KUALA LUMPUR – The magnitude of destruction from flooding during the monsoons season, such as the one that devastated major parts of the country last week, had been exaggerated by non-sustainable overdevelopment, according to Johor DAP committee chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau.
The former state party chief believes this, coupled with the lack of regard for the basic need for clean water supply and environmental protection, has led to increasingly larger scales of natural disasters.
He said had there been a more meticulous management of environmental preservation in a self-sustainable circular economy, the impact of disaster could have been minimised.
Dr Boo, who had an experience following up and conducting research on managing Johor’s flood issues and water supply shortages between 2006 and 2020, said such issues could be mainly attributed to undue overdevelopment, environmental destruction and excessive logging.
“For the past few decades, governments have neglected the importance of a sustainable circular economy by balancing the mutual relationship between the larger economy of industries, commerce and agriculture with environmental protection,” he said in a statement today.
Malaysia needs a far-sighted, long-term plan to create a sustainable circular economy that can enable us to face the future climate change challenges by taking environmental preservation and nature conservation as a crucial part of the economy.”
To ensure better protection of the environment and management of climate change, water resources and land use, Dr Boo proposed that state governments sanction rampant logging activities by gazetting more reserve tropical rainforests as Stage I national security zones to prevent illegal encroachments.
He suggested that similar protection also be given to water catchment and flood mitigation lands.
“Many water dams could also be converted into multipurpose dams that serve the purpose of water catchment and flood mitigation, to ensure there would be sufficient water supply during droughts and mitigation during monsoon seasons.”
Additionally, Dr Boo said all sectors concerned should adopt the latest city planning and building structure concepts such as vertical gardening and creating more conjunct “City Green Lungs” and “Water Sponging Areas” as long-term strategies.
“More detailed land zoning and planning is also necessary due to the explosive population increase and the pressure on the government,” he said.
The flood, which is the country’s worst in decades, have killed 48 people as of yesterday, with five still missing and tens of thousands of others displaced after the heavy downpour last weekend. – The Vibes, December 28, 2021
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