KUALA LUMPUR – Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will focus on the implementation of the Water Sector Transformation 2040 (WST 2040) agenda towards making the water sector an economic source and Malaysia a global water hub by 2040.
He said the focus would be on efforts to increase water supply access – especially in rural areas and islands – to 98% by the end of the 12th Malaysia Plan.
Nik Nazmi said access has reached 97% presently.
“The focus is also on increasing coverage of sewerage services to 90%, reducing the non-revenue water rate to 25% by 2025, and increasing the financial sustainability of the water sector so that investment and continuous improvement of services to users can be improved,” he told reporters after the opening of the AsiaWater 2022 Expo and Forum here today.
He said strategies and action plans to achieve the target will be carefully worked on in the implementation of WST 2040.
Nik Nazmi said his ministry will also focus on four main agendas in national water management.
They include guaranteeing continuous and sustainable water supply, improving the financial sustainability of the national water industry, improving access to water supply and the efficiency of water industry operations, and enhancing the resilience of the water sector against climate change, he said.
He said the ministry will also intensify efforts to deal with flood issues through structural and non-structural approaches.
They involve significant government investment, including upgrading flood retention walls; and the maintenance of flood reservoirs, water control gates, fixed and mobile pumps, monitoring cameras, as well as forecast and warning systems, he added. – Bernama, December 8, 2022
