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Natural resources

Malaysia's Water Conservation Efforts: A Comprehensive Look

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Malaysia's rich natural resources, particularly its abundance of water, are crucial to supporting its growing population and economy. However, the country has experienced water crises due to prolonged droughts, affecting raw water storage in dams. To address these issues, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) recently organized an expedition to raise awareness on the importance of water conservation. The expedition, known as 'Ekspedisi Sumber Air' or EKSAN 2025, aimed to educate participants on the significance of protecting rivers as primary sources of raw water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Kelau Dam, one of the components of the Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer Project, has a storage capacity of 147.1 million cubic meters of water and is capable of supplying 1,890 million liters of raw water daily to the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Hulu Langat, Selangor.
  • The Langat 2 WTP project, funded by the federal government at a cost of approximately RM4.2 billion, has been fully completed and is expected to begin operations in August, resolving water shortage issues in Selangor.
  • Sungai Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia's longest river, which originates in the Jerantut district in western Pahang, is the main source of raw water supply in Pahang, and its water quality is crucial for the state's water needs.
  • The Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, conducted water sampling and quality monitoring demonstrations during the expedition, highlighting the importance of parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and biochemical oxygen demand in determining water quality.
  • The National Water Balance Management System (NAWABS) has been developed by DID to improve water management efficiency through monitoring and forecasting rainfall, water levels, and river flow rates.
  • NAWABS is a comprehensive integrated water resource management instrument implemented at the river basin level, enabling DID to forecast drought conditions up to two months in advance and issue drought warnings 14 days ahead.
  • Unpredictable climate change is putting pressure on Malaysia's raw water sources, and there is a need for an in-depth study on the Water Stress Index to map the availability of water resources against projected demand based on population growth.

Statistics:

  • The Kelau Dam has a storage capacity of 147.1 million cubic meters of water.
  • The Langat 2 WTP project has a cost of approximately RM4.2 billion.
  • Sungai Pahang is Peninsular Malaysia's longest river, stretching 459 kilometers.
  • The Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, conducted water sampling and quality monitoring demonstrations during the expedition.
  • NAWABS is being implemented in phases, with phase one covering seven river basins and phase two involving 12 more river basins, including the Pahang river basin.
  • Malaysia has a relatively healthy reserve margin of about 15 percent, with three states showing higher margins - Penang (30 percent), Perak (26 percent), and Terengganu (25 percent).

Sources:

  • BERNAMA News Agency
  • Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID)
  • Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
  • Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd
  • Ministry of Economy (formerly Economic Planning Unit)
  • Department of Wildlife and National Parks
  • Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (WTP)
  • Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

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