Lakes and Reservoir in Malaysia: Management and Research Challenges
Lakes and Reservoir in Malaysia: Management and Research Challenges
Lakes and Reservoir in Malaysia: Management and Research Challenges
2008
Proceedings of Taal2007: The 12th World Lake Conference: 1349-1355
ABSTRACT
Lakes and reservoir are important water resources in Malaysia. Rapid pace of development surrounding
many of the lake catchments has had significant effects on the quality of the water body. This paper
looks into various studies on the status of lakes and reservoir that have been carried out in Malaysia. It
detailed out some of the major issues and problem faced in the areas of lake research, management,
governance, capacity building, information management and stakeholder participation. The paper
concludes with strategies and plans to be consider as the way forward to overcome the issues.
Keywords: Eutrophication, research, management
INTRODUCTION
This paper appraises some of the past studies that
have been carried out in Malaysia and synthesise the
overall findings from paper presentations and
discussion in the Colloquium on Lakes and Reservoir
in Malaysia held in August 2007 at Putrajaya,
Malaysia.
IMPORTANCE OF LAKES
Lakes and reservoir are important sources of water in
Malaysia and can have multipurpose functions. They
formed part of storage basins for municipal and
industrial water supply, agriculture and hydropower.
Some lakes and reservoir were constructed as flood
control detention storage to buffer the different flow
during dry and wet season, although most of them,
currently have multipurpose functions. Water bodies
are also created when silt retention/detention basins
are constructed in urban areas. Hydropower in
Malaysia contributed about 8% of the energy
requirement in year 1998 (Ministry of Energy, Water
and Communication 2007). Lakes and reservoir also
support important ecosystem and repository of
biodiversity of rare, endemic and endangered
species. Due to its economic potential, many lakes
and ponds have become popular tourism and waterbased recreational sites or sports- or commercialfishing activities, expanding the water needs and
creating conflicting water uses.
Generally, natural lakes are few in Malaysia
and mostly form as part of swamp wetlands. A
wetland of international importance, Lake Bera, was
accepted as Malaysias first RAMSAR site in 1995.
At the same time a number of man-made lakes were
created to fulfil the needs of the nation. Not less than
73 man-made lakes have been created for water
supply, irrigation hydropower generation, flood
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CONCLUSION
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REFERENCES
Akashah Majizat (2003), Operation and Management of
Putrajaya Lake and Wetlands, Paper presented at
National Seminar on Constructed Wetland 2003,
Putrajaya Malaysia
Abdul Rahim Nik, Alexander K. Sayok, Efransjah and
Sapuan Ahmad (2007), Issues Affecting the
Sustainability of Loagan Bunut Lake, Sarawak,
Paper presented at the Colloquium on Lakes and
Reservoir Management: Status and Issues, 2 3
August 2007, Putrajaya Malaysia
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