Faculty of Civil & Environmental Engineering

NATURE CONSERVATION
BFC10102

CHAPTER 1
Introduction to
Nature Conservation
 WELCOME…..
Lecturer : Dr. ROSLINDA SESWOYA (0184640060)
Lecture: 2 hours / week
Aims of Programme: File of PEO & PLO
Aims of Course: File of RPP
Course E-Learning: The lecture notes, info, project,
assignment will be uploaded in the Edmodo.
Class Leader Appoinment : XXX
SAVE THE DATES!
TEST 1 (10%):
Date: 19.10. 2018 (Friday) – WEEK 6
Time: 8:30am to 9:30am
Venue: Block F2 (upper level)
Chapters 1 and 2

TEST 2 (10%):
Date: 7. 12. 2018 (Friday) – WEEK 12
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
Venue: Block F2 (upper level)
Chapters 3 and 4
 Chapter 1:
Introduction to Nature Conservation

Topics: (4 hours lecture)

1.1 The physical environment
1.2 The living environment
1.3 Built vs natural environment-the link
1.4 Standard and Guideline for Benchmarking
Impacts of Environment
 Objectives of this Part

• To learn about the component of natural environment

• To understand the impact of human activities on the
natural environment and the need to maintain a good
natural environment
• To understand the standard and guideline related to
conservation of natures.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

¤ Created 4-6bill years ago – no living thing

¤ The big bang – life
¤ Microbes  plants  animals + man
(evolutionary approach)
¤ Biosphere – atmosphere, lithosphere,
hydrosphere
 Natural Capital: General structure
of the Earth

Biosphere

Atmosphere EARTH Hydrosphere

Litosphere
1.1 PHYSICAL COMPONENTS

¤ What are they? Characteristics?

¤ How are they important to human life
and welfare?

A. Soil – rocks
B. Water
C. Air
 SOIL
¤All kinds of rocks
¤Weathering becomes soil
¤Medium for plant growth
¤Support living and non-living things, natural
and man-made things
¤Provide areas for construction of buildings
 WATER

¤ Very important for life processes

¤ Body of living things comprise mainly of
water eg. human >70% water
¤ >70% of planet earth covered with water
¤ Determine climate (eg. rainfall/humidity)
 AIR
¤Oxygen needed for breathing process
¤Carbon dioxide for photosynthesis,
carbohydrates
¤Nitrogen – a composition of protein
Upih Guling – Endau Rompin, Johor
1.2 LIVING COMPONENTS

¤ Characteristics and examples

¤ Importance
a. Monera
b. Protista
c. Fungi
They form BIODIVERSITY
d. Plants
e. Animals
f. Man
 BIODIVERSITY

Definition : CBD 1991

• The variability among living organisms from
all sources including inter alia, terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems and
the ecological complexes of which they are
part; this includes diversity within species,
between species and of ecosystems (CBD,
1992).
LEVEL 1: GENETIC DIVERSITY

¤ Variation at genetic level due to different

arrangement of chromosome
¤ Occur naturally or altered by man
¤ Eg. Brassica oleracea (cabbage)
genetically modified by genetic
engineering – cabbage, cauliflower,
broccoli, brussel sprout
¤ White cabbage, purple cabbage
GENETIC DIVERSITY
GENETIC DIVERSITY

GENETIC DIVERSITY: ALTERED BY HUMAN

LEVEL 2: SPECIES DIVERSITY

¤ Chromosome: Different number & arrangement

¤ About 1.8mill species recorded/named
¤ Estimated 100mill – working figure 10mill
¤ Not discovered are mainly small sized
organisms (microbes) eg.: bacteria, viruses,
algae
¤ Difficult to access habitats eg. deep ocean,
canopy
 SPECIES DIVERSITY

BUTTERFLIES

SPIDERS FROGS
 LEVEL 3: ECOSYSTEM
DIVERSITY
¤ More diverse eg. Tropical vs. arboreal forest
¤ Involve diversity in interactions
¤ More diversity, more interactions – more stable
¤ In Malaysia : forest, mangrove, mountain
¤ Types of ecosystems – tropical, temperate, polar
¤ Vegetation determine diversity determine diversity of
animals
¤ Vegetation – autotrophic depends on solar radiation
for photosynthesis
 ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY
Ecosystem diversity

Tropical Rainforest Savannah Temperate Rainforest

Desert Taiga Tundra

Chaparral Freshwater Marine

LEVEL 3: ECOSYSTEM
DIVERSITY
 Distribution

¤ Tropics higher diversity than temperate

¤ Lowland higher diversity than highlands
¤ Tropical rainforest 7% global land mass
harbour >50% biodiversity
¤ Marine ecosystems in tropic higher
primary productivity higher diversity
 Endemism
¤ Certain species of living things only found in restricted
geographical areas – endemics
¤ Eg. Orang utan (Borneo and Sumatra)
¤ Probosis monkey (Borneo)
¤ Zebra (Africa); Panda (China)
¤ Kangaroo (Australia)

Orang utan Probosis monkey

Pongo pygmaeus Larvatus nasalis
 VALUES OF DIVERSITY

1. Utilitarian values : food, medicines, structural

materials
2. Intrinsic/ecological /services values :
pollinators, decomposers (insects), watershed,
replenishing oxygen, tourism
3. Aesthetical values : beauty, green colour to
emotional development
4. Moral values : right to live, uniqueness
5. Cultural, religious values : Elephant, Cow to
Hinduism,
6. Optional values – for future uses eg. Wildlife in
tourism
Uses of biodiversity

IMR IMR

Fruits and vegetables

 Staple Foods

Tapioca & rice : carbohydrates

 Food :
Protein

Cattle, fish and

fowl
Construction materials
Panelling for houses
Trees provide
water and
oxygen
Aesthetic value
 Simply
beautiful
Tourism icon

Tapir – endemic to
peninsular Malaysia
 III. ISSUES IN DIVERSITY

1. We do not know what we have –

poor documentation – how it affects – implication (Not
enough surveys)
 Not enough basic studies – focus on applied studies
 No supporting infra – eg bioinformatics

2. We do not know much about traditional uses – poor

documentation – how it affects
 Traditional uses of plants in healthcare not enough
documentation
 Loss of TK – Takako & Maryati 2004
 III. ISSUES IN DIVERSITY

3. Rich biodiversity poor technology – implication

 Slow advance in new technologies
 Still depend on old technologies
 Case of Bitangor : Sarawak has Bintangor (has potential to cure
HIV) but need technology from America to help process

4. Overharvesting
 Using unsustainable methods of harvesting
 Killing progenies, wasteful
 Eg fish bombing, poisoning, clear cutting
 III. ISSUES IN DIVERSITY

5. IPR, invasive species, PAs

 IPR and ABS – not clear cut
 Took too long time for patenting
 Invasive species
 Protected Areas not many and not networked
Mikania micrantha – weed
suffocating plants
especially
cover crop – legumes
(kekacang)
Costing millions of RM
 Crows are invasive species
IMR
 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
 Conversion of land use from forest to agricultural,
settlements (new townships etc), basic facilities (schools,
offices etc),
 Pollution (air, soil, freshwater and marine environment
form agrochemicals pollution, siltation, oil spills)
 Erosion of traditional knowledge (some plant wild
varieties are not looked after and now extinct because
traditional knowledge on use of these varieties was not
practiced)
 Unsustainable harvesting of natural resources (such
as using fine meshed nets when catching fishes), fish
bombing and poisoning
 Climatic change and global warming (biodiversity has
specific life regime, over which will cause death)
 `

Conversion of land use Pollution

Unsustainable Harvesting
Poor documentation of traditional
knowledge : eg. Herbal uses
 Quiz 1: Answer briefly
Biodiversity
1. What is biodiversity
2. Give five examples of biodiversity
3. What are threats to biodiversity

Conservation
1. What is meant by conservation
2. List 5 reasons why conserve nature
3. List 3 global changes and 2 kinds of pollutions

People & nature

1. How do people alter nature
2. What can people do to protect nature
What you see in this picture?
What you see in this picture?
Which one is natural environment?

Picture A Picture B

Which one is man-made?

What you see in this picture?
What is the link between natural
environment and man-made?
1.3 Built vs. Natural Environment

The Natural Environment

Components of nature: living and non living

Formation of Earth

Living things on Earth

Interactions

Evolutions
 Built vs. Natural Environment
The Built Environment

Man-made Road, buildings, bridges, Tools – vehicles,

dams, canals, parks machinery

Man use energy and

materials to build Produce waste
 Built vs. Natural Environment

Tunku Tun
4-story of
Aminah Library at
Synthetic
University Tun
Chemistry Lab at
Hussein Onn
University of
Malaysia
Pittsburgh

Mandel Centre for the Humanities at Brandeis

University
Built vs. Natural Environment

The Link
Existing at
same time –
temporal
issue

Occupy
same
space –
spatial
issue
Increasing need for
built environment
due to increasing
human population
and modernization
Built vs. Natural Environment
Built environment – houses, schools,
garden (landscaping), man-made lakes (all
to do with civil engineers!)
Natural environment – forest, sea, rivers,
mountains, grassland, desert
Similarities: abiotic (non-living) and biotic
components, occupy same space
(biosphere), using same resources
Differences: human creation, renewable
resources
 Impact of Human Activities to Natural
Environment

Environmental Problems
a. What is it? Pollution
b. Causes?
c. Effects?
Global changes
d. What can
you do about
it? Loss of biodiversity
Impact of Human Activities to Natural
Environment

60 Amur Leopard
left in the world

Orangutan at
Borneo
 List of Major Global Environmental
Issues
Location Environmental Socio impact Cause of the Involved Bodies
Issue Issue

Riau Forest and Land Worst trans-boundary haze Rapid Federal Governments
Province, Fires pollution, emission of deforestation, of the United States
Sumatera, greenhouse gases land clearing, and Canada,
Indonesia (GHGs), affect human and are induced Environment Canada,
health directly and paralyze by dry climate Provincial Government
economic activity by causes fire over of Ontario
reducing visibility in an area of
Indonesia, Singapore and 163,336 ha
Malaysia

Sydney, Great Barrier Reef had suffered the worst Climate change ARC Center of
Australia Reef Threatened coral bleaching and die-off and the flow of Excellence for Coral
ever recorded, with farm chemicals Reef Studies, and
stretches of its northern and coastal United Nations
reaches dead after the coral sediment into Educational, Scientific
was bathed in warm the waters, and Cultural
summer waters. world’s biggest Organization.
coal mines
about 200 miles
from the reef.
 List of Major Global Environmental Issues
Location Environmental Socio impact Cause of the Issue Involved
Issue Bodies

Gulf of Mexico Oil spill in the Gulf of Plants and animals were Deepwater oil well British Petroleum,
Mexico about 4.9 completely covered in the oil. exploded in the Gulf of United States
million barrels of Seabirds, sea turtles and Mexico Coast Guard
petroleum released dolphins have been found dead, (USCG), Federal
covering 130x70 mi2 Oil that entered wetland areas Aviation
meant recovery would be slow, Administration (FA
Fish stocks were harmed, and A), and other U.S
productivity decreased. Government
bodies.

Earth’s Orbit Space Debris and More than 500,000 pieces of
Human Spacecraft debris are tracked as they orbit
the Earth. They all travel at
speeds up to 17,500 mph, fast
enough for a relatively small
piece of orbital debris to damage
a satellite or a spacecraft.
Orbital debris is any man- National
made object in orbit about Aeronautics and
the Earth which no longer Space
serves a useful function. Administration
Such debris includes (NASA), and
nonfunctional spacecraft, European Space
abandoned launch vehicle Agency
stages, mission-related
debris and fragmentation
debris.
 List of Major Global Environmental Issues

Location Environmental Socio impact Cause of the Issue Involved

Issue Bodies

The Great Lakes, Uncontrolled growth Endangering wide range Nutrient loading is caused by Federal
Canada-United States of cyanobacteria of wildlife, including fertilizers (synthetic and Governments of
border called an Algal migratory and resident organic) used in agricultural the United States
Blooms In The Great birds and polluting water practices, urbanization and and Canada,
Lakes resource providing human waste, and Environment
drinking water, household products Canada,
recreational activities, containing phosphorous and Provincial
and tourism. nitrogen Government of
Ontario

Wyoming, United Hydraulic Fracturing Ozone pollution, Infancy of the industry, and Environmental
States in Wyoming impacted contamination of the only recent effort to Protection Agency
the environment. groundwater, and monitor its effects, there (EPA),
overuse of water remains a large gap in Underground
supplies knowledge surrounding the Injection Control
impacts of hydraulic (UIC).
fracking.
List of Major Environmental Issues Affecting
Communities in Malaysia
Location Nature of Socio impact Community’s Advocating
industry pledge NGO

Gebeng, Rare-earth Health hazards caused by Close plant Save Msia,

Kuantan processing radioactivity Stop operation Stop Lynas.
Pahang Stop Lynas
Coalition
Himpunan Hijau
2.0

Pengerang, Large scale Forced resettlement including Stop project Save

Johor petrochemical schools,houses, Reject Pengerang
industry graveyards, temples, resettlement Coalition
masjid; Angry lobsters
fish depletion caused by land
reclamation;
potential health hazards by
emission and effluents
List of Major Environmental Issues Affecting
Communities in Malaysia
Location Nature of Socio impact Community’s Advocating NGO
industry pledge

Tanjung Bin, Coal power plant Air pollution Stop the plant JARING
Johor causing respiratory Control pollution Sahabat Alam
problems amongst Malaysia
malay villagers

Long Pasia, Sabah logging Logging causing Stop logging -

serious flood and
erosion

Baram, Baram Dam @ Forced Stop the dam project Save Rivers
Sarawak Hydroelectric resettlement, land Sarawak
project lost, cultural Baram Protection
erosion, survival Committee
threatened

Raub, Gold mine Already seen Close mine Bukit Koman Anti
Pahang Using Cyanide health hazards due Cyanide Committee
to Cyanide and
acidic emission
List of Major Environmental Issues Affecting
Communities in Malaysia
Location Nature of Socio impact Community’s Advocating
industry pledge NGO

Hulu Hulu Terengganu Deforestation, loss Questioning the need to World Wide
Terengganu, Hydroelectric of endangered clearfell an area three Fund for
Terengganu Project species times larger than the size Nature, Internati
of the dam reservoir. onal Union for
Conservation of
Nature

Klang Valley East Klang Valley De-gazetting of Disapprove 2nd phase Selangor
Expressway, EKVE 106.6 ha of the construction Forestry
Ampang Forest Department.
Reserve, a critical
source of water
for Klang Valley, cut
through the Ulu
Gombak forest
reserve
 Why Conservation for
Natural Environment?

Is this the way to conserve natural environment?

How does conservation comes about?

The old way.. The best way..

 Conservation
• Why is conservation important to the
world?
• Why is conservation important to
Malaysia?
• Who is responsible for conservation?
• Practical examples of successful
conservation effort –Taman Negara Endau
Rompin, Belum, Tg Piai,
Elephant- Kuala Gandah, Kuala Krau,
 You as the Steward
Responsibilities of human being
 To belief in Him
 To take care of his creation

We are cutting down forests for making

our homes. We are continuing with an
excessive consumption of natural
resources. Their excessive use is resulting
in their depletion, risking the life of our
future generations. Is this conservation?
 You as the Steward

WHAT WILL BE LEFT FOR NEXT GENERATION ?

1.4 Standards and guideline for
Benchmarking Impacts of Environment

¤ In the promotion of environmentally sound and sustainable

development, the Government of Malaysia has
established the necessary legal and institutional
arrangements such that environmental factors are
considered at the early stages of project planning.

¤ With reference to the licensing requirements for

establishment of business/industry in the country,
environmental requirements and assessment constitute
the second level of approval that need to be obtained after
a business or industry has been registered.
National policy on the Environment
• The National Policy on the Environment which
integrates the three elements of sustainable
development: economic, social and cultural
development and environmental conservation
was formulated and approved in 2002.
• The Policy aims at continued economic, social
and cultural progress and enhancement of the
quality of life of Malaysians through
environmentally sound and sustainable
development.
It is based in eight (8) inter-related and mutually supporting
principles set to harmonize economic development goals with
environmental imperatives:
(a) Stewardship of the Environment
(b) Conservation of the Nature‟s Vitality and Diversity
(c) Continuous Improvement in the Quality of the Environment
(d) Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
(e) Integrated Decision-making
(f) Role of the Private Sector
(g) Commitment and Accountability
(h) Active Participation in the International community
 Environmental Quality Act, 1974

• The legislation that is related to the prevention,

abatement, control of pollution and
enhancement of the environment in Malaysia is
the Environmental Quality Act, 1974.
• The Act restricts the discharge of wastes into the
environment in contravention of the acceptable
conditions.
• To date 38 sets of Regulations and Orders has
been introduced and enforced
 Environmental requirement
Under the Environmental Quality Act (EQA), 1974 and the
Regulations thereunder, industrial activities are required to
obtain the following approvals from the Director General of
Environmental Quality prior to project implementation:

(a) Environmental Impact Assessment reports - under Section 34A of

the EQA, 1974 (for prescribed activities);
(b) Site suitability evaluation (for non-prescribed activities);
(c) Written permission to construct - under Section 19 of the EQA, 1974
(for prescribed premises-scheduled wastes treatment and disposal
facilities, crude palm oil mills and raw natural rubber processing
mills);
d) Written approval for installation of incinerator, fuel burning
equipment and chimney – under Environmental Quality (Clean Air)
Regulation, 1978, EQA, 1974; and
(e) License to use and occupy prescribed premises and prescribed
conveyances - under Section 18 of the EQA, 1974.
 GASEOUS EMISSION

• For industries emitting gaseous and air emission, they

are required to comply with the following air emission
standards for the control of air pollution and gaseous
emissions:-
(a) Stack Gas Emission Standards from Environmental
Quality (Clean Air) Regulations 1978 (Appendix J1)
(b) Recommended Malaysian Air Quality Guidelines
(Ambient Standards) (Appendix J2)
 SEWAGE, INDUSTRIAL
EFFLUENT AND LEACHATE
DISCHARGE
• Industries discharging sewage, industrial effluent and
leachate are required to comply with the following
relevant discharge limits as stipulated in their respective
regulations:-

• (a) Sewage discharge standards. (Appendix K1)

• (b) Industrial effluent discharge limits. (Appendix K2)

• (c) Leachate discharge standards (Appendix K3)

 CONTROL USE OF OZONE
DEPLETING SUBSTANCES (ODS)

• ODS are categorized as environmental hazardous

substance under the Environmental Quality Act, 1974
(Amendment) 1996.
• These substances are listed as per Appendix L.
• New investments relating to the use of these substances
are prohibited. Existing industries are encouraged to
develop and use substitutes and to change their ODS
dependent processes as soon as possible.
 SCHEDULED WASTES
MANAGEMENT
• Malaysia has developed a comprehensive set of legal
provisions related to the management of toxic and
hazardous wastes. The regulation was based on the
cradle to grave principle. A facility which generates,
stores, transports, treats or disposes scheduled waste is
subject to the following regulations:

• (a) Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005;

• (b) Environmental Quality (Prescribed Conveyance) (Scheduled Wastes)
Order 2005;
• (c) Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Scheduled Wastes
Treatment and Disposal Facilities) Order 1989;
• (d) Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Scheduled Waste
Treatment and Disposal Facilities) Regulations 1989;
• (e) Customs (Prohibition of Export) Order (Amendment)(No. 2) 1993, and;
• (f) Customs (Prohibition of Import) Order (Amendment)(No. 2) 1993.
Something to ponder..
• Thank you

• Terima kasih

THANK YOU
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