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Conference
2006
Plants as infrastructure
Abstract:
The
use of plants in mitigating flood problems in urban river infrastructure
developments in Malaysia
DANI
SALLEH
Fast urban growth creates
demands for various development projects as accelerated by strong
growth in industrial sector and reinforced by dynamic property market
sectors. The concentration of urban population and expansion of
existing development areas requires rapid implementation of various
types of infrastructure projects. The increase of large scale development
projects has produced greater challenge to local authorities to
make the urban environment sustainable and liveable. However, improper
execution of the projects, especially those located in sensitive
development areas, would be harmful to the hydrological regime of
river basins. Various countermeasures have been identifi ed to monitor
urban river basins. Meanwhile, the adequate provision of infrastructure
has to be provided and at the same time it has to protect the natural
and built environment.
Generally urban water
management is strongly affected by climatic, socio-economic and
institutional arrangement and these may vary among countries, or
even regions. In Malaysia, the increase in population as a result
from urbanisation brings about the increase in water demand and
this gives rise to the necessity of water resources development.
This is the fi rst of the major hydrological problems. The increase
of population density and increase the building density also increases
the quantity of waterborne waste. This contributes to the deterioration
of storm water quality. Actually, in the country flood disasters
are caused by several factors, e.g. i). The increase of natural
disasters in urban areas; ii). Increase of inundation caused by
insuffi cient drainage capacity; and iii). Increase of flood damage
density due to the high concentration of population and new development
projects. In order to avoid that, various mitigation measures have
been formulated and put forward inline with urban water management
through the approach of 'Integrated Urban Water Management'. Therefore
various counter measures have been taken in mitigating the environmental
consequences. Hence, planting was identifi ed as an effective, economic
and environmentally friendly method available to be incorporated
in river based infrastructure development in managing urban river
water infrastructure development.
The concept of 'Integrated
Urban Water Management' consists of two main components, which are
a structural component and plant a component. The concept creates
a wide range of aspects such as acquiring spaces for recreational,
sports activities and walkways, amelioration of microclimate condition,
inhabitation of aquatic fauna and flora. Rivers in some states in
Malaysia have characteristics affected by topographic and climatic
conditions; historically floods have often occurred when towns and
settlements are established within flood prone areas. Under these
circumstances, flood mitigation has always been considered a social
necessity.
The river has many aspects
of landscape components in relation to human activities and nature.
The natural characteristics of rivers are diversified form and dynamics
within the riverside areas. The landscape (plants) components of
the river are generally divided into to two categories which are
attributed the area within the river and the surrounding area of
the river.
The main purpose of river
based infrastructure development is to control flooding as efficiently
as possible by incorporating the plants as the main components.
Growing public concerns demands the utilisation of plants (fauna
and flora) for recreational purposes. In response, a development
concept themed 'Development Facing River' which using plants as
the main component was welcomed by most local planning authorities
in the country. No doubt, rivers generally have three aspects of
function such as river water control, water utilization and environmental
creation aspects. High growth expansion rates of social and economic
growth have long been associated with river water control by means
of mitigation of flood damage to people's lives and diversification
of river water utilisation. In recent years, the environmental function
of the river in urban areas has been recognised as equally important.
Therefore, the discussions
of this paper will focus on some strategies that have been outlined
by respective authorities in Malaysia in managing urban water management
by integrating planted components (landscaping programmes) into
river based infrastructure development plans.
Profile: Senior
Lecturer at Department of Development Management, Faculty of Public
Management and Law, Northern University of Malaysia and also Board
and Corporate Member of Malaysian Institute of Planners (MMIP).
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