KUCHING: The government alone will not be able to protect and conserve the environment; instead, a concerted effort is required from all parties, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), institutes of higher learning, and the public.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said that the state government had established environmental laws such as the Environmental Quality Act (EQA 1975) and Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance (NREO) 1994, which have provisions to safeguard the state’s rivers.
“The effectiveness of our laws is very much dependent on the enforcement capabilities as well as the cooperation of all stakeholders, including all government agencies, industrial players, riverine communities, NGOs, and individuals,” he said at the launch of a seminar on River Pollution and Conservation at a hotel here yesterday.
His text of speech was read by Urban Development and Resources Assistant Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
“As we push forward for greater industrial development, we must not forget to handle industrial waste properly,” Abang Johari emphasised.
He pointed out that Sarawak had some 22 major river systems with the majority of them classified as slightly polluted while some were still pristine. “However, there are isolated urban rivers polluted mostly with residential or commercial waste.”
He said that the Sewerage Department had been established to manage domestic and commercial waste water so that urban rivers would not be overloaded with untreated waste.
“We hope to see major improvement in the water quality of our urban rivers once the central sewerage treatment facility in Kuching is fully operational,” he said.
In addition, the Chief Minister said that the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) had initiated environmental education programmes in schools though the PALS Club (Environment Lovers Club) since 2015, with a focus on creating environmental awareness in the community through their schools’ projects.
He urged organisations such as Institut Kimia Malaysia (IKM) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to be involved in projects that provide opportunities for all communities to participate in pollution prevention and environmental conservation, particularly keeping rivers clean and healthy.
Abang Johari hoped that the seminar would provide practical, effective, and implementable recommendations to safeguard Sarawak’s rivers.
