Country’s freshwater sources to run low soon

MALAYSIA’S freshwater sources are projected to run low in the near future due to various factors such as uncontrolled pollution and ineffective & lax law enforcement.

The Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry had in 2010 conducted a study on the state of natural resources in Malaysia with projections running until 2050.

The research had identified 12 main issues affecting the sustainability of the country’s water resources. these included inefficient governance structure and ineffective enforcement; water pollution and deterioration in river water quality; unsustainable industry and the lack of long-term resilience; increase in demand for safe and reliable services; limited resource recovery initiatives; competition for water resources among industries.

They also included the tendency for a reactive approach in addressing disaster; research, development, commercialisation and innovation in the stage of infancy; less water ownership among the public; changes in land use due to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation; low optimisation of floodwater; and the inadequate quantity of reliable water resources.

Meanwhile, the country’s reserves for oil & gas are expected to last about 10 more years on higher demand, according to a report by British Petroleum in the BP Energy Outlook 2019 Edition.

The world’s oil reserves is expected to run out in 42 years, given the current production rates and it is also the same for other non-renewable natural resources. As the world’s population continues to rise, the demand for the depleting natural resources will continue to increase.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that the advanced economies’ share of the global output will fall to 37% by 2024 from 57% in 2000.

China’s share of this global output will jump to 21% from 7%, and the rest of emerging Asia will account for 39% of global output by 2024.

The European Union is projected to be at 15% while another 14% for the United States. By 2030, China’s GDP at purchasing power parity is projected to increase to US$38 trillion and will retain its position as the largest economy, followed by the US and India.

Indonesia is projected to rise to the fifth position at US$5.4 trillion in 2030 and Malaysia is expected to rise from 27th to the 25th position. The IMF noted that the relative position of the countries in terms of performance will depend on various factors such as the emergence of an inward-looking policy which may result in a slowdown or even a reversal of globalisation. Another challenge that will confront the country in the medium term is the issue of climate change as average world temperatures rise on the greenhouse effect. According to the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, the country’s annual average temperature for the Peninsular Malaysia is projected to rise from 0.6°C to 0.9°C in 10 years.

While over at Sabah and Sarawak, temperatures are expected to rise from 0.8°C to 1.0°C and 0.6°C to 0.8°C respectively.