Urbanization and PM10 pollution in Iskandar Malaysia

Abstract

This paper discusses the relationship between urbanization and air quality, particularly PM10, in Iskandar Malaysia. As a model for future urban development in Malaysia, Iskandar Malaysia has to meet the social and economic needs of its growing population while taking care of all the environmental challenges that come with rapid urbanization. The occurrence of regional haze episodes in the past has shrouded the region with particulate matters including PM10, but the major cause of the haze was extensive agricultural open burning rather than urbanization. Since urbanization can be a significant contributor to local PM10 concentration, separating locally-generated PM10 from that of the regional source would enable us to investigate the trend in PM10 level due to urbanization. Therefore, a study on the Iskandar Malaysia’s PM10 readings from 2000 to 2012 was carried out with the aim to identify the relationship between urbanization and PM10 concentration. The background concentration of the readings was extracted by using the base flow separation process commonly used in the hydrograph study. The extracted background PM10 was then correlated with the level of urbanization as represented by the accretion of built up area. The result shows that air quality as represented by PM10 concentration is inevitably linked to urbanization at the local level notwithstanding the more noticeable but intermittent influence of the regional haze episodes. Iskandar Malaysia therefore needs to also be aware of the air pollution at its doorstep while keeping an eye out for haze from neighbouring countries Rafee Majid 2014_Urbanization and PM10 Pollution.