Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sign up to be a voluntary forest monitor at Forest Watch (
www.timalaysia-forestwatch.org.my
)
, a project
by Transparency International Malaysia.
River of Life
Following successes in Melaka and Penang on cleaning up polluted rivers, the focus has
now turned to KL and the Klang Valley. The literal translation of Kuala Lumpur is
'muddy estuary' and anyone gazing on any of the milky-coffee-coloured waterways that
flow through the city would still find that name appropriate. Following moves in 2010 by
the Selangor state government to clean up a 21km stretch of Sungai Klang around Klang,
the federal government has stepped in to offer to coordinate the project. This makes sense
as the 120km-long heavily polluted river flows through the capital on its way to the coast.
KL's RM4 billion River of Life project includes a plan to clean up a 110km stretch
along the Klang River basin, shifting the water quality from its current Class III-Class V
status (not suitable for body-contact) to Class IIb (suitable for body-contact recreational
usage) by year 2020. Also part of the project are beautification proposals for the riverb-
anks including new parks and walkways.
The region's environment faces an ongoing threat from the so-called 'haze' - smoke from fires set by In-
donesian farmers and plantation companies to clear land for agricultural purposes. The haze is at its
worst around March and September/October, just before the rainy season.
Cutting Carbon Emissions
At the 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen, Prime Minister Najib pledged to
slash Malaysia's carbon emissions by 40% by 2020. According to the International En-
ergy Agency, the country emitted 6.68 tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita in 2007, more
than twice the world's average, and the fourth-highest amount in the region after Brunei,
Taipei and Singapore. Compared to these three countries, Malaysia's emission per capita
percentage change between 1990 and 2007 was the highest, growing by 143%.
In order to reach its stated goal the federal government has added green technology to
the portfolio of the Ministry of Energy and Water and announced the launch of a national
green technology policy. The details remain sketchy, however, and the overall aim sits
awkwardly with the continuing expansion of local budget airlines such as AirAsia.
