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  • 4 Paper 4 - Paper by Dato - DR Salleh Mohd Nor

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    Khrl K Khrl
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    The document discusses a proposed plan for large-scale coastal land reclamation along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia that would add 97,000 hectares of new land over 50 years. While some smaller-scale historical reclamations by local communities for agriculture are mentioned, the focus is on new large projects that involve dumping sand and fill into the sea to extend the coastline. Reasons given for the reclamation include economic growth, but questions are raised about whether the projects will truly benefit locals and be economically viable. A cost-benefit analysis is suggested to better evaluate these questions. The environmental impacts of such extensive reclamation could be unpredictable and significant, especially when considered collectively rather than in isolation. More study is needed

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    4 Paper 4 - Paper by Dato_ Dr Salleh Mohd Nor

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    The document discusses a proposed plan for large-scale coastal land reclamation along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia that would add 97,000 hectares of new land over 50 years. While some smaller-scale historical reclamations by local communities for agriculture are mentioned, the focus is on new large projects that involve dumping sand and fill into the sea to extend the coastline. Reasons given for the reclamation include economic growth, but questions are raised about whether the projects will truly benefit locals and be economically viable. A cost-benefit analysis is suggested to better evaluate these questions. The environmental impacts of such extensive reclamation could be unpredictable and significant, especially when considered collectively rather than in isolation. More study is needed

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    48 views1 page

    4 Paper 4 - Paper by Dato - DR Salleh Mohd Nor

    Uploaded by

    Khrl K Khrl
    The document discusses a proposed plan for large-scale coastal land reclamation along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia that would add 97,000 hectares of new land over 50 years. While some smaller-scale historical reclamations by local communities for agriculture are mentioned, the focus is on new large projects that involve dumping sand and fill into the sea to extend the coastline. Reasons given for the reclamation include economic growth, but questions are raised about whether the projects will truly benefit locals and be economically viable. A cost-benefit analysis is suggested to better evaluate these questions. The environmental impacts of such extensive reclamation could be unpredictable and significant, especially when considered collectively rather than in isolation. More study is needed

    Copyright:

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    Paper 4 The Proposed Coastal Land Reclamation on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

    Malaysia's land area will grow by another 97,000 ha when 76 projects of coastal land reclamation starts. Stretching down the whole West oast, from !"ala #erlis to $ohor %ar", land will be e&tended some '.()m into the Straits of Mela)a, o*er a period of '0 years. +dditionally, some coastal areas off ,erenggan", #ahang, Sabah and Sarawa) will also be part of -what seems to be. a national reclamation policy. /istorically, coastal reclamations are cond"cted by local comm"nities for their agric"lt"ral acti*ities. /owe*er, these reclamations are simple, and limited to the draining of mangro*es for paddy farming, cocon"t growing, s"gar0cane plantations and fishponds. Since the last cent"ry, this type of reclamation has replaced some 60,000 ha of mangro*es. 1f late, there is a new )ind of reclamation, relating to the d"mping of sand and other fill material into the sea, th"s e&tending the coastline. 2easons gi*en for this type of coastal reclamation and de*elopment are economic growth and e&pansion. 1ther reasons cited are the rehabilitation of m"ddy coastlines, pre*ention of coastal wa*e erosion and preser*ation of forests, hills and good farmland, and problems of ac3"iring land for de*elopment. ,o a certain e&tent, some of these reasons are j"stifiable. 4or e&ample, if a beach was earlier eroded, coastal reclamation for the preser*ation of good farmlands and conser*ation of biodi*ersity in "ni3"e, sensiti*e areas -e.g. colonies of threatened mil)y stor)s. are f"lly j"stified. %"t on the basis of economic *iability alone, there are certain 3"estions that are not satisfactorily answered. 4or e&ample, are they really beneficial to the locals5 1r will they be *iable5 +nd if yes, at what costs5 ,he most satisfactory approach to answer these 3"estions is perhaps thro"gh a cost0benefit analysis. Malaysia has not reached a stage of critical land shortage for ho"sing and "rban de*elopment. 6n fact, statistics indicate millions of hectares of "nder "tilised lands. ,hese sho"ld be the immediate target for de*elopment rather than coastal land reclamation. ,he 7n*ironmental 6mpact +ssessment -76+. co"ld pro*ide some inp"t on the possible en*ironmental costs of these reclamation projects. %"t the 76+s for each project may be fa"lty as they are prepared in isolation of each other, and ass"mes that there are no reclamations in adjoining states, e*en tho"gh most of the West oast will be reclaimed. Moreo*er, the impact of large coastal land reclamation on tidal flows, are "npredictable and often not considered. ,he impacts of s"ch reclamation co"ld be f"rther along the coast and not necessarily in the *icinity of the act"al reclamation wor). 8"e to synergy, the collecti*e costs of these projects will ha*e greater and longer lasting after0effects on the en*ironment. 4or all we )now, tropical reclamation of these magnit"des has ne*er been attempted before. ,he possibility of a West oast fisheries crash is *ery real -notwithstanding the loss in archaeological sites and impacts on local comm"nities.9 and that is not co"nting the f"t"re en*ironmental problems when commercial and residential de*elopments start on these reclaimed coasts. ,hese, s"ch large e&tensi*e coastal land reclamations m"st be carried o"t only after detailed 76+:s are appro*ed, and only with ca"tion. 8ato' 8r Salleh Mohd ;or !"ala <"mp"r, 6 1ctober, =999

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