1. Penang Environmental Agenda
Leong Yueh Kwong
Malaysian Nature Society
29/10/11

2. Introduction
Penang’s environmental problems are well known and well published in the media over the last 25 years
Still a major concern judging by the entries in PenangWatch.net with environment after public transport and local government
Concerns include
hill cutting
Land reclamation
Water pollution
Air pollution
Inappropriate development, etc
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3. From environmental protection to sustainable development
A paradigm shift from environmental conservation and protection to sustainable development
Shift as a result of the Earth Summit in Rio 1992
Environmental issues all subsumed under Agenda 21- national and local
Sustainability becomes underlying framework to view environmental issues
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4. Studies done on Penang’s environment
Quite a large number of studies by USM on water, air and noise pollution
Monitoring of air quality, water quality by DOE
Flooding and mitigation by DID
Structure Plan 1980s
Penang Environmental Conservation Strategy 1999
Penang Strategic Development Plan 2 ( )
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5. Penang Environmental Conservation Strategy (PECS)
Comprehensive study commissioned by the Penang State Government with inputs from 15 environmental specialists
Identified all major environmental problems in Penang
Recommended strategies to resolve the problems
Proposed action programs for the strategies
Identified departments, agencies and institutions that would be involved
Proposed institutional arrangements to undertake the action programs
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6. Scope of PECS Land use and integrated planning
Land use plan
Hill land conservation
Land reclamation
Conservation and management of natural resources
Water
Forest
Biological diversity
Marine resources
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7. Scope of PECS ….cont’d Urban environment issues
Urbanization and human settlements
Waste management
Industrial pollution
Environmental health
Infrastructure development
Transport
Energy use
Gardens, parks and open spaces
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8. Coastal zone management
Coastal land reclamation
Tanjung Tokong land reclamation
Privatized
5 more islands to be reclaimed
Impacts on Gurney drive and Penang port
Sedimentation
Shallowing of port
Increased sedimentaion and water quality
Jelutong land reclamation
Impacts on straits of Penang
Loss of linear park
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9. Coastal zone management
Closing of beaches and coastal waters to Penang public and the issue of public access to beaches and coastal waters
Hotels and high rise condos in beach front and loss of aesthetic value
Carrying capacity of coastal zone exceeded? Over building and violation of development control guidelines
Hill cutting along Batu Feringhii and sedimentation of coastal waters
Infrastructure inadequacy and traffic bottlenecks
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10. Hill cutting and development
Legal and illegal hill cutting
Construction of illegal roads up the hills
Hill farms and soil erosion and abandonment as practice not sustainable
Development in hill slopes
Landslides and land slips in Paya Terubong
Water catchments and diversion of water to farms and other use
Drying up of waterfalls and streams
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11. Public open space Penang has very limited public open space
Federal Town and Country Department recommends 6 to 7 acres per 1000 population
Penang Island Structure Plan recommends 8 hectares per 5000
MPPP requires only 2 hectares per 5,000
Urgent need when 90% of new residential units are high rise and small for medium and low cost housing
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12. Requirements for public open space
Projected population of Penang in 2010
1,647,000
Public space requirements based on 4 ha per population
1 ha neighborhood parks
1 ha town park
1 ha community park
1 ha regional park
Penang requires 2635 ha of public open space
Available space in Penang Island and Sebarang Perai in 2000 is 449 ha
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13. How to find the space? Acquire land Allocate existing land
Expensive option
Allocate existing land
Need political will
Land reclamation
30% for public recreation
Linear coastal parks
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14. Next Steps Action required Working group on each issue
Hill development
Coastal zone development and land reclamation
Pollution
Tree planting and greening of urban areas
Conservation of nature
Public open space
Etc, etc
Issues to be determined by the participants here
Institutional mechanisms for implementation
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