Opening Speech By
Y.B DATUK DOUGLAS UGGAH EMBAS
MINISTER
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT Malaysia
On the Opening Ceremony of
THE THIRD WEPA INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON WATER
ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE
23rd October 2008
Putrajaya Marriott Hotel
Saudara Pengerusi Majlis,
Y.B. Senator Dato' Maznah bt Mazlan
Timbalan Menteri
Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar Malaysia
His Excellency Mr. Tetsou Ito
The Chief Secretary General
Ministry of Environment
Japan
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Suboh bin Mohd Yasin
Ketua Setiausaha
Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Zoal Azha Bin Yusof
Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha Pembangunan
Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar
Ketua-ketua Pengarah, Ketua-ketua Jabatan Dato’-dato’
Tuan –tuan dan puan-puan sekalian
Salam sejahtera dan selamat pagi
Distinguished Guests, Honourable Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Salam sejahtera and a very good morning to all.
1. First and foremost, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the participants to the 3rd WEPA International Forum on Water Environmental Governance 2008. To the participants from abroad, Selamat Datang ke Malaysia or Welcome to Malaysia. I am indeed privileged to be given the honour to officiate this important international forum and for that I thank the Ministry of Environment of Japan and the Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA). Malaysia is also honoured to be chosen as the host of this international Forum.
2. It is also heartening to note that this event coincides with the recently launched Malaysia Environment Week 2008, which is an annual programme organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. In conjunction with this Week, numerous activities are organised to promote and enhance environmental awareness amongst the general public especially school children, businesses and industry.
Ladies and Gentleman,
3. It is an undeniable fact that water is the most essential natural resource for life and this resource is important for all sectors of development in any country. More importantly, adequate supply of good quality water is crucial for the well-being of the present and future generations. However the increasing demand for water due to population growth and developmental needs has become a cause of concern for all of us. There is already sign of water distress in many parts of the world. If this trend continues in the coming decades, it is likely that water will become a critical scarce resource in many regions of the world. This alarming situation can become more complicated with climate change affecting global water resources.
4. According to reports of the proceedings of the last Earth Summits in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002, one billion of the world population is living without clean water infrastructure and two billion people have no access to proper sanitary facilities. Although East Asia including Malaysia is blessed with abundant water resources, nevertheless we must not take things for granted. In this regard, it is disheartening to note the quality of rivers, lakes and groundwater has deteriorated in many parts of Asian region, posing risks and threats to the livelihood of the people. In this context, it is important to remind ourselves that without a sound water environment, it is not possible to achieve sustainable development in Asia. We must be very careful in managing our water resources in terms of quantity and quality to fulfill our needs. Unfortunately, knowledge and capacity to promote better water environmental governance is still insufficient. But we have to strive harder to enhance our capability to resolve these water management issues including improving water environment governance, before it is too late.
Ladies and Gentleman,
5. Malaysia too faces many issues and challenges in the management of water resources. The country has been experiencing rapid economic development, urbanization and industrialization since gaining independence in 1957. Our success in achieving high and unprecedented economic growth has been acknowledged by the global community including international organizations such as the World Bank. This rapid development brought extensive changes to the country’s geographical landscape. Unfortunately, I must admit this developmental process coupled with changing lifestyles and irresponsible attitude of some people towards the environment, also have also resulted in environmental degradation, loss of biological diversity, water quality deterioration, flooding and declining catchment areas.
6. Although Malaysia is blessed with plentiful water resources and abundant rainfall, we still face problems related to the management of our water resources The per capita renewable water is about 5,000 cubic meters (m3) per person per year compared to less than 1,000 cubic metres per capita per year in many regions in the world. Despite these encouraging statistics, Malaysia too faces lack of water resources in many parts of the country. Obviously, this problem is attributed to unsustainable management of water resources rather than to the quantity of water available for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses.
7. Also the challenge as far as water quality is concern in Malaysia is far from over and there are many more problems and issues that we have to deal with. For example, in the case of lakes and reservoirs in Malaysia, a recent indicated only 40% are in good condition. As these water bodies hold large volume of water that can be utilized during droughts, the management of water quality has become increasingly critical. Perhaps this is an area that Malaysia can work together with Japan and other countries within the region and the WEPA countries. I understand that Japan have had a long experience with managing Lake Biwa, one the biggest if not the biggest fresh water body, with its many communities living along its shores.
Ladies and Gentleman,
8. Water quality issues in Malaysia are expected to be an important agenda in the future as the population continues to grow. In the implementation of Malaysian Development Plans, the Government will be giving greater emphasis to water quality programs so as to improve the surface water. We also give emphasis to environmental matters and factor them in our development plans. We believe that through constant and rigorous efforts and also through the integrated approach such as the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) that we have embraced, we can manage our water quality problems more effectively. We have made some progress as far as improving river water quality is concern over the last couple of years. Several government agencies have taken initiatives such as improving sewerage system in key areas especially in the Klang Valley, rehabilitating river conditions in Melaka River and Klang River, and relocated illegal squatters from the riparian areas through our Squatter Free National Policy back in the early 2000.
9. In this regard, the hosting of this third international forum in Malaysia on water environmental governance in Malaysia is indeed timely and appropriate. I believe this Forum will serve as an effective platform to bring together participants from countries within Asia to discuss water and environment issues as well as find solutions to these issues. Thus, the initiative by the Ministry of Environment of Japan and WEPA to organize this forum is indeed commendable and my gratitude and appreciation to them for their great efforts.
10. I have been made to understand that more than 100 participants are attending this forum of which about 65 are from 11 WEPA member countries and other Asian countries, with the rest from Malaysia including from my Ministry and other related agencies. Over 36 papers from 15 countries will be presented and I believe this exchange of knowledge and experience in handling water resources and water quality issues will benefit all of us and improve our understanding of the issues involved.
11. Besides, there are many models and examples that we can learn from countries like Japan and Korea, especially the river management techniques. There are also plenty of success stories from elsewhere and we hope this forum can be a place for all of us to share these stories. I also hope WEPA in particular and the Government of Japan in general will continue be the key drivers in Water and Environmental promotion within the East Asia region. I would like to reiterate that Malaysia will continue to be an active member in this beneficial programme.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
12. I once again extend my gratitude and appreciation to the organizers and participants for the success of this 3rd WEPA International Forum on Water Environmental Governance 2008. I am confident this forum will further promote better water governance by accumulating knowledge and experiences on good water environmental management. I also wish all participants a fruitful conference and hope that your deliberations will result in concrete recommendations for effective and sustainable management of water resources in Asia.
13. Also during your stay here, please take some time off to visit our new federal administrative centre at Putrajaya where you can see our efforts on blending the environment with the community. Here you can also find the largest man-made wetlands, called the Paya Indah Wetlands with beautiful landscapes, a clean scenic lake and of course many parks. We have also recently planted 1,500 trees in these wetlands site in conjunction with the Malaysia Environment Week 2008.
14. On that note, it is with great pleasure that I now declare the 3rd WEPA International Forum on Water Environmental Governance 2008 officially open.
Thank you.