New water policy in the pipeline

KUALA LUMPUR: A consulting services company has been engaged to formulate a National Water Resources Policy after reviewing the entire spectrum of water resources management in the country.
Ranhill Consulting Sdn Bhd had earlier been involved in a preliminary year-long study, costing RM6.8mil, on such a policy.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, who made the announcement yesterday, said the study would focus on the need for standard and coordinated laws and regulations on the management and development of water resources.
Sales pitch: Singer Valve president Brian Blann briefing Raja Nazrin at the Asia Water 2010 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday.
“In general, water resource management in this country is conducted differently, resulting in overlapping interests and conflicts among stakeholders when it comes to water development projects.
“Thus, this study will provide for more effective management of national water resources at the federal and state levels,” he said at the opening of the Asia Water Resource Management Seminar 2010.
He said the integrated approach had long been considered, and it was now time for the country to adopt more effective means of managing water resources.
Kurup said the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department and the Department of Drainage Irrigation and had in 2008 completed a study on the effective implementation of integrated water resources.
There were nine best management practices in the report to enhance public awareness and capacity-building under various programmes on integrated water resources management, he said.