Conflict between industrial growth and water supply preservation: case studies in Malaysia

Abstract

The industrial growth in Malaysia in the past decades has not only brought about economic success to the country but also the unwanted side-effect-environmental pollution. Many Malaysian rivers being used for public water supply are polluted because of the location of polluting industries upstream. In the long run, the public is at risk as the pollutants not only degrade the physical water quality but the presence of microorganisms and chemicals are liable to cause health problems such as diarrhoeal diseases and cancer. There are many cases of watershed mismanagement in areas of high industrial growth in the country such as the watersheds of Sungai Langat, Sungai Skudai, Sungai Linggi, Sungai Damansara and Sungai Buluh. The State Governments and other relevant authorities must be made aware of these problems and therefore can avoid future mistakes by planning the location of future industrial estates with care.