Said .....
On 10th September 2013, Malaysia Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib, called on world leaders to inculcate a new respect for the environment, saying the people and the future generations depend on it.
“Until we understand instinctively that sacrificing such resources for short-term benefit undermines our long-term aims, we cannot hope to achieve truly sustainable development。This same principle applies in regional and global policies, too.”
he said when opening the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian Countries. [1]
he said when opening the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian Countries. [1]
Done....
Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road is going to start by 2015. Contract has signed by the concessionaire with government, even with clear protest from the NGO, environmentalist& general public....
Mass Extinction& Retributions
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“Curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions… . Policy to reduce emissions should be based on three essential elements: carbon pricing, technology policy, and removal of barriers to behavioral change…” (Stern Report on Climate Change, 2006)
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The facts that our world is facing sixth wave of extinction [2], around 50,000 of species is wiping out from the face of earth each year and it’s estimated that in 2050, a quarter or more species exterminated, within it, 40% to 70% of all biotic species are indigenous to the rainforests[3]. It has been estimated that there may be many millions of species of plants, insects and microorganisms still undiscovered in tropical rainforests.
Tropical rainforests such as Hulu Langat, Ampang& Ulu Gombak forest reserve, have been called the “jewels of the Earth”, “world’s largest pharmacy” or “lung of the world” for a reason. Over a quarter of natural medicines have been discovered here.[4] It also shoulder the responsibility of renewing 28% of world oxygen by turning carbon dioxide into oxygen while act as carbon stock& fluxes[5], therefore remain the gazette act in preservation and protection of these forest is as important as saving the potential medicine value of the known and many yet to discovered species that would one day save human race. Notwithstanding that 59.5% of Malaysia is cover by forest and the 106.65 ha of the 30km highway represent a fraction of the figure but de-gazette the act will set precedence to others development.
Biomass
The fourth assessment report of IPCC revealed that deforestation account for 17% of GHG emission, second to energy sector. Let alone others adverse impact on forest biodiversity, the availability of wood& non-wood products, soil and water resources.
Malaysia is among the 49 partner countries signed the United Nation Collaboration program on Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD), during the Bali Action Plan (COP-13), Dec 2007, under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), of which the underlying principle is to reduce emission from deforestation and degradation in turn to slow down CO2 concentration while buying time for developing country to effectively move to lower emission technologies. [6]
Malaysia is blessed with precious rainforest unique to the rest of the world. The affected forest reserve is classified as lowland diterocarp rainforest with some facts as following below;
- · 22 years after logging the TAGB stocks were 28% lower compared to unlogged forest (128 Mg C/ ha +- 13.4 SEM).
- · Reduce Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) provide a good estimate of carbon, C, stock and fluxes.
- · Peninsular Malaysia- Lowland dipterocarp rainforest, 155 Mg C/ha for primary forest, 138 Mg C/ha for secondary forest, Reference Okuda, et al (2003). [7]
- · Biomass, t ha-1, for trees >10 cm dbh. Lowland forest, Pasoh, Peninsular Malaysia, is at 475 t ha-1 (reference: Kato et al 1978)[8]
- · Understory, such as shrubs, herbs, sapling& etc) biomass consist of 3%-4% of total biomass (Brown& Lugo 1984)[9]
History tell us the fact that waters, foods, and lands, was once free. It was we, human, that invented money and labelling them with price tags before crazy about it. Today, those once a free basics for survival has become assets, inter-transferable with power, reasons behinds wars. It’s not too far for fresh air to be priced. In fact, many creative businessperson has started selling fresh air, ranging from ionizer, and oxygen bar to all sort of air filtration system. Does anyone give credit to the tireless trees in continuously exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen freely?
The question here is are those affected trees going to be restore somewhere? And in what quantum? Since the effects of carbon sequestration ability of new replanted forest is 28% lower compare to the unlogged, are they going to replant 28% more to balance up the efficiency? Who& when is going to replant and pay the cost of it? The account for carbon does not end here since construction of highway and its maintenance will entail additional carbon emission to the world.
Fauna
Despite the already detrimental facts of KLORR on trees alone the diverse animals in the rainforest are going to get a hard time too. The rainforest is habitat to some of endanger and threaten species listed in IUCN, such as the Malayan tiger, tapir, serow, slow loris, leopard, black giant squirrel, siamang, sun bear& pangolin .
Human and animals conflict is inevitable during the construction, where animals often cost their life when human superiority is demonstrated, but what far more adverse is by plying off the rainforest is cut off the natural trail for the animals while providing illegal poaches greater accessibility, besides, infrastructure such as this would trigger economy activities, along the highway and spreading from tips of its branch, which means to say more development will eat into the rainforest. It’s only the matter of time KLORR consume the whole rainforest toward Kuala Lumpur.
Human and animals conflict is inevitable during the construction, where animals often cost their life when human superiority is demonstrated, but what far more adverse is by plying off the rainforest is cut off the natural trail for the animals while providing illegal poaches greater accessibility, besides, infrastructure such as this would trigger economy activities, along the highway and spreading from tips of its branch, which means to say more development will eat into the rainforest. It’s only the matter of time KLORR consume the whole rainforest toward Kuala Lumpur.
The question of how DEIA approved the Environment Impact Assessment without going through public review is already a mysterious yet another deeper cryptic of undisclosed 62 conditions is laid out to comfort environmentalist protection is even more doubting for me on the transparency, credibility and integrity of those involve.
Wouldn’t it be great to unfold the 62 conditions imposed to the concessionaire that supposed to satisfy public& environmentalist?
With very limited resources allocated, the Perhilitan& others related organizations such as MNS, Traffics, MyCat& WWF is already fighting the battle uphill for protection of the endanger species yet considerations of how maintenance to keep up with the level of monitoring& enforcement of illegal wildlife trade, poaches& the related issues has not being made known to public by the KLORR regulators/ authority.
Water
Klang Gate Dam, situate at Taman Melawati with the capacity of 25,104 million liter and supply 145 million of liter fresh water daily via Bukit Nanas water treatment plant. The dam is source of water for hundreds or thousands residents in the Klang Valley. The effects of KLORR construction is a major concern in the mid water ration now& near future to come. I don’t understand why spend 10billion to connect the water supply from Pahang to Klang Valley then waste additional 1.5 billion in something that jeopardize the water supply of the already low margin water reserve? Why on earth do we spend so much to bring water from another state while risking what provided free to us by further slash into our country’s wallet? This is just another episode of funny story on another account of Johor selling raw water to Singapore at much lower price than we import inter-states within our own country. Haven’t we got any economy sense at all?
Water security is not by choice but one of essentials basics for a nation to move forward, modernize and advance. 245 liter/capital/ day of water consumption per capital in Malaysia is literally a laughable facts by the international community. Look around us, Singapore a far more advanced neighbor consume only 154liter/ capital/ day and Thailand has got only 90 liter/ capital/ day. So why are we have no control of the way we use our water& the same goes to effect in preserving the source.
Those natural rivers and waterways are providing us crystal clear water freely. How confidence are the regulator in insuring minimum damage is done by the KLORR while judging the facts that even construction site at the urban areas is a big mess with literally neglect in construction residue disposal and sediment control what more if construction is done in remote forest, only open to public when it’s done, and by then it might be just too late. Law enforcer themselves are not equipped with sufficient knowledge in the area which explain why MASMA rarely implemented in Malaysia construction site.
Malaysia is bless with lots of natural wonder that we are so blind to appreciate it.
Economy
Despite the EKVE has been awarded to well-established contractor, Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd (AZRB), however the MYR1.55 billion, has eaten up its capital outlay by almost half and with 4% of 635million MYR loan from government means it has to fork out another 24.5million MYR interest expense on top of the existing 9million each year.
AZRB’s long-term debt per capitalization ratio (leverage ratio) has since jump from 0.25 to 1.15 times, translate that the company has setting itself in higher financial risk position by inking on the contract. [10]This lead to the question in its quality of construction management effort on the environmental sensitive area (ESA) surrounding it, within the expected 3 years of construction period. As in any business entity, the inherent nature is to earn profit with lowest risk possible. Cost cutting exercise come into picture whenever profit margin is biting into shareholder’s pockets, then who can guarantee the 62 conditions by DEIA is adhered to? Or rather the sufficient appropriate protection to the rank 1 ESA?
Alternatives
There are many contradictions between what the government said and done, notwithstanding the difficulties in satisfying everyone appetite. Sometimes it is what stuck in the bottom that cause the problems on top. One common example is the letter attention to minister is missing somewhere much below his office. So how important message is being delivered to the minister/ decision maker/ authority? It’s impossible for Prime Minister or any minister to juggle all balls on one hand but the so call transition better be fast and effective in answering the Rakyat’s call.
Scrub off KLORR would definitely bring joy to all environmentalists& inhabitants in the forest. But somehow someone have to answer the connectivity of the ever increasing demand in the eastern north-south communities. KLORR is anticipated to feed the demand of over 80, 000 vehicle per day[11]which means to say the demand is there although short and long-terms effects of KLORR is not favorable to environment as well as economy.
Perhaps there’s compromise between the two, with 100% underground construction with water reservoir like what the award winning SMART tunnel it can capture the water while eliminate the need to disturb wildlife above the surface. Of course, it’s just a wildcard suggestion with doable capacity on hand. The immediate question to this is of course the cost. Monetary value is given by us but life is priceless, shouldn’t we value life over cost?
I was once asked by the Singapore Chief Civil Defense (we call “Bomba” in Malaysia) “what is the value of life” when negotiating to give leeway for the requirement of 50% perforated roller shutter in one of my project. I kept silent for a few second and walk away with regret. As Project Manager of a builder, I was tasked to juggle all balls ranging from authority approval, budget (cost), human resource, project progress (timeline), quality, safety& etc. though cost is always given main priority, since the inherent nature of business is to make money, but the ultimate aim of earning money is to have a better quality lifestyle, so how to have better lifestyle if we make money here and loss quality lifestyle there?
Join the Selangor State Parks Facebook Here
So what you can do is to sign the petition against KLORR Here
[1] Najib calls for new respect for the environment, New Straits Times Newspaper, 10 Sep 13, .
[2]http://ecosymbiont.blogspot.sg/2013/07/hungry-species.html
[3] http://www.rainforests.net/variables.htm
[4]http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/rainforests/rainforests.html
[5] http://trendsupdates.com/killer-inhabitants-of-the-rainforests/
[6] FAO, UNDP, UNEP Framework Document, 20 Jun 2008.
[7] K&C Initiative- An international science collaboration led by JAXA, Hamdan Omar& Khali Aziz, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FIRM).
[8] Rehabilitation of degraded tropical forest ecosystems: Workshop, Shigeo Kobayashi, 2001, Page 86.
[9] Land-Use and Biomass Changes of Forest in Peninsular Malaysia from 1972 to 1982: A GIS Approach, Sandra Brown, Louis& Ariel, Page 121.
[10] EKVE will boost AZRB’s order book, but analyst say RM1.55 bil contract not very lucrative, The Star Newspaper-Business News, 15 Feb 2013.
[11] Japan International Corporation Agency, 1996, Feasibility Study of KLORR.
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