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Report 1 of 5: Forests for
Water, Water for Life - Malaysia
Introduction
Malaysia is tropical and lush with enough water for its needs on an annual basis but there are still certain times of the year where shortages occur and many Malaysians accept water cuts as part of everyday life.
Forests and water
The tap water in Malaysia does not come from the rain falling around the houses. It comes from the highland forests. Highland forests are important water catchment areas and retain a constant supply of fresh water. They act as natural water towers providing a clean supply of fresh water for the domestic, agricultural and industrial demands of the populated lowlands in a variety of ways.
Mountains intercept the circulation of air, force it upwards where it cools and condenses its water vapour into clouds. This relief rain provides much of Malaysia’s water supply. Forests in the highlands are able to capture and condense moisture from the clouds and slowly release it into streams and rivers, even during periods of low rainfall, thus providing another source of water. Highland trees also recycle water on the ground to create more rain.
More than 90 per cent of Malaysia’s water supply comes from rivers, streams, reservoirs and lakes that originate in the highland forests. The forests are natural water filters and ensure that the water is clean and free from silt and sediment.
Forests as stabilisers
Highland forests slow down the flow of rainwater down steep slopes and prevent torrents of muddy water from eroding the soil and causing landslides and flash floods. However, these important functions of the highland forests are easily affected by the slightest shift in environmental conditions.
Threats to the highland forests
Current development trends in the highlands are threatening the natural water towers of the forest. Logging at high altitudes and land clearing on steep slopes affects the soil stability, destroys forestry resources and biodiversity. If the forests are seriously disturbed, eventually the clean water supply will disappear and there will be no water in the taps.
There has been a large amount of unplanned and unsustainable development in the highland forests in Malaysia, including inappropriate road building and excessive highland resort development. Excessive clearing of forests leads to the siltation of rivers and contamination of the water supply. Forest clearance has resulted in frequent occurrences of soil erosion and landslides. The quality of water will gradually deteriorate due to siltation and pollution from the construction work of the highland roads. Poorly constructed roads contribute to soil erosion and water pollution.
"Forests for Water, Water for Life"
WWF Malaysia has set up an action programme called "Forests for Water, Water for Life" (FWWL) to raise awareness of the importance of forests as water catchment areas with the ultimate goal of changing the way Malaysians think about, use and manage water.
Action programme
"Forests for Water, Water for Life" will embark on a step by step approach to heighten awareness, promote action and sustain long term efforts in proper forest and water management in the following ways:
Elaborating the Vision – bringing vital information to the public so that they know what problems they face and what the potential solutions are.
Policy Development and Advocacy – upgrading current environmental policies and steering relevant authorities to activate necessary procedures, rules and regulations.
Building Human Resource Expertise – creating more career opportunities in conservation work, thus addressing a critical lack of expertise in the field.
Model Field Projects – using actual critical areas as models to showcase the proper management of river systems and promote site protection.
Community Development – promoting and supporting sustainable community use of freshwater resources.
Field Education - enhancing and establishing long term nature education operations with emphasis on freshwater issues.
Building Public Demand – enhancing public awareness and attitude on overall water crisis issues and related aspects.
Successful campaigning
The "Forests for Water, Water for Life" campaign is effective because it continually reinforces the message about the link between forests and water, and water and life.
- A radio station in Kuala Lumpur City broadcasts the Water Song by Sharizan which describes in the lyrics the relationship between forests and water. Once the song has finished, there is a discussion on the radio about the importance of water.
- A campaign team travels the country with a mobile education unit, visiting schools to inform children about the value of their environment and the link between forests and water. The campaign team relies on the teachers in schools to reinforce the message.
The Water Monitoring Team has been developed to ensure that the scientific data being used in the campaign is accurate and that the information is packaged in an appropriate way that will keep the public informed of the importance of the work and the rivers.
For further information, please contact:
Intermediate Technology would like to thank WWF Malaysia, in particular Teoh Teik Hoong, for providing the original material on "Forests for Water, Water for Life".
This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the DFID.
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