Image Illustration by Copilot
By Nur Afiradina Arshad
IPOH, July 14: Rows of lush sugarcane swaying along the banks of Sungai Klebang Selatan in Kinta stand as proof that abandoned land can be transformed into a source of livelihood through determination, community spirit and hard work.
Every morning, 66-year-old Abdul Razak Teh begins his day tending the 1.2-hectare sugarcane plantation he has cultivated for the past several years.
For the retired Public Works Department (JKR) officer, the plantation represents far more than a source of income. It symbolises the collective spirit of the local community.
“The project began as a small initiative under the Klebang Selatan Neighbourhood Watch Committee (KRT), when 21 community members joined hands in 2020 to clear and develop idle government land in Kampung Tersusun Batu Enam.
“With support from implementation partners such as the Global Environment Centre (GEC) and funding from Yayasan Hasanah, the once-neglected site gradually evolved into a fully functioning sugarcane farm complete with a storage facility, a well and a solar-powered water pump,” he told Bernama.
GENERATING INCOME FOR THE COMMUNITY
According to Abdul Razak, the project, carried out with the approval of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), has enabled residents to earn additional income by selling fresh sugarcane juice produced from land that had previously been left idle.
“Profits from the sale of sugarcane juice were distributed equally among members. At one point, daily sales reached RM300.
“However, over the years, many members withdrew from the project, leaving me to continue the effort on my own from 2023. Even so, I still contribute part of the proceeds to the KRT as a gesture of appreciation to the community that initiated this project,” said Abdul Razak, who earns profits of up to RM12,000 during the Ramadan month.
To ensure the plantation remained operational, he invested about RM10,000 of his own savings to build a temporary storage facility to support farming activities.
His Mathol-branded sugarcane juice has since been showcased at several expos, particularly those organised by the National Unity Ministry under its KRT entrepreneurship development programme, where it has received an overwhelmingly positive response from visitors.
Beyond generating income, the sugarcane plantation along Sungai Klebang also serves as one of GEC’s initiatives to educate local communities on river conservation through its River Care Programme, making the project a win-win initiative that combines environmental stewardship with community empowerment.
COMMUNITY RIVER RANGERS SAFEGUARDING SUSTAINABILITY
GEC River Care Programme Senior Officer Norazrin Mamat said the community-based river monitoring programme has not only heightened public awareness of environmental conservation but has also nurtured proactive communities committed to preserving rivers, particularly the Kinta River in Perak.
He said the Klebang Selatan KRT has been among the most active participants in the Kinta River Sustainability Monitoring Programme since 2019 through the RIVER Ranger initiative.
“Under the programme, residents are trained to regularly monitor the condition of rivers near their homes by assessing physical, chemical and biological parameters.
“They conduct field inspections once every one or two months using monitoring guidelines and testing kits provided by GEC. Among the indicators assessed are litter, riverbank erosion, odour, dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature and the presence of aquatic life, all of which reflect the health of the river,” he explained.
Norazrin, who is also GEC’s RCP Perak coordinator, said that although the programme does not directly improve river water quality, it helps communities better understand the causes of pollution and the role they can play in protecting rivers.
“Communities that once knew little about river management are now far more aware of pollution issues and are able to contribute meaningfully to conserving the Kinta River.
“The programme also promotes green practices, including the proper disposal of household waste such as used cooking oil, which can severely affect water quality if discarded irresponsibly.
“Although the efforts undertaken by the Klebang Selatan community may appear modest, they form part of a much larger initiative to safeguard the Kinta River, a vital water source for residents across the Kinta Valley,” he said.
The Kinta River monitored under the programme stretches across a catchment of about 110 kilometres, from the Cameron Highlands border in Pahang to Kampung Gajah, making it one of Perak’s most significant river systems.
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY AND PROTECTING CATCHMENT AREAS
Meanwhile, JPS Director-General Datuk Mohamad Radzi Abdul Talib said community-based programmes implemented by GEC play a crucial role in reducing river pollution.
He said initiatives such as public awareness campaigns, river clean-up activities, water quality monitoring, riverbank tree planting, environmental education and the promotion of green lifestyles allow communities to contribute directly to river conservation efforts.
“In this regard, JPS and GEC regard community-based initiatives as an effective mechanism that complements government-led river management efforts.
“Active participation from communities throughout the river basin helps foster collective awareness and strengthen environmental stewardship.
“Moreover, Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) is an important non-structural component of the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) studies prepared by JPS. It serves as a strategic tool to enhance stakeholder engagement, strengthen public participation and secure support from various agencies in river basin management,” he said.
Mohamad Radzi added that such community programmes also produce immediate benefits by equipping communities with the skills to adapt to environmental challenges such as floods and pollution.
The programme currently focuses on the Kinta River catchment, covering an area of nearly 2,686 square kilometres.
Originating from Gunung Pass along the Simpang Pulai-Cameron Highlands highway in Ulu Kinta at an elevation of 1,500 metres above sea level, the Kinta River flows through Ipoh before reaching Kampung Gajah near Teluk Intan.
Its catchment comprises 11 major tributaries, namely Sungai Penoh, Sungai Termin, Sungai Seno’oi, Sungai Pari, Sungai Pinji, Sungai Sindu, Sungai Tumboh, Sungai Chenderiang, Sungai Kampar, Sungai Klebang and Sungai Raia.
The collaboration also facilitates communication between district authorities and local communities or associations in managing and protecting nearby rivers.
SAFEGUARDING THE NATION’S WATER RESOURCES FOR THE FUTURE
Mohamad Radzi said the programme delivers multiple long-term benefits, including raising public awareness on river conservation, reducing pollution from local sources, improving river water quality, protecting water catchment areas and encouraging community participation in water resource management.
“In the long run, these initiatives help ensure that the nation’s raw water resources remain clean, reduce water treatment costs and support sustainable water supplies for future generations.
“The programme also demonstrates that river conservation is most effective when government agencies, NGOs and local communities work together through smart partnerships.
“It also supports the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and IRBM approaches outlined under the National Water Policy Action Plan to ensure clean, sufficient and sustainable water supplies for future generations.
“If these positive practices continue consistently, they will not only improve river cleanliness and water quality but also benefit ecosystems and the well-being of surrounding communities,” he said.
He added that direct community involvement also nurtures a stronger sense of responsibility and ownership towards rivers, helping reduce pollution on a sustained basis while complementing conservation efforts undertaken by the government and other stakeholders.
RIVER HEALTH INDEX TO TRANSFORM WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
For decades, Malaysia has assessed river conditions using the Water Quality Index (WQI), which measures parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH levels and pollutant concentrations.
However, as climate change places increasing pressure on water resources, experts believe a more comprehensive approach is needed.
To address this need, GEC, in collaboration with JPS, is developing the River Health Index (RHI), which not only evaluates water quality but also assesses the overall health of rivers as living ecosystems closely linked to people, biodiversity and national water security.
GEC River Care Programme Manager Dr K. Kalithasan said the initiative reflects a global shift towards recognising rivers as living entities rather than merely channels for flowing water.
“Unlike the existing system, the RHI is built around four key components: physical, chemical, biological and community participation.
“The physical component evaluates river flow, riverbank conditions and hydrological characteristics, while the chemical component measures water quality parameters similar to those used in the WQI.
“The biological component assesses aquatic life, which serves as a natural indicator of river health, while community participation has also been incorporated into the assessment formula.
“The role of communities in river conservation has long been recognised, but until now there has been no systematic way of measuring its impact on river management. Through the RHI, the level of community participation in river monitoring, conservation and pollution prevention can be translated into an overall river health score using GEC’s testing kits,” he explained.
Although not every river serves directly as a source of drinking water, Kalithasan noted that every river within a basin is interconnected, as water from tributaries eventually flows into major rivers, reservoirs or water intake points.
The RHI, now in its final stage of development, is expected to be completed by the end of this year before being submitted to the government for adoption as a national index.
“If implemented, it will not only measure river health but also strengthen strategic planning for water management and the conservation of Malaysia’s water resources,” he said.
— BERNAMA