Water and Environment Engineering

Introduction Village Background Buayan is located in Sabah state in Malaysia. The village is situated in the Northwestern part of the state, near the seacoast (Kennedy, 2011). The name of the village is predetermined by a long history. According to the account of one of the representatives of Ulu Papar generation, Buayan suffered from a 7-year drought long time ago (John, Sipanis, 2013). The dry season led to the exhaustion of water resources.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Water and Environment Engineering specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, there was one part of the river that managed to survive from the drought and that humans could not access because of the river turtle, named Suyan, who never left the area. However, one of the village residents made an offer to the turtle and the latter allowed humans to use water from the river. As a result of this offering, Buayan village was founde d. Although the history of the village name is just a legend, much information turns out to be logical because of the villagers experiencing water scarcity. Importance of Water Supply for the Village It has been discovered that water supply level, particularly climatic seasonal variations have a potent impact on power supply (Kennedy, 2011). The statistic demonstrates the evident increase in the village energy demand during dry seasons because most of energy resources have been spent on building the irrigation systems and artificial water supply systems. Statistics in Comparison to Other Villages To ensure sufficient water supply in the region, Sabah Water Resources Enactment was introduced in 1998. The total area of the river resources in the district equals to 34321 ha, which is 97.5 of the entire resources of freshwater in Sabar. The quality of freshwater in the region was worsened significantly from 1990 to 2004 (Credit and Microfinance Needs in Inland Capture Fisheries Developm ent and Conservation in Asia, 2007). This could be judged by the supply and quality of freshwater fish in the village. Specifically, it has been discovered that there is a tangible decline in overall fish landing, despite the slight recovery of fishing in 2004. This improvement is explained by the advancement of information gathering techniques rather than by actual increase in inland quantity. In contrast to the Buayan village problems with water shortages, other regions also suffered from insufficient water management. According to the reports, over 30,000 people in Sabak Bernam and Kuala Selangor regions were affected by a draught (Hassan, 2012). Although this figure is not significant as compared to the situation in the village, it still needed consideration.Advertising Looking for critical writing on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Water Supply in relation to International Indicator HDI According to International Human Development Indicators, n. d.), Malaysia takes the 64th place among other countries in terms of life expectancy, incomes, and education. The ranking shows, that the quality of life in the country leaves much to be desired. Specifically, the life expectancy in the region amounts to 74.5 years in average (International Human Development Indicators n. d.). Malaysian people spend about 9.5 years for education, which is much lower as compared to the developed economies. Low level of education in Malaysia has a potent impact on the alternative solutions for supplying water resources into the areas suffering from drought. Additionally, lack of financial support does not allow the villagers to build efficient hydro-systems that would insure sufficient supply of drinking water. Normative and Subjective Assessment Influence of Water Supply Management on Community Development Water supply systems in Malaysia are highly appraised in the country because it influences the qua lity of living. Due to the fact that water supply system requires significant costs, the constructions scheme is impossible unless the government provides sufficient funding (Vincent and Ali, 2011). Specifically, the beginning of the construction could mean incredible costs and consideration of long-term marginal costs. Improving Water Quality for Better Healthcare As soon as water quality in Buayan is improved, people will not suffer from waterborne infections and, as a result, people will rarely address medical establishments. Water pollution is the major source of low of living standards in the regions and, therefore, this problem should be eliminated. Summary Modern Development in Buayan Although the village does not have access by road, almost 400 villages on the Crocker Range could make use of the power supply system (Duin, 2009). While using the power of the river water, it is highly essential for the villagers to have sufficient water supply. As response to the problem, mini -hydro supply system was introduced by Prime Minister’s Department (Duin, 2009). Using the water energy is beneficial for the village and cost-effective for the municipal government that cannot afford supplying fuels for transporting energy resources. Therefore, water scarcity can pose a serious problem for the region Human Development and Poverty in the Village Sabah is a state situated in northern part of Borner; it is considered the second largest area in Malaysia. Despite the fact that the state is abundant with natural resources, its economic development leaves much to be desired. Specifically, the statistics indicates the highest poverty rate in the region, which makes it the least developed area.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Water and Environment Engineering specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this respect, Buayan village is also among the least developed populated areas, which should be addressed. Many reforms and plans were directed at redevelopment and poverty reduction in rural areas. This is of particular concern to the 9th Malaysian Plan that focuses on the strategy for poverty reduction and improvement of quality standards of living in the region (Dambul, Omar, and Osman, 2010). Infrastructure Expansion vs. Preservation of Heritage While constructing and advancing water supply systems in Buayan, paying attention to the environment is not less important. Therefore, the hydro-support system should be developed along with the analysis of environmental solution to prevent further air and water contamination (Gunawansa Bhullar, 2013). Evaluating Water Supply As soon as the efficient water supply scheme is implemented in the region, the villagers could face another problem, such as high tariffs on drinking water consumption. At this point, it is highly necessary to reconsider the financial situation to address the problem in a consistent manner. Alternative So lution to Water Environment in the Village The problem of water supply could be improved as soon as both water supply management and finance department are coordinated to produce viable solutions. Extrapolation and Coherent Argument Provided the number of houses increase, the water supply system should also be rearranged to fit the new consumption trends. In order to meet the new demand, it is highly necessary to engage the private sector that can assist the newly created households (Gunawansa Bhullar, 2013). Specifically, five water supply systems are operational in Sabah system. However, there should an equal distribution of the resources among other districts as well. Future Trends in Water System Development While introducing the operational policy, enhanced financial distribution of resources for water supply project, as well as sanitation and drought mitigation, is among the most important issues. In this respect, funds should also be available for resource management and pla nning. Alternative solutions for funding from private segment have also been explored (Onn, 2013).Advertising Looking for critical writing on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The attention is drawn from the irrigation structures that are included into the process of reconstruction and innovation. Sufficient water system development should also be based on the presence of efficient energy system that could ensure high performance of water supply systems. Deliver of fresh water could not be efficient by means of trucks because fuel can have a threatening outcome for the environment. The region, therefore, could continue its ongoing adjustment through review of financing incentives and legislative frameworks. As a proof, Malaysia does not have sufficient and integrated legal framework for water issues, but significant progress has been made in this direction. Water Quality Assessment: Efficiency, Sustainability and Equity Issue In order to insure water quality assessment, various levels of advocacy could be implemented to ensure the accomplishment of the requirements. Further, the quality of water supply management could be ensured by sufficient information exchange between the project managers. Therefore, it is highly important to reconsider the best management practices and evaluate the new capacity building to alternative freshwater supply systems. Additionally, Buayan region must be analyzed from the political and environmental viewpoint to assess how these issues could influence the water problem. Specific attention requires poverty level, income, and demographics. Demographic information and social status can establish directions for enhancing management strategies and introducing new ideas and projects for managing water shortage. References Credit and Microfinance Needs in Inland Capture Fisheries Development and Conservation In Asia. (2007). US: Food and Agriculture Org. Dambul, R., Omar, M. A., and Osman, S. (2010). Sabah Priority Issues. Malaysia: University Malaysia, Sabah. Duin, N. (2009). Sabah Villagers Harness Power of River Water. The Start Online. Web. Gunawansa, A., Bhullar, L. (2013). Water Governance: An Evaluati on of Alternative Architectures. US: Edward Elgar Publishing. Hassan, Alisha. (2012). Water Crisis: Thousands in Malaysia Face Water Shortage. Web. International Human Development Indicators. Country Profile: Human Development Indicators. National Human Development Reports for Malaysia. Web. John, T., Sipanis, R. (2013), Discovering our History. Web. Kennedy, S. (2011). Microhydro, Microgrids, and Microenterprises: A village energy case in Sabah, Malasia. Web. Onn, L. P. (2013). Water Issues in Southeast Asia: Present Trends and Future Directions. US: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Vincent, J. R., and Ali, R. M. (2011). Managing Natural Wealth: Environment and Development in Malaysia. New York Routledge. This critical writing on Water and Environment Engineering was written and submitted by user Delaney U. to help you with your own studies. 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