role in observing any development in Malaysia, whether it is impacting the environment directly or indirectly.

For an example, in the planning process in Malaysia, the planners or the developers of any development project (especaially housing) are compulsory to perform an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to estimate and analyze the impact of the development to the surrounding environment AND if if does so much damage to the environment such as taking up almost half of the hill for the high rise housing development, the project may be suspended as it may ruin the entire ecosystem in the area. It is feared that without a proper study about the EIA on the proposed development area, many devastating impacts may occur in the future. Malaysian could never forget the Highland Tower tragedy over a decade ago. 

The role of PLANNER?

Here come the saviour~! A good planner is a planner that take consideration of the enviroment, social and economy impact of any development before the project is implemented. this is very important to ensure that not only the planner is responsible for the completion of the project, they are also are responsible for the impact of the development to the surrounding nature. It is very important for the planner to minimize the impact of the development to create such a HARMONY situation where human, built environment and natural environment can coexist. 

Be fair please? 

As a conclusion, the natural conservation is very important for our future. Not only because it may sustain our food, drink and oxygen supply but what is more important is how we manage to make the environment as a part of our life, how we integrate them into our development and ultimately what we are going to show for the future generation. 

"what we are doing today is what the future generation think about us."

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Demographic Issues in Malaysia

A Preview..

The demographics of Malaysia are represented by the multiple ethnic groups that exist in this country. Malaysia's population, as of July 2010, is estimated to be 28,250,500, which makes it the 44th most populated country in the world. Of these, 5.72 million Malaysians live in East Malaysia and 22.5 million live in Peninsular Malaysia.  Malaysian population continues to grow at a rate of 2.4% per year; about 34% of the population is under the age of 15. Malays and other Bumiputera groups make up 65% of the population, Chinese 26%, Indians 7.1% and other unlisted ethnic groups 1%. Population distribution is uneven, with some 20 million of 28 million citizens concentrated in Peninsular Malaysia, which has an area of 131,598 kilometers (50.81 sq mi). 

(Source : Malaysian Census, 2010)

What are the issues?

The data above tells us a lot of "behind the scene stories" in the Malaysian context of demography. for example, as 2010, our population stands at about 28.25 million which technically huge we compare to our land size.  the spark in the population booming sine the last 5 years show that the fertility rates, the medical services and the socio-economic level of people in our country is good. this is the result of our prosperous economy development thanks to the good government policy too.

Malaysia, since the era of  Dr Mahathir, had proposed a vision to maintain the current growth rates to achieve 70 million people by the year 2100. This can be achieved through the Dasar Kependudukan Negara, started from 1982. because of this policy also, the government have prepared with the infrastructure such as good network system, better transportation services, more well planned housing scheme, food security, and good education, medical and job opportunities. however, despite a good number of population we have by now, there are several issue need to be tackled.

Multi cutural Malaysian. 

The first, when there are so many people in one place, is the resources in that place is enough to support  the ever increasing number of population? for example, Kuala Lumpur is home to about 2 million of people, not including the foreign workers and illegal immigrant from all over the world is struggling to provide enough housing, foods and basic infrastructure as the demands is relatively high. for example, the housing areas in Kuala Lumpur are selling like a hot cakes when the pre-order for the new one is open. this is just for the high-rise and luxury type apartment, not including the standard housing unit or even the lower price one as the demand is quite high too. Why this had happen? from my own perspective, KL is the leading centre of infrastructure, technology, education, financial, entertainment, retailing or even administration where people across the country would do anything they could to come and find a job here.

This, combine with the immigrant form the Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Philippines create a massive pressure on the city's infrastructure and natural sources like water. at one time, the water demand in Klang Valley is very high even the entire state of Selangor water reservoir cannot provide enough demand for the KL alone. how can KL be called a sustainable city if such thing happen? Well, we cannot simply forbid people from entering the city to find the job. but, we can discourage them to go the the other city, or even the new city that may need a huge labor force in various sectors to help them develop and sustain. this huge number of people can serve as the valuable workforce, especially in the construction and industrialization sector. 

Malaysian? Certainly not!

Penang, under the late Lim Chong Eu as the chief Minister, has long view this opportunity as their platform to become much better and developed state since the early 1970s. by looking at the Singaporean model, they are ready to sacrifice their sandy beaches, paddy field and traditional Malay village in the Bayan Baru to serve as the new industrial park in Malaysia. combining with the low corporate tax (at that time), better infrastructure (near to Penang Port and Bayan Lepas Airport) and also cheap yet skilled labour force, it has now become one of the important industrial zone in the South East Asia with many multinational companies (MNC) have their own factory here such as Sony, Intel, Samsung, Western Digital and Mattel. This is just an example of how can we make a sustainable city that benefits all, not just one side only, but most important, the PEOPLE get the benefits from our decision

Two great leaders in the nation in the old days. 

Conclusion

Having a huge number of population isn't just showing that we can be a great nation. It is all about on how we, the people in the country manage our resources properly so that we can have enough sources to maintain our economic growth along with the increasing number of people, without anyone left form the benefits. if a tiny Singapore with only 5 million people and WITHOUT any single natural resources could survive, how could our country cannot do the same? 

"Everyone can talk about sustainability, but less can actually apply it."

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Sustainability

INTRODUCTION

Assalamualaikum and hi to everyone!

My name is Amirul Ashraf and this is my blog, dedicated for the sustainable matters. this is a part of my RPK 538 : Sustainable Development Planning. This class is coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr Nurwati , which has been with us since my final year of undergraduate study. 

According to a template handed over to me in the first class, the objective of this course is :

"This course presents city-regions as the hub of spatial, economic, social, cultural, political and technological processes and transformations. it examines the nature of change midst world world climatic and environmental changes; and their implications on the demography, economic, financial, and political structure. spatial comparisons highlights the differentiating factors and influences. this sustainable development planning course emphasizes the management of change in development through smart collaborations among government agencies, private sectors, non-governmental organizations, and the local community across cultural boundaries" 

From my point of view, we, as a future planner cannot take this sustainable issue lightly as our world now changing rapidly since the past decades. I said like that because we cannot simply thinking that all development problem can be solved by the standard yet typical planning guidelines.

For an example, when we plan for new township, we may think conventionally by assuming that we need to provide the better infrastructures or services such as roads as wide as possible, a huge number of shops, and shopping mall that high as the KLCC that MAY help this town to sustain for maybe the next 100 years. But little are known to us that what is the most crucial thing in developing a new township, that besides we provide the infrastructure and so on, what are the sustainable way that we designed or created to make this town more sustainable?

Parking space issues.

I choose a simple example; PARKING SPACE. Planners might enforce the new town or even any developments must have an appropriate numbers of parking space to meet the demands. But we didn't realize that by enforcing such a simple regulation like parking space requirement will make a huge impact in the future. Let say, when we have enforced a mandatory for a town to have at least 1,000 parking lots for different usage (commercial, office & park), what would happen? : It would encourage people to depend on their cars! People will less depending on the public transport even though the service is better and reliable as they think that what point the government or the city council providing the parking space without being used?

Can we apply this? =)

From this situation, we can then relate with the future of our city, where more and even more people will depend on their car because of our conventional method of planning. Yes, we must follow the guidelines because it has been prepared by the expertise for the last 200 years (for example). I don't know whether it is still relevant for us, the planner to just following the guidelines that have been here since the British Empire become the only superpower in the late 18th century, OR just simply adapting the planning rules and guidelines in the wake of information technology, where the technology and sustainability is the key for the development balance.

Maybe my opinion is just a radical and cannot be accepted by everyone, but from my stand of view, if we want to become relevance in the future, we must change our self first. Sustainability in planning development is not a new issues, yet the way we handle the situation regarding this matter showing how old is our mind are.


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