COMMENT The intention by the Selangor state government to provide free water to the residents of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, in addition to its free water policy in Selangor after its water restructuring exercise, is populism gone mad.
It is amazing that at a time when Selangor and other parts of the country are experiencing critical water shortage during the current drought, the need for water demand management has been sacrificed for pork barrel populist handouts.
Malaysians, be warned. Free water is not like any other populist handout - there are dire consequences.
The Orang Asli community at Kuala Kubu Baru had to sacrifice their traditional ancestral homes in 1999 for the Selangor river dam because it was considered necessary to meet the water demands of the Klang Valley. Selangor lost one of its most pristine white water rafting sites that was acclaimed to be of world class! Taxpayers have had to bear the cost of the dam through indirect taxation.
The rising cost of living is but the result of uneconomic projects by the authorities, a burden we are paying for today.
Even if some Malaysians don’t care about the plight of the Orang Asli or the displacement of other indigenous peoples for dam projects, their own discomfort during any water shortages should be enough to warn them of the even worse catastrophe in the looming water crises to come. We have been warned that future wars will be fought over this increasingly scarce resource - water.
When water tariffs are low (never mind free), consumers have no incentive to conserve water. The evidence and statistics on the water consumption rate of Malaysians speak for themselves. The current water shortage and looming water crisis brought about by population growth and erratic rain patterns should wake Malaysians up to the urgent need for water demand management.
Worst squanderers of water
During the campaign by Save Our Sungai (SOS) Selangor against the dam in 1999, we stressed the urgent need for water demand management. Water demand management includes targets set for per capita water use, and reductions in non-revenue water.
Malaysia is blessed to be among the countries in the world with abundant rain water, yet we are the worst squanderers of this natural resource. We have many times more water than most African countries, and yet we are facing a water shortage crisis.
According to Water Watch Penang, Malaysians are among the worst water wasters in the world, with a national average water consumption of 212 litres per capita a day, while 20 to 30 litres of water per person per day is considered adequate for basic human needs. Urban Malaysians are worse - they use more than 500 litres per capita a day, reported The Star, in Feb 18 this year.
A comprehensive water demand management policy would include changes to building by-laws, through subsidising the installation of water saving devices in business and residential properties and through giving industry incentives to switch to water-efficient technologies, besides incentives to household consumers to conserve water.
The government has admitted the fact that as much as 40 percent of piped water is lost through leakage and faulty metres. It follows that if we could save this 40 percent of our water supply, recycle river water and have an effective water conservation programme, we would not need any more dams. Mark my words, before long we will again be told that we need yet another dam to meet the water shortage!
I have been told by informed sources that in fact, the Water Department has lost the maps of the piping system - I stand to be proven wrong by the appropriate authorities. If so, could this be the reason why we have not heard any undertaking by the authorities so far to re-pipe the entire water network? Otherwise they should get on with re-piping immediately.
In 2010, a study by the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer) revealed that the country’s water industry lost nearly half of its total revenue of RM4bn, or RM1.7bn, to non-revenue water (NRW).
The Star had reported in Jan 6, 2012 that Awer said Selangor recorded the highest volume of NRW, losing nearly RM600 million in just one year. Non-revenue water is water that has been treated, but is lost through leaks, thefts, or faults in metering, before reaching the customer.
If other countries can rely on recycling river water for their water supply without resorting to building dams, is there any good reason why it cannot be done in this country? In the light of an impending water crisis, why has an emergency plan for cleaning our rivers and recycling river water not been announced and widely publicised?
If we are serious about attracting tourists and breaking out of the mould of a filthy developing country, it is surely time to clean up all our rivers and drains. If we can build the world’s tallest twin towers, there is no reason why we cannot have the resources to clean up and recycle our river waters.
No serious campaign seen yet
We have yet to see a serious water conservation campaign in this country, one which not only encourages household and industrial consumers to conserve, but also provides imaginative fiscal incentives to conserve water without affecting productivity. The same can be said for the lack of a serious energy conservation campaign. Unless this is done, we will continue to see the wasteful attitude to water usage in this country and the needless building of dams.
What we have witnessed in recent years, is the wanton destruction of precious water catchments such as Bukit Sungai Putih Forest Reserve, to name just one example of official irresponsibility. It is an indication of the lack of an overall assessment of the forests, rivers, and land resources in the state to determine sustainability:
“Even Drainage and Irrigation Department director-general Kheizul Abdullah concedes that no attempt has been made by the respective state governments to establish the capacity to supply water of each of the 150 river basins in the country. He says it is easy to work out the amount of water that can be extracted sustainably from each basin...
“As long as the state governments fail to take into account the capacity of the river basin, there is no guarantee that adding new dams can solve water shortages,” a report in New Straits Times - dated Feb 2, 1999 - noted.
The facts from developed countries reveal that the water and energy conservation campaigns in these countries have resulted in phenomenal savings in water and energy consumption. Thus without the need to construct any new dams, conservation measures alone have resulted in breath-taking savings in water and energy consumption, while at the same time producing impressive growth figures.
Giving away free water makes a mockery of water demand management. In fact, water demand management would involve making sure those who wash their precious cars everyday pay more for the luxury.
When Malaysians start collecting our plentiful rain water for their gardening and cleaning needs, only then will we be on our way to becoming an environmentally conscious people and to have a sustainable lifestyle. There must be a deterrent to anyone who wastes water, with a sliding scale of water tariffs for those who are in the low-income bracket.
Populist politicians should bear in mind the African saying: “Those who expect praise for the rain should also bear responsibility for the drought...”
DR KUA KIA SOONG, a former MP, is adviser to human rights group Suaram.
It is amazing that at a time when Selangor and other parts of the country are experiencing critical water shortage during the current drought, the need for water demand management has been sacrificed for pork barrel populist handouts.
Malaysians, be warned. Free water is not like any other populist handout - there are dire consequences.
The Orang Asli community at Kuala Kubu Baru had to sacrifice their traditional ancestral homes in 1999 for the Selangor river dam because it was considered necessary to meet the water demands of the Klang Valley. Selangor lost one of its most pristine white water rafting sites that was acclaimed to be of world class! Taxpayers have had to bear the cost of the dam through indirect taxation.
The rising cost of living is but the result of uneconomic projects by the authorities, a burden we are paying for today.
Even if some Malaysians don’t care about the plight of the Orang Asli or the displacement of other indigenous peoples for dam projects, their own discomfort during any water shortages should be enough to warn them of the even worse catastrophe in the looming water crises to come. We have been warned that future wars will be fought over this increasingly scarce resource - water.When water tariffs are low (never mind free), consumers have no incentive to conserve water. The evidence and statistics on the water consumption rate of Malaysians speak for themselves. The current water shortage and looming water crisis brought about by population growth and erratic rain patterns should wake Malaysians up to the urgent need for water demand management.
Worst squanderers of water
During the campaign by Save Our Sungai (SOS) Selangor against the dam in 1999, we stressed the urgent need for water demand management. Water demand management includes targets set for per capita water use, and reductions in non-revenue water.
Malaysia is blessed to be among the countries in the world with abundant rain water, yet we are the worst squanderers of this natural resource. We have many times more water than most African countries, and yet we are facing a water shortage crisis.
According to Water Watch Penang, Malaysians are among the worst water wasters in the world, with a national average water consumption of 212 litres per capita a day, while 20 to 30 litres of water per person per day is considered adequate for basic human needs. Urban Malaysians are worse - they use more than 500 litres per capita a day, reported The Star, in Feb 18 this year.
A comprehensive water demand management policy would include changes to building by-laws, through subsidising the installation of water saving devices in business and residential properties and through giving industry incentives to switch to water-efficient technologies, besides incentives to household consumers to conserve water.
The government has admitted the fact that as much as 40 percent of piped water is lost through leakage and faulty metres. It follows that if we could save this 40 percent of our water supply, recycle river water and have an effective water conservation programme, we would not need any more dams. Mark my words, before long we will again be told that we need yet another dam to meet the water shortage!
I have been told by informed sources that in fact, the Water Department has lost the maps of the piping system - I stand to be proven wrong by the appropriate authorities. If so, could this be the reason why we have not heard any undertaking by the authorities so far to re-pipe the entire water network? Otherwise they should get on with re-piping immediately.
In 2010, a study by the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer) revealed that the country’s water industry lost nearly half of its total revenue of RM4bn, or RM1.7bn, to non-revenue water (NRW).
The Star had reported in Jan 6, 2012 that Awer said Selangor recorded the highest volume of NRW, losing nearly RM600 million in just one year. Non-revenue water is water that has been treated, but is lost through leaks, thefts, or faults in metering, before reaching the customer.
If other countries can rely on recycling river water for their water supply without resorting to building dams, is there any good reason why it cannot be done in this country? In the light of an impending water crisis, why has an emergency plan for cleaning our rivers and recycling river water not been announced and widely publicised?
If we are serious about attracting tourists and breaking out of the mould of a filthy developing country, it is surely time to clean up all our rivers and drains. If we can build the world’s tallest twin towers, there is no reason why we cannot have the resources to clean up and recycle our river waters.
No serious campaign seen yet
We have yet to see a serious water conservation campaign in this country, one which not only encourages household and industrial consumers to conserve, but also provides imaginative fiscal incentives to conserve water without affecting productivity. The same can be said for the lack of a serious energy conservation campaign. Unless this is done, we will continue to see the wasteful attitude to water usage in this country and the needless building of dams.
What we have witnessed in recent years, is the wanton destruction of precious water catchments such as Bukit Sungai Putih Forest Reserve, to name just one example of official irresponsibility. It is an indication of the lack of an overall assessment of the forests, rivers, and land resources in the state to determine sustainability:
“Even Drainage and Irrigation Department director-general Kheizul Abdullah concedes that no attempt has been made by the respective state governments to establish the capacity to supply water of each of the 150 river basins in the country. He says it is easy to work out the amount of water that can be extracted sustainably from each basin...
“As long as the state governments fail to take into account the capacity of the river basin, there is no guarantee that adding new dams can solve water shortages,” a report in New Straits Times - dated Feb 2, 1999 - noted.
The facts from developed countries reveal that the water and energy conservation campaigns in these countries have resulted in phenomenal savings in water and energy consumption. Thus without the need to construct any new dams, conservation measures alone have resulted in breath-taking savings in water and energy consumption, while at the same time producing impressive growth figures.
Giving away free water makes a mockery of water demand management. In fact, water demand management would involve making sure those who wash their precious cars everyday pay more for the luxury.When Malaysians start collecting our plentiful rain water for their gardening and cleaning needs, only then will we be on our way to becoming an environmentally conscious people and to have a sustainable lifestyle. There must be a deterrent to anyone who wastes water, with a sliding scale of water tariffs for those who are in the low-income bracket.
Populist politicians should bear in mind the African saying: “Those who expect praise for the rain should also bear responsibility for the drought...”
DR KUA KIA SOONG, a former MP, is adviser to human rights group Suaram.
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