LEMBAGA JURUTERA MALAYSIABOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA

KDN PP11720/1/2009(020604) ISSN 0128-4347 VOL.40 DEC 2008 - FEB 2009 RM10.00

c o n t e n t sVolume 40 Dec 2008 - Feb 2009

3 President’s Message

Editor’s Note

4 Announcements

Board Members, Ex-Officio & Executive

Board of Engineers Malaysia 2008/2009

Publication Calendar

Cover Feature

6 Climate Change Scenario And The Impact Of Global

Warming On Winter Monsoon

15 The Mitigation And Rehabilitation Of Natural Disasters

In Malaysia (Part 2)

25 Application Of Integrated Water Resource Management

Principles For Putrajaya Lake Catchment

Engineering & Law

32 The JKR/PWD Forms (Rev. 2007): An Overview (Part 1)

Feature

38 Review Of Rainwater Harvesting

52 Environmental Management - The Why, What

And How

56 Solar Photovoltaic: Sunny Solution For Tomorrow

Recollection

60 Construction Of Cameron Highlands Hydro Scheme

Engineering Nostalgia

64 World War 2 Relic in Malim Nawar, Perak

43

57

64

25

COVER: Aftermath of Bukit Antarabangsa landslide on December 6, 2008, photos courtesy of Unit Udara PDRM

and Bahagian Perpustakaan dan Sumber, JKR

president’s message

The recent global financial crisis has taken a heavy toll on all industries, including the property development sector. However, there is a constant reminder from environmentalists that ecology and environment should never be compromised by economic constraints.

This issue covers a range of topics on these concerns. The articles on Environmental Management, the Mitigations and Rehabilitations of Some Natural Disasters in Malaysia and Climate Change will throw some light on the current environmental issues facing us. The article on Solar Photovoltaic as a solution for tomorrow looks into opportunities for innovation as well as conserving limited resources.

Lastly, the Publication Committee would like to wish all readers Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ir Fong Tian YongEditor

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA (BEM) 2009/2010

PresidentYBhg. Dato’ Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Judin Abdul Karim

RegistrarIr. Dr Mohd Johari Md. Arif

SecretaryIr. Ruslan Abdul Aziz

MembersYBhg Tan Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Mohd Zulkifli bin Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali

YBhg Dato’ Ir. Hj. Ahmad Husaini bin SulaimanYBhg. Dato’ Ir. Abdul Rashid Maidin

YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Dr Johari bin BasriYBhg. Datuk (Dr) Ir. Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim

YBhg. Lt. Jen. Dato’ Ir. Ismail bin Samion YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Prof. Dr Chuah Hean Teik

YBhg. Datuk Ir. Anjin Hj AjikYBhg. Datuk Ar. Dr Amer Hamzah Mohd Yunus

Ir. Wong Siu HiengIr. Mohd Rousdin bin HassanIr. Prof. Dr Ruslan bin Hassan

Ir. Tan Yean ChinIr. Vincent Chen Kim Kieong

Ir. Chong Pick Eng Jaafar bin Shahidan

EDITORIAL BOARD

AdvisorYBhg. Dato’ Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Judin Abdul Karim

SecretaryIr. Ruslan Abdul Aziz

ChairmanYBhg. Dato’ Ir. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin

EditorIr. Fong Tian Yong

MembersIr. Prof. Ir. Sr. Dr Suhaimi bin Abdul Talib

Ir. Ishak bin Abdul Rahman Ir. Prof. Dr K.S. Kannan

Ir. Mustaza bin Salim Ir. Prem Kumar

Ir. Rasid OsmanIr. Dr Zuhairi Abdul Hamid

Ir. Ali Askar bin Sher Mohamad

Executive DirectorIr. Ashari Mohd Yakub

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KDN PP11720/1/2009(020604) ISSN 0128-4347

As we say goodbye to 2008 and usher in 2009, it is a tradition to take stock of the year that has gone by and to make resolutions for the new year ahead. It is therefore appropriate that this issue covers the subject of `Environment’ which has been a hotly debated subject for over a decade.

Today, the effects of unsustainable development on the environment, global warming, climate changes are well known; even politicians and

hollywood stars have made movies to tell us about them. The future of the planet appears fragile; there is clear and credible evidence that the world’s resources—already limited—are diminishing at a rate, which if left unchecked, will result in the destruction of the environment.

We no longer have an option but to develop in a sustainable manner. We need to understand the concept of sustainable development and to put it into practice. It is imperative that all professionals embrace sustainable practices in their thinking, planning, and actions. The protection of the environment is more than an economic issue – it is an ethical issue. As professionals, we are called to conform to technical and ethical standards. Typically, energy and the environment have been considered nothing more than design parameters. However, energy and environment must be elevated from design parameters to moral standards.

Dato’ Sri Prof Ir. Dr. Judin bin Abdul KarimPresidentBOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA

Vol. 40 Sept 2008 - Feb 2009

editor’s note

THE INGENIEUR 3

Call for Registration - ASEAN CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER

4 THE INGENIEUR

announcement

The following list is the Publication Calendar for the year 2009. While we normally seek contributions from experts for each special theme, we are also pleased to accept articles relevant to themes listed.

Please contact the Editor or the Publication Officer in advance if you would like to make such contributions or to discuss details and deadlines.

March 2009: EMERGING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

June 2009: PUBLIC AMENITIES

Sept 2009: SAFETY & HEALTH

Dec 2009: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Board of Engineers Malaysia wishes all readers

Seated (from left): YBhg Dato’ Ir. Hj. Ahmad Husaini bin Sulaiman, Ir. Prof. Dr Ruslan bin Hassan, YBhg. Datuk Ir. Anjin Hj Ajik, YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Prof. Dr Chuah Hean Teik, YBhg. Dato’ Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Judin Abdul Karim (President), YBhg. Datuk (Dr) Ir. Abdul Rahim Hj. Hashim, YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Abdul Rashid Maidin, YBhg. Datuk Ar. Dr Amer Hamzah Mohd Yunus, Ir. Dr Mohd Johari bin Md Arif (Registrar)

Standing (from left): Ir. Ashari Mohd Yakub (Executive Director), Ir. Ruslan Abdul Aziz (Secretary), Encik Jaafar bin Shahidan, Ir. Vincent Chen Kim Kieong, Ir. Tan Yean Chin, Ir. Wong Siu Hieng, YBhg. Lt. Jen. Dato’ Ir. Ismail bin Samion, Ir. Chong Pick Eng, Ir. Mohd Rousdin bin Hassan

Not in the picture: YBhg Tan Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Mohd Zulkifli bin Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali, YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Dr Johari bin Basri

BOARD MEMBERS, EX-OFFICIO & EXECUTIVE BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA 2008/2009

Registration Fees for Asean Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE) will be waived until 2009. Further details and Application Form is available on BEM’s website: http://www.bem.org.my

By Dr Wan Azli Wan Hassan, S. Kumarenthiran, S. Mohan KumarMalaysian Meteorological Department

Climate Change Scenario And The Impact Of Global WarmingOn Winter Monsoon

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I t is believed that increasing concentration of green house gases (GHG) in the atmosphere

has been the primary cause of global warming. Evidence that the earth’s climate is warming comes primarily from surface temperature records. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) tha t bui lds upon pas t IPCC assessments and incorporates new findings from the past six years of research reports a 0.74ºC increase in global average temperature over the last 100 years (IPCC, 2007). Widespread changes in extreme temperatures have been observed over the past 50 years. Cold days and cold nights have become less frequent, while hot days, hot nights and heat waves have become more frequent. The Report reveals that the frequency of heavy precipitation events has increased over most land areas, consistent with warming and observed increases of atmospheric water vapour.

Assessing how countries or regions should respond to the impact of climate change requires application of climate change scenarios which are plausible estimates of future changes in socio-economic activity such as

The temperature and precipitation analysis for the South East Asian (SEA) region and Malaysia has been done using climate projection scenarios from nine different coupled Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCM). Ten-year running mean climatic trends and inter-decadal timescale analysis have been performed to capture the range of variation in regard to both the above-mentioned parameters. As expected, a regular increasing temperature trend is obtained by all General Circulation Models (GCMs). Nevertheless, neither an increasing nor decreasing trend is obtained for the GCM precipitation analysis. The HadCM3 general circulation model simulation, which is based upon the A1B climate change scenario, was downscaled using a Regional Climate Model (RCM) to resolve the local processes characterising the detailed aspects of the region. The Providing Regional Climate Impacts Studies (PRECIS) RCM was used. It was able to capture regional precipitation information missing in the GCM simulation. The PRECIS RCM simulation indicates increased precipitation over the continent and reduced precipitation in maritime areas for the SEA region. Domain averaged values of temperature increase and precipitation anomalies for various regions of Malaysia were obtained from the regional simulation output. Winter Monsoon analysis was carried out using the Winter Monsoon Index (WMI) and 850hPa wind. The 850hPa wind analysis was done using the PRECIS RCM simulation output. The WMI analysis was obtained from the nine GCM ensemble mean. The negative trend of the WMI indicates weakening of the winter monsoon northwesterly flow over China. This trend together with weakening of the easterly winds over the Western Pacific will result in the weakening of the North East Monsoon over the SEA region.

6 THE INGENIEUR

economic performance, population patterns etc. The climate change scenario in the General GCM simulations considered for this paper is the A1B scenario. The A1B scenario describes the direction of technological change in the energy system as being a balance between fossil intensive and non-fossil energy sources. The term balance here is defined as not relying too heavily on one particular energy source, on the assumption that similar improvement rates apply to all energy supply and end use technologies (Climate Change Scenarios using PRECIS, 2004).

Coupled AOGCMs are the primary tools today to stimulate climate change using climate change scenarios. These GCMs are phys ica l representa t ions of the climate system, which simulate weather variables, their interactions and the main factors driving their variability and change (World Climate News, 2008) . Nevertheless, most AOGCMs still run at horizontal resolutions of approximately 300km, which is too coarse and therefore lack the regional detail that impact studies usually require. Therefore, since the late 1980s and early 1990s, different “regionalisation” techniques have been developed to spatially refine the information produced by AOGCMs and provide data usable for impact assessment studies (Giorgi et al., 2001).

Generally, four regionalisation tools are current ly avai lable to downscale AOGCM climate simulations. They are referred to as high-resolution “time-slice” Atmosphere General Circulation Model (AGCM) (Cubash et al., 1995), Variable resolution AOGCM (VarGCM) (Deque and Piedelievre, 1995), Nested RCM (Giorgi and Mearns, 1999 ) and Statistical Downscaling methods (Hewitson

and Crane, 1996). Nevertheless, it is necessary to completely understand their usages together with their respective potential and limitations while choosing any particular downscaling method. The RCM downscaling method, which is the most widely-applied dynamic downscaling method, is used for this paper. The basic underlying assumption of this approach is that the AOGCM stimulates the response of the global circulation to large-scale forcings (e.g GHG radiative forcings) and the RCM simulates the effect of sub- GCM scale regional forcings, e.g. topography and coastline (Giorgi, F., 2008).

GCMs and RCM Experimental Design

The nine different AOGCMs used to obtain the GCM temperature and precipitation analysis for the SEA region is given in Table 1. The institutes responsible for developing and running those models with their respective horizontal resolutions are included in the table.

For regional climate modeling simulation, the PRECIS model developed by the Hadley Centre, UK is being used in the Malaysian Meteorological Department. Since a RCM covers only a limited area, it can reach high horizontal resolutions compared to the GCM. The horizontal resolution of the PRECIS simulation is 50 km. Meteorological Lateral Boundary Conditions (LBC) to run the RCM simulations are usually obtained from AOGCMs. The AOGCM downscaled by the PRECIS RCM for this experiment is the HadCM3 from the Hadley Centre.

Both the HadCM3 GCM and PRECIS RCM are hydrostat ic primitive-equation atmospheric models employing regular latitude-longitudes grids of resolution 2.5º x 3.75º and 0.44º x 0.44º, respectively. Both models have 19 vertical levels described by a hybrid vertical coordinate system (Simmons and Burridge, 1981). The time steps are 30 minutes for the GCM and five minutes for the RCM. Both GCM and RCM are integrated in spherical polar coordinates, with the coordinate pole shifted

GCM Name Institution ResolutionCNCM3 Meteo-France 2.8º x 2.8º

MRCGCM Meteorological Research Institute, Japan T42 (≈2.8º x 2.8º)

FGOALS Institute of Atmospheric Physics, China T42 (≈2.8º x 2.8º)

GFCM20 NOAA/GFDL, USA 2.5º x 2.0º

HADCM3 Hadley Centre, United Kingdom 3.75ºx 2.5º

MIHR JAMSTEC, Japan T42 (≈2.8º x 2.8º)

MPEH5 Max Plank Institute, Germany T63 (≈1.8º x 1.8º)

NCPCM NCAR, USA 2.8º x 2.8º

CSMK3 CSIRO Atmospheric Research 2.8º x 2.8º

CGMR Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling & Analysis T47 (≈3.75º x 3.75º)

MIMR University Of Tokyo 3.75º x 2.5º

Table 1

THE INGENIEUR 7

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in the RCM so that its domain appears as a rectangular equatorial segment of a rotated grid. This is to ensure quasi-uniform resolution over area of interest (Jones et al., 1997). The estimated evolution of anthropogenic emissions of sulphur dioxide (and natural background emissions of this and other relevant chemicals such as dimethyl sulphide and ozone) and their impact on atmospheric composit ion are simulated within the sulphur cycle model of HadCM3 and the PRECIS RCM.

Before commencing the RCM climate simulation, it is necessary to allow the atmosphere and land surface to adjust or ‘spin-up’ to a mutual equilibrium state. The spin-up period considered is one year since the temperature and moisture in deep soil levels can take many months to reach equilibrium with the LBC though it takes only a few days for the atmosphere in the RCM interior. The RCM domain and orographic distribution are as shown in Figure 1.

GCM Response on the South East Asian Region

An analysis of decadal variations and ten-year running means for all the nine AOGCMs and the ensemble mean, which is the average of all the AOGCMs, is done. All the AOGCMs analysed are of the A1B climate projection scenario. The climate changes in the decades 2020-2029, 2050-2059 and 2090-2099 in comparison to the period 1990-1999, are analysed to look at the similarities or variations between the GCMs. Using the ten-year running means of region averaged temperature for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, the range of temperature projected by the various GCMs can be obtained.

In the majority of regions in SEA, most of the GCMs are in consensus with regards to the average annual temperature increase rate for the first quarter (2020–2029) and mid-century (2050–2059). But towards the end of the century (2090 – 2099), there is a clear deviation to the rate of increase between the various GCMs, though, there seems to be a general agreement with regards to the regions that will be experiencing higher temperature increase. Indochina is projected to have the highest temperature increase followed by Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. The ensemble mean of Malaysia for all three decades mentioned above clearly

indicates highest temperature increase in western Peninsular Malaysia.

The ten-year running mean projected temperature increase is shown in Figure 2. The increasing temperature is clearly denoted by all models. Nevertheless, there is a marked difference between the AOGCMs in the rate of temperature increase after the middle of the century. The range of the temperature increase obtained towards the end of the century is between 1.6ºC and 4ºC. This is in agreement with IPCC AR4 report that had put the range of average annual global temperature for the A1B scenario from 1.7ºC to

Figure 1

Figure 2 (Temp in ºC)

8 THE INGENIEUR

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Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent the ten-year running ensemble mean precipitation for Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah, respectively. The large spatial va r i a b i l i t y o f p r e c i p i t a t i o n anomaly is clearly indicated as the simulation period progresses up to the end of the century. The behaviour of the maximum and minimum peaks for Sabah (2022–2032), Sarawak (2030–2045) and Peninsular Malaysia (2036–2043) seems to imply global forcings that are beyond the decadal time scales. Sarawak seems to be having more rainfall (Figure 5) from the middle of the century onwards compared to the earlier period. This does not seem to be the case for Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah. From the ensemble mean of the precipitation anomaly, it clearly indicated that the maritime region of SEA will be experiencing much less rainfall. Nevertheless, the land regions are projected to have much heavy rainfall. This pattern is very clear for Sarawak from the first quarter of the century onwards. For Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, it is more after the middle of the century.

RCM Response on the South East Asian Region

Val ida t ion o f the PRECIS simulation was done by comparing the baseline simulation of the PRECIS RCM (1960–1990) with observational data obtained from the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia. It is necessary to validate the baseline, as it will enable us to understand the limitations within which we can use the simulation output with confidence. Ascertaining the ability of the RCM to simulate the observed climate for the region does the validation. For both the

4.4ºC. Amongst the nine GCMs considered, the NCPCM GCM of NCAR and the MIHR GCM of JAMSTEC have recorded the lowest and highest temperatures increase, respectively.

In Figure 3 , the ten-year running mean for the ensemble of the nine AOGCMs for precipitation for Peninsular Malaysia clearly

indicates that there are no trend patterns for precipitation over Peninsular Malaysia, unlike for temperature. The same situation is seen for Sabah and Sarawak. Generally, in the SEA region, there does not seem to be a part icular precipitat ion trend due to the warming cl imate scenario.

Figure 3 (Rain in millimeter)

Figure 4 (Peninsular Malaysia)

Figure 5 (Sarawak)

Figure 6 (Sabah)

10 THE INGENIEUR

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temperature and precipitation, the temporal patterns of increasing and decreasing trends throughout the year have been captured well by the RCM. Both the indicators and spatial coherence of precipitation patterns across Malaysia simulated by the RCM give us the necessary confidence that the PRECIS RCM is able to simulate the basic climatology of Malaysia.

Most RCM simulations, as with PRECIS, use one-way nesting. Therefore, the RCM information does not feed back into the GCM. When used in this one-way mode, large errors in the GCM forcing fields are not corrected by the RCM. The RCM just adds fine-scale regional information to the large-scale climate signal. Since the RCM is able to integrate sub-GCM scale forcings such as topography, coastlines and land use into the large-scale climate signal, the PRECIS RCM is able to capture regional precipitation information missing in the GCM simulation.

As with the earlier result of the AOGCM ensemble mean annual precipitation anomaly, the PRECIS simulation also does not show any definitive temporal precipitation trend. The higher increase in temperature over land areas compared to maritime areas, which is pre-existent in the HadCM3 GCM, is brought to better

detail in the RCM simulation. Comparing Figure 7 and Figure 8 above, a finer temperature gradient is seen along the coastlines in the RCM. The anomalous high temperatures observed in the north of the Philippines and the temperature gradient in the Western Pacif ic (west of the Phi l ippines) in the HadCM3 GCM is drastically reduced in the RCM simulation. Also, greater detai l in regard to warming temperatures is clearly shown in

inland areas. A further divergence of the RCM from the GCM is that the gradient of temperature increase over various regions in Malaysia reduces towards the later part of the century. This pattern is not captured in the GCM.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 below represent the end of the 21st century (2090–2099) annual precipitation anomaly for the PRECIS RCM, HadCM3 GCM and GCM ensemble respectively. The regional precipitation detail is captured well in the PRECIS RCM (Figure 9) compared to the GCM (Figure 11). The PRECIS RCM showed the South China Sea to experience a clear deficit in rainfall. This is actually similar to the results obtained by the nine AOGCM ensembles (Figure 10). Nevertheless, the gradient of the precipitation anomaly in the South China Sea obtained in the ensemble mean which denotes more rainfall near the equator compared to rainfall northwards

Figure 7 (RCM) Figure 8 (GCM)

Figure 9 (RCM) Figure 10 (GCM)

Figure 11 (GCM Ensemble)

THE INGENIEUR 11

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away from equator, is not obtained in the RCM simulation. Regional details such as the increase in rainfall along the west coast of East Malaysia and both coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and decline in precipitation over maritime SEA are indicated clearly in the RCM simulation. Analysing the decadal average annual precipi ta t ion anomaly from 2040 to 2100, the PRECIS RCM tends to increase the precipitation spatially over land areas in the SEA region as the century progresses from 2040 onwards.

Winter Monsoon Analysis

Unders tanding the winter monsoon circulation is extremely important in regards to maritime SEA, given that most SEA countries situated along the South China Sea experience heavy precipitation during the winter monsoon. This Boreal winter monsoon is also known as the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM). It usually occurs during the months of December, January and February (DJF).

The EAWM is the result from the development of a cold-core high-pressure area over the Siberia-Mongolia region. The movement of this cold air southwards produces high pressure and cold air surges, resulting in temperature drops across the Asian continent. Two types of pressure surges are formed. They are the northerly surge (NS) and the easterly surge (ES) (Chan et al., 2004). For the purpose of this paper, we will be discussing the NS given that it is responsible for SEA maritime precipitation. Intensifying of the cold-core high-pressure over Siberia-Mongolia leads to a southward outpour of the cold air in the lower troposphere. This push of the cold air is known as the Northerly Surge

and it excites gravity waves that propagate across the South China Sea to produce convection over the maritime continent (Chan et al. 2004).

Convergence of this NS with the easterly winds from the western Pacific intensifies the convection in maritime SEA. This easterly component is clearly shown in Figure 12, the HadCM3 850hPa wind climatology for the baseline period of 1961 to 1990. Figure 13 is the anomaly of the 850hPa wind for the projected period from 2071 to 2100. This anomaly was obtained by comparing the projected period PRECIS RCM simulation 850hPa wind with that of the baseline. The northwesterly component of the 850hPa wind anomaly in maritime SEA and westerly component anomaly in the western Pacific indicated a

reduction in strength in both the NS into maritime SEA and easterly winds from the western Pacific.

The Winter Monsoon Index (WMI) is a sea-level pressure (SLP) parameter used to measure the strength of the EAWM. The WMI used here is defined as the area-averaged SLP anomaly difference between (110-120 ºE, 20-45 ºN) and (150-160 ºE, 20-45 ºN). The basis for the WMI is that the Siberian High and the Aleutian low over the Eurasian continents and the Northern Pacific at mid- and high-latitudes dominate the EAWM (Zhou et al., 2007). The nine AOGCM ensemble projections of the WMI for the period from 2001 to 2099 are given in Figure 14. The WMI seems to have a negative trend as the century progresses. This indicated a weakening of the pressure gradient in the eastern

Figure 12 (Wind climatology) Figure 13 (Wind anomaly, 2071 to 2100)

Figure 14 (Ensemble projection of the WMI, 2001 to 2099)

12 THE INGENIEUR

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coast of the Asian continent. The causes for the negative trend of the WMI are the reduction in surface pressures of the Siberian High, a northward shift of the Aleutian low and weakening of the Aleutian low. The weakening of the northwesterly flow across China to the Pacific is a direct consequence of a reducing WMI, thereby indicating a weakening EAWM.

The weakening EAWM with the anomalous 850hPa northwesterly component in mar i t ime SEA simulated by the PRECIS RCM is indicative of a weakening northerly surge. The anomalous 850hPa westerly component in the western Pacific will result in less moisture into South China Sea from the western Pacific and convergence of reduced strength between the NS and the western Pacific easterlies. This combination will result in reduced precipitation over the SEA region for the DJF season during the last quarter of the century.

Concluding Remarks

As discussed earlier, the RCM definitely has an advantage over the GCM in regards to the response of local forcings such as topography and coastlines to the GCM, which can greatly influence regional wind patterns and therefore precipitation patterns at a regional scale. Reduced precipitation projection in the South China Sea and increased precipitation projection in land areas due to elevated topography or temperature gradient near coastlines is one such advantage. The temperature increase in Sabah and Sarawak is higher in the RCM simulation compared to the HadCM3 GCM analysis. This is because extreme events are usually captured better in RCMs than in the GCMs. Nevertheless, in Peninsular

Malaysia, there is no clear difference. This may be due to the maritime effect of Peninsular Malaysia and her relatively much smaller size compared to Kalimantan. Heavier precipitation in Malaysia is indicated in the PRECIS RCM simulation as the century progresses, but in the HadCM3 GCM, the anomaly obtained is negligible. Nevertheless, the precipitation anomaly is small (approximately 10% - 15%).

Since the trend of temperature and precipitation variation between the RCM and GCM is quite similar with generally higher values being observed in the RCM, it can be concluded that large-scale patterns of change in the RCM are generally consistent with those of the driving GCM. This reflected the strong influence of the SSTs and the lateral boundary forcing supplied by the latter.

Regionalisation tools are today an essential and established aspect of climate change research. Most regionalisation techniques can now be implemented on relatively inexpensive computing platforms. On the one hand, this ‘proliferation’ process helps in better understanding

and assessing the applicability of the models but, on the other, it requires increased care in their proper application (Giorgi, F., 2008). Nevertheless, regionalisation tools can play the fundamental role of directly involving scientists from developing countries in the climate change-modelling arena (Huntingford and Gash, 2005). These countries are likely to be the most vulnerable to climate change and are therefore in great need of adaptation policies. BEM

Severe floods

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to extend their appreciation to the Hadley Centre, UK, for their immense help rendered since July 2006, which was when PRECIS was introduced to the SEA region during a workshop in Kuala Lumpur. We would also like to thank the British High Commission, which has aided the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) financially in regard to the major climate-change efforts taken.

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REFERENCES

Chan, J.C.L. and Li, C.Y., 2004: East Asian Winter Monsoon. World Scientific Series on Meteorology of East Asia Volume 2: 54 - 106

Climate Change Scenario Using PRECIS Hadley Centre, 2004: Constructing Climate Change Scenarios for Impact Studies: 8 – 10

Cubash, U., et al., 1995: Regional Climate Changes as Simulated by Time-slice Experiments. Climate Change 31: 273 – 304

Deque, M. and Piedelievre, J.P., 1995: High Resolution Climate Simulation over Europe. Climate Dynamics 11: 321 – 339

Giorgi, F., 2008. Regionalization of Climate Change Information for Impact Assessment and Adaptation. Bulletin 57(2): 86 – 92

Giorgi, F. et al., 2001: Regional Climate Information – Evaluation and Projections. Chapter 10 of: Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group 1 to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Giorgi, F. and Mearns, L.O., 1999: Introduction to Special Section: Regional Climate Modeling Revisited. Journal of Geophysical Research 104: 6335 – 6352

Hewitson, B.C. and Crane, R.G., 1996: Climate Downscaling Techniques and Application. Climate Research 7: 85 – 95

Huntington, C. and Gash, J., 2005. Climate Equality for All. Science, 309:1789

IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.

Jones, R.G., Murphy, J.M., Noguer, M. and Keen, A.B., 1997. Simulation of Climate Change over Europe Using a Nested Regional Climate Model. 11: Comparison of Driving and Regional Model Responses to a Doubling of Carbon Dioxide. Q. J. R. Meteorol.Soc., 538: 265 - 292

Simmons, A.J. and Burridge, D.M., 1981. An Energy and Angular-momentum Conserving Finite-difference Scheme and Hybrid Coordinates. Mon. Weather Rev., 109: 758 - 766

World Climate News, 2007: IPCC Long-term Projection of Extreme Storms, 31: 3 – 4

World Climate News, 2008: Special Tools for Climate Change Adaptation, 33: 7

Zhou, W., Wang, X., Zhou, T.J. and Chan, J.C.L., 2007. Interdecadal Variability of the Relationship between the East Asian Winter Monsoon and ENSO. Meteorol Atmos Phys, 98: 283 - 293

14 THE INGENIEUR

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By Ir. Dr Ooi Teik AunTAO Consult

The Mitigation And Rehabilitation Of Natural Disasters In Malaysia

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Flooding, Landslides, Debris Flow and Tsunami are some of the disasters experienced in Malaysia. The flooding of Kuala Lumpur in the 1970s caused serious damage to lives and properties and called for flood mitigation schemes in Kuala Lumpur. Over the years despite the repeated dredging and canalization of floodwater in Kuala Lumpur, there were repeated incidences of severe flooding in the city centre. As part of the overall solution to the frequent flooding problem, the diversion tunnel project known as SMART was constructed and completed in June 2007. The tunnel is dual-purpose designed to cater to flow of water and ease traffic congestion in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

In recent times, climate change has brought about severe flooding in many parts of Malaysia with increased frequencies. The landslide that caused the collapse of Block 1 of the Highland Towers condominium in December 1993 claimed 48 lives. The landslide occurred during 10 days of incessant rainfall. In November 2002, another landslide occurred and buried a bungalow at the foothill within the vicinity of the Highland Towers site. The incidence also occurred during the period of incessant rainfall and eight people were killed. Drainage of the Highland Towers area has been unsatisfactory as there were numerous complaints from the residents to the local authorities prior to the disastrous landslides.

Debris flow occurred at the Genting Highlands area emerging from the mountainside flanking the access road and causing debris to flow onto the highway on June 30, 1995 and caused temporary closure of Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway. In the incident, 20 people were killed and 23 people were injured.

Debris flow also occurred in the Gunong Tempurong area along the North-South highway, causing debris-comprising boulders, timber logs and mud to impact on the beams of a bridge, necessitating closure of a stretch of the highway. This paper reports three cases of landslides including the rehabilitation of a massive landslide of a tipped-fill slope that was unstable since construction. Climate change is believed to be a factor contributing to this landslide.

(Part 2)

THE INGENIEUR 15

Fig. 12 Plan view of lower and upper embankments

Concept of DesignA rock toe embankment with

key was provided at a safe distance as shown in Figures 12 and 13. The rock-key was taken down to a firm layer of weathered granite at RL 64m. Subsoil drainage pipes were provided to take the underground water away to the open drain. It was found that above the firm layer of weathered granite there was a layer of soft organic material of about 1m thick. This layer was believed to be the sliding surface at the lower part of the slope that was responsible for the upheaval of the ground indicated by the tree as shown in Fig. 10 (see Part 1 in the Sept-Nov 2008 issue of The Ingenieur). This layer was completely removed at the lower end of the slope.

The construction was therefore divided into five stages of excavation and at each stage slope stability analysis was carried out. Fig. 14 shows the factor of safety for the various stages of excavation. Fig. 15 shows the factor of safety for the completed slope. It can be seen that the most critical stage of construction with a factor of safety of 1.25 was during Stage 5 as shown in Fig. 14. The reduced level for this

Fig. 13 Typical Cross-Section

16 THE INGENIEUR

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Fig. 14 Factor of Safety for Various Stages

THE INGENIEUR 17

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excavation was 78.5m. At this level the second embankment started with Tensar geogrid reinforcement that was chosen based on its rigidity, integrity and strength at the junctions of the geogrids as well as its ability to mobilize strength at compatible low strain level of the soil.

Construction Methodology(1) The site of the landslide at the lower part of the slope was waterlogged (Fig. 16) and has to be drained. Trenches at the down slope of the landslide area were excavated and the waterlogged ground drained and all water

Fig. 15 Factor of Safety of Complete Slope

Fig. 16 Waterlogged ground

channelled to existing monsoon drain through a siltation pond within the site

(2) All surface water were diverted and prevented from entering the valley area. All roof water from

18 THE INGENIEUR

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Fig. 19 Rock-key of Lower EmbankmentFig. 18 Intake of subsurface drainage

Fig. 17 Subsurface drainage

the rehabilitation work and was carefully carried out and inspected. During construction, there were no undue slope movements or settlements of the houses detected by the instrumentation.

(6) Rehabilitation of Landslide Area

(i) Excavated in sections to original ground, about 6m deep, stockpiled suitable material for reuse and compacted the base of excavation to 90% maximum density in accordance with BS heavy compaction.

(ii) Laid and compacted 800mm thick of sand layer/aggregate layer (Fig. 20). Drained all water to collector trenches. At the bottom of the trench, water led away with suitable discharge pipes to roadside monsoon drains.

(iii) Laid and compacted suitable dried landslide material on top of the sand/ aggregate layer in compacted thickness of not more than 1000mm thick; built-up in four layers of 250mm compacted

(4) All landslide materials were removed in sections and stages. Suitable materials were stockpiled for reuse. Unsuitable materials were disposed off site.

(5) Lower Rockfill Embankment was constructed first starting with the rock-key (Fig. 19) and carried out in sections so as not to cause slope instability. This is an important part of

the terrace houses were piped away from the slope area.

(3) Subsur face dra inage was provided in the valley area where spring/seepage water emerged and led away from the valley (Fig. 17). Suitable graded filter were provided for the intake of spring/seepage water into the piping if permanent pipe work was required (Fig. 18).

THE INGENIEUR 19

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Fig. 25 Picture showing the backyard before rehabilitationFig. 24 View of completed slope

Fig. 22 Front of occupied houses Fig. 23 Back of occupied houses

Fig. 20 Laying of sand drainage layer Fig. 21 Construction of Geogrid Embankment

22 THE INGENIEUR

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of Hong Kong GEO (Tang, et al, 2007). Hong Kong had its disastrous landslide of Sau Man Ping in 1972 and 1976 where 79 people died and the Government of Hong Kong set up Geotechnical Control Office to address the problems of landslide. ● In Malaysia, the Gasing Height landslides in 1971 were just as serious as that of Hong Kong except there were no loss of lives.● In 1993, a re t rogress ive landslide caused the collapse of Block 1 of the Highland Towers Condominium in which 48 people were killed. There were public hearings of the case and the High Court Judge concluded that drainage and its maintenance were principally responsible for the landslide and apportioned the blames on the various parties that were involved in and around the Highland Towers Development site. ● The residents of Block 1 of the Highland Towers Condominium lost their homes and that of Block 2 and 3 still look at their abandoned buildings after 15 years. Rehabilitation to Block 2 and 3 is dependent on a master drainage plan to be prepared by the local authorities and this is still not done.● The authorities implemented the three-tier geotechnical report systems i.e. the submitting person’s geotechnical report, the reviewing geotechnical repor t and the independent geotechnical report by the consultant to the local authorities.● In 2002, near the Highland Towers site, a landslide buried a bungalow at the foothill killing eight people in the early hours of the morning due to poor drainage.

crusher run with suitable aggregate drainage channels.

(iii) Construction of the upper Uniaxial Geogrid embankment (Fig. 21) followed the procedure in item 6 above.

(iv) Sui table shear-key was provided for the Upper Geogrid Reinforced Embankment.

(8) InstrumentationInstrumentation such as ground water table, settlement plates and inclinometers were installed and monitored by independent party at regular intervals and the results plotted and submitted to the Engineer for necessary action throughout the construction and maintenance period.

(9) Drainage of SlopeSuitable overall drainage included subsurface drains, berm drains, cascading step drains, manholes, sumps and monsoon drains all properly designed and constructed to ensure that the whole site was adequately and properly drained.

The slope has been successfully rehabilitated as shown in Figures 22-24 and the residents have since moved back to their houses. This is a great contrast to the two blocks of the Highland Towers which are still standing unoccupied after 15 years from the time of the incident. Fig. 25 shows the condition of the backyard of the house before rehabilitation.

DICUSSION AND CONCLUSION

● Knowledge in landslide control and management has advanced greatly over the last 30 years as shown by the achievements

to 90% maximum density to BS heavy compaction. Laboratory determination of maximum dry densities was carried out prior to commencement of rehabilitation work.

(iv) Repeated 300mm thick of sand layer/aggregate layer as in item 6(ii) above and repeat item 6(iii).

(v) Constructed alternate layers of sand/aggregate and suitable dried landslide material to suitable safe height.

(vi) Excavated the next section and repeated items 6(i) to 6(v).

(vii) Earthwork in the general area synchronize and follow closely that of the geogrid embankment construction.

(viii) All completed earthwork must be close turfed with cow grass immediately and watered until they are established.

(ix) All drainage works must be constructed together with the stage completion of the earthwork.

(7) Upper Geogrid Reinforced Embankment

(i) The upper Uniaxial Geogrid Reinforced Embankment were founded on competent ground, determined by boreholes and JKR probes. The JKR probes were done in closed grids and carried out in advance of the rehabilitation works.

(ii) The founding leve l o f the upper Uniaxia l Geogr id embankment was inspected prior to placement of the compacted

THE INGENIEUR 23

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Fig. 26 Completed earth Great Wall of China (Paludan, 1998)Fig. 27 Compacted tied-reed and pebbles Great Wall of China (Paludan, 1998)

REFERENCES

Mak, S.H., Yeung, Y.S.A. and Chung, P.W.K. (2007). Public Education and Warnings in Landslide Risks Reduction, Proc. 40th Anniversary Vol. SEAGS, 367-375.

MPAJ (1994). Report of the inquiry committee into the collapse of Block 1 and the stability of Block 2 and 3 Highland Towers Condominium, Hulu Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya.

Ohta, H., Pipatpongsa, T. and Omori, T. (2005). Public Education of Tsunami Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation Performed in Japanese Primary Schools, Proc. Int. Conf. Geotech. Engng. For Disaster Mitigation & Rehabilitation, World Scientific Publishing Company, Singapore, 141-150.

Ooi, T.A. (1971). Report on landslides at government quarters nos 1276 and 1280 at Section 5, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, PWD internal report.

Ooi, T.A. (2004). Earthworks Practice in Malaysia, Proc. Conf. MGC2004, Kuala Lumpur, 45-58.

Ooi, T.A. and Ting, W.H. (2005). Report on Some Major Geotechical Disasters in Malaysia, Proc. Int. Conf. Geotech. Engng. For Disaster Mitigation & Rehabilitation, World Scientific Publishing Company, Singapore, 151-164.

Paludan, A. (1998), Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors Thames and Hudson, London, pp18

Steven Phoa Cheng Loon & Ors v Highland Properties Sdn Bhd & Ors. (2000), Current Law Journal, Vol. 4, 508–602.

Yee T. S. (2008), IEM Forum on Is it safe to build on slopes? Institution of Engineers, Malaysia

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24 THE INGENIEUR

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● In 2006, landslide occurred at Taman Zooview in Ulu Klang killing four people. The rehabilitation work is being carried out.● The landslides at Sau Man Ping in Hong Kong and the three landslide cases quoted in this paper are all tipped-fill slopes. All the landslides occurred in the period of incessant rainfall with high intensities of rain. The rectification to the tipped-fill slope problem is to compact the fill slope with or without geogrids reiforcement with overfill trimmed back and to ensure adequate internal and external drainage. ● The need to reinforce and compact soil started more than 2,000 years ago when Qin Shi Huang Di built the 6000km Great Wall of China (Figs. 26 & 27, Paludan, 1998). Man continued to create tipped-fill slopes and created disasters at the wrath of nature.● The Zooview slope rehabilitation uses the ancient philosophy of soil compaction with modern geogrids reinforcement instead of the reeds and twigs in ancient time.

By Normaliza Noordin, Mohammad Feizal Daud and Akashah Hj. MajizatEnvironmental, Lake and Wetland Division, City Planning Department, Perbadanan Putrajaya

THE INGENIEUR 25

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The Malaysian Government, in its policy statements and other planning documents,

has included the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach as part of its development programmes. This holistic water management approach is already in the Government policy statements such as the RMK8, RMK9, Third Outline Perspective Plan (OPP3) and the National Water Vision.

All State Governments have been encouraged to establish their own water management systems that comply with the standard IWRM policies. The states of Kedah and Sabah have gazetted their own Water Management Act for this purpose. The Selangor State Government had gazetted the Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS or River Basin Management Authority) Enactment in 1999 to improve its river basin management.

THE PUTRAJAYA LAKE CATCHMENT AND LUAS

One of the river basins in Selangor which needs a serious and systematic management approach

and control is the Putrajaya Lake Catchment.

The Putrajaya Lake Catchment is a small river catchment of about 52.4km2 located in the middle of Sungai Langat River Basin, 25km south of Kuala Lumpur. It extends about 12km from north to south and some 4.5km from east to west.

Figure 1 shows the location of this small catchment within the

large Sungai Langat River Basin. In this small catchment area lies the city of Putrajaya – Malaysia’s new federal administrative centre. The 600ha Putrajaya Lake is the focal point of this ‘City in a Garden’. The lake is used for various activities such as recreational, boating, fishing and water sports, in addition to enhancing the aesthetics value of its waterfront features.

Application Of Integrated Water Resource Management Principles For Putrajaya Lake Catchment

This paper discusses the Putrajaya Lake Catchment system and the various mechanisms that have been implemented for effective and best results to ensure the maintenance of high water quality in the lake. It also describes problems in implementing an effective catchment management.

KUALA LUMPUR

PAHANG

NEGERI SEMBILAN

Figure 1: The Putrajaya Lake Catchment is only a small part of the bigger Sungai Langat River Basin

26 THE INGENIEUR

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Even though it is an urban lake in the middle of a city, the Putrajaya Lake has always maintain an acceptable good water quality condition to cater for its multi-functional uses.

As an urban lake with active human activities around it, the planning, approval, monitoring and enforcement jur isdict ion over all land development and human activities in its catchment wi l l have a rea l and di rect (normally negative) impact on the water quality and the lake characteristics.

Development projects within the Putrajaya boundary, which occupies about 60% of the lake catchment area comply with the Putrajaya Masterplan and subjected to stringent regulatory en fo rcement by Pe rbadanan Putrajaya (PPj).

However, the remaining 30% of the catchment area, which are located in the upstream outside the Putrajaya boundaries (in the state of Selangor as in Figure 2), belongs to various landowners, and development acitivities/programmes on this area are not under co-ordinated control. This has become a serious concern to the Selangor State Government as well as Perbadanan Putrajaya.

THE PUTRAJAYA LAKE INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

n Why is it important tomanage the catchment?

Being a man-made lake in an urban setting, the Government recognises that careful planning and management of the physical as well as the human issues within the catchment are necessary.

The task is to achieve and maintain The Putrajaya Lake Ambient Water Quality Standards (PLWQS) {(which is of higher level than the Department of Environment (DOE)’s Interim Water Quality Standards of Class IIB)} and other object ives set for Putrajaya Lake and the permissible activities on it.

One of the major issues is the control of development activities in the catchment. There is a need to develop a pragmatic and implementable plan of action to ensure that the Putrajaya Lake catchment area and the water resources within it are protected from pollution and the water quantity is maintained.

F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e d e s i g n objectives of the artificial wetlands were only to improve the water quality of the surface runoffs flowing into the lake from the upstream areas. It was designed to treat only certain level of pollution loading i.e. the level of pollutant in the runoff should be limited to a certain acceptable level to enable the wetlands to function properly.

In the year 2000, Perbadanan Putrajaya has developed the Catchment Development and Management Plan (CDMP 2000) for Putrajaya Lake Catchment. This document serves as easy reference for all stakeholders and it provides guidelines on the various methods/control to achieve and maintain the water quality level required for the Putrajaya Lake. The guidelines also define the land-use, drainage and sewerage master plans for the areas within the small but very important catchment.

n Lembaga Urus Air Selangor

The CDMP 2000 has clearly defined the role of LUAS in

Figure 2: 30% of The Putrajaya Lake Catchment areas lies in Selangor

THE INGENIEUR 27

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(iv) T h e P u t r a j a y a L a k e Catchment’s capabilities are the testing ground by which the IWRM principles can be applied to all other areas in Selangor.

n Catchment Management PlanPolicy Statement

Recognising the importance of careful planning and management control for the attainment of the city vision, Putrajaya Lake Catchment Management Plan needs to be based on the following policies:

(i) Pollution control measure shall focus on the minimisations of pollutant generation at source;

(ii) The drainage system shall be based on vegetated landscape drainage corridors and conversion of flood detention and water quality enhancement ponds into mini-wetlands;

(iii) The Putrajaya Wetlands will be considered as an ‘additional’ (last stage) water quality enhancement or ‘polishing’ mechanism. It will integrate with the upstream water quality enhancement features, such as vegetated landscape riparian buffers, drainage corridors and upstream mini-wetlands cum flood detention ponds.

(iv) Diversion or alteration of the natural drainage lines in the catchment shall not be allowed, however, improvement of its flow profile will be considered;

(v) All development activities in the catchment shall be in accordance with an agreeable and approved Catchment Development Land-use Master Plan.

(vi) Al l pert inent regulatory agencies shall co-ordinate (LUAS will play a major role) their functions and enforcement efforts to attain the catchment management objectives and targets;

(vii) Ac t ive par t ic ipa t ion o f the catchment stakeholders and communities in the management of Putrajaya Lake;

(viii) Equitable sharing of the cost for the implementation of the catchment management programmes, including the maintenance cost, shall be recovered based on the policy of ”the polluters pay” and “the direct beneficiaries pay”.

(ix) Rea l i s ing tha t , the co-operation and mutual agreement among all stakeholders to achieve the common goal of best water quality level of surface runoff f lowing through a catchment will be the best Integrated Water Resource Management outcome.

THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF CDMP

There is a need to update the CDMP 2000 to incorporate eight years of implementation experience and take into consideration the latest policy, legal, current and future land-use plans of the catchment stakeholders. This will include the identification of the

implementing its power to manage, control and enforce the necessary rules to the landowners and stakeholders within the 30% of the Putrajaya Lake Catchment area in Selangor.

The application of CMDP 2000 guidelines over the last eight years, however, showed that the planning control for land use, drainage, environmental pollution control and coordination tasks empowered to LUAS is not easily applicable and implementable by the agency.

At the same time, realising its role in ensuring the successful implementation of the IWRM and IRBM in the state, a strategic empowerment review of this organisation is necessary to arrest various setbacks experienced so far.

Thus, the challenges faced by LUAS can be defined and include the following:

(i) The problems are known;

(ii) The causes are often complex and the problems cannot be solved overnight;

(iii) The main task will include the decision on how to implement a successful coordination and p r o g ra m s a g r e e a b l e by a l l stakeholders; and,

Putrajaya Lake

28 THE INGENIEUR

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relevant clauses in the LUAS Enactment and developing the required institutional framework to enable LUAS to work with Perbadanan Putrajaya to protect Putrajaya Lake Catchment.

n The Review Strategy

(i) Development of institutional structure and identification of necessary legal provisions in LUAS Enactment to enable management of the 30% of the Putrajaya Lake Catchment, which is in Selangor, to be upgraded to the same level as that implemented by Perbadanan Putrajaya;

(ii) P r o p o s e d i n s t i t u t i o n a l structure for managing the Putrajaya Lake Catchment, utilising the provisions in the LUAS Enactment (e.g. Clause 56, that is, to enable the Putrajaya Lake Catchment to be a ‘Declared Catchment’ with a management body involving all pertinent stakeholders);

(iii) Legal guidelines to support LUAS and Perbadanan Putrajaya in implementing a transboundary catchment institutional framework, utilising the existing provisions in

the LUAS Enactment, and other related laws;

(iv) Updating CDMP 2000 so that an integrated lake catchment management and moni tor ing sys tem can be implemented by the developed institutional structure especially by LUAS and its legal provisions;

(v) In fo-shar ing among the ca tchment ’s s t akeho lde r s to support Integrated Catchment Management Sys tem ( ICMS) ; and

(vi) Effective telemetry system to enable rea l - t ime, remote measurement and reporting of lake catchment monitoring information centre.

n Aspects of Management andPlanning

The CDMP 2000 review will cover the details for the integrated regulatory control for the areas outside Putrajaya especially on the following aspects:-

(a) P l a n n i n g a n d L a n d - u s e Control;

(b) Drainage Planning and Water Quantity Management;

(c) Sewerage Planning;(d) Environmental Management and

Water Quality;(e) The Lake and Wetlands;(f) The information System study;

and(g) Legal and Co-ordination Between

Regulatory Agencies

The management scope and its recommendations for review on various aspects are listed in Appendix A.

ORGANISATION AND CO-ORDINATION STRUCTURE

n Administrative Jurisdiction

The catchment lies within the administrative jurisdiction of the Majlis Daerah Sepang (MDS), Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) and PPj. Figure 3 shows the northern area of Putrajaya Ca tchmen t bounda r i e s . The stakeholders in the Putrajaya Lake Catchment are:

(i) Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM);

(ii) Malaysian Agricultural Research Development Institute (MARDI);

(iii) Industrial Oxygen Incorporated Bhd (IOI);

(iv) West Country Sdn Bhd (WEST);

(v) Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN);

(vi) Sungai Merab Malay Reserve (SMMR);

(vii) Cyberjaya Flagship Zone - Phase 2B (CFZ), and

(viii) Putrajaya.

n Implementation requirements

(i) Successful implementation requires co-ordination, co-operation

Figure 3: Upper part of Putrajaya Lake Catchment (30% of the lake’s catchment is not under the jurisdiction of Perbadanan Putrajaya)

THE INGENIEUR 29

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and collaboration amongst existing planning authorities and between dif ferent interest groups and stakeholders.

(ii) CDMP i s more than a technical and engineering solution to catchment management, providing a platform for integration of various stakeholders’ interests, besides establishing an overall guidance for consistent implementation of policies.

(iii) Legislative and institutional framework has to be put in place first to establish the discipline and direction.

(iv) It is necessary to establish a mechanism that can merge co-ordination and seek co-operation not only across sectors, but also political and administrative borders.

n The Catchment Developmentand Management Committee

In keeping up with the on-going development progress in the catchment, co-operation and co-ordination amongst the stakeholders together with the implementation of various regulations and control of land development and human activities, a Federal and State in te r-Government commit tee consisting of officers from the different Government agencies, local authorities and stakeholders will need to be established.

Known as the Putrajaya Lake Catchment Management Committee (PLCMC) as recommended by the CDMP 2000, the formation of this committee will be in accordance with the Selangor Waters Management Authority Enactment (SWMAE, 1999).

The ear l ie r recommended committee, chaired by the State

Secretary of Selangor (as listed in Appendix B) with Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) and Bahagian Tasik Perbadanan Putrajaya as the joint-secretariat, however, has no legal powers. Thus, to facil i tate the monitoring and implementation of legislat ive enforcement of the catchment area, a legally constituted Management Committee is to be formed under the SWMAE (1999).

To expedite the legal process in implementing, monitoring and enforcement of the SWMAE (1999) Act, Perbadanan Putrajaya and the Selangor State Government, through LUAS, is preparing the formulation of the ‘Study on Operationalisation of LUAS’s 1999 Enactment for Institutional Development and Integrated Catchment Management for Putrajaya, 2008.’

CONCLUSION

The success of the implementation o f an In tegra ted Catchment Management especially for an urban catchment depends largely on the co-operation and co-ordination amongst the stakeholders (landowners), Government agencies and the local authorities involved.

Although, through the co-operation of LUAS, MPSJ, MDS and Perbadanan Putrajaya, the existing by-laws and guidelines can be executed within the CMDP, the real challenge is whether the authorities can work together with all the landowners and stakeholders for a common goal of achieving a predetermined water quality of a lake.

The success, however, will be seen more effectively whereby the by-laws and guidelines are carried out by all the stakeholders of the lake catchment voluntarily for the benefits of everybody within the catchment.

The practical application of this arrangement will also be a showcase of our legislative frameworks and the much-awaited effective solutions for use by all the other water basins management for the whole of Malaysia.

REFERENCES

Akashah, M., (2003) Operation and Management of Putrajaya Lake and Wetlands. National S e m i n a r o n C o n s t r u c t e d Wetlands 2003, December 2003. Putrajaya.

A. Salleh, A. Halim Sulaiman, A.R.Abdullah, J. Lalung, H. Mohd. Ali, N. Mohd Khalid, S. Nazri (2003) Problems of Euglena Bloom in Putrajaya Wetlands. National Seminar on Constructed Wetlands 2003, December 2003. Putrajaya.

Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia (2001). Urban Stormwater Management Manual for Malaysia (Manual Saliran Mesra Alam Malaysia).

Majlis Daerah Sepang (2000). Draf Rancangan Tempatan Sg. Merab (Tele Suburb) 2000 – 2015 Jilid I (Peta Cadangan dan Pernyataan Bertulis) dan II (Garispanduan Pembangunan).

Perbadanan Putrajaya (1997). PUTRAJAYA – Review of the Masterplan.

Perbadanan Putrajaya (2000). Catchment Development and Management Plan for Putrajaya L a k e ( Vo l u m e 1 – M a i n Report).

Zaharah, S. (2004) Putrajaya Lake Catchment Management – A Case Study. Conference Managing Rivers, August 2004.

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Appendix A: Catchment Management Scope Review and RecommendationsSCOPE DESCRIPTION RECOMMENDATION

Water Quality Management

The current water quality in the lake is within the permissible values of Putrajaya Lake Water Quality. It is recognised that the most effective way to attain the desired water quality objective is to minimise the generation of pollutants at their source. Also, it is recognised that erosion and transport of sediments during the land clearing, earthworks and construction phase pose a very serious threat to lake water quality.

● To manage pollutants at source.● The drainage system should be based on vegetated landscape

riparian buffers, drainage corridors and mini-wetlands water quality enhancement ponds.

● To prevent the entry of rubbish ● Gross pollutant/sediment trap (GPT) structures are to be installed at

the ends of all concrete drains flowing into the vegetated landscape drainage corridors.

● To ensure effective control of erosion and sediment during earthworks.

● It is recommended that a new “Erosion And Sediment Control By-Law” be enacted by Putrajaya Corporation and Majlis Daerah Sepang. The recommended By- Law should be supported by a new “Standards For Erosion and Sediment Control” Manual.

Water QuantityManagement

It is important that all possible runoff arising from lake catchment should enter into the lake system. Also, there should be proper control over the amount of water drawn for irrigation or other purposes and no diversion or alteration of the natural drainage lines in the catchment is to be allowed.

● Compensation flow equal to 10% of the Annual Average Flow may be allowed during the in-filling of the main dam.

● A well field of six groundwater wells can be developed, downstream of the main dam, to supply 0.013 m3/s (10,000 g/hr) of groundwater to meet any water demand.

● A separate irrigation masterplan study on the impact of the proposed rainwater harvesting within the catchment on the water quantity in the lake.

Drainage Planning

The drainage masterplan comprises of Drainage Planning and Design Guidelines.

● Drainage Planning and Design Guidelines based on the vegetated drainage corridor concepts.

● Specific recommendations for upgrading the drainage systems in UPM, MARDI, IOI, West Country and Cyberjaya.

Pollutant Sources Management

The sewage effluent discharge from outside has been identified as the major point source pollutant. They are controlled in the sewerage masterplan.Accidenta associated with the oil tankers moving along the road passing through the wetlands can be a major point source pollutant. Thus, the pertinent authorities (JKR, Putrajaya Corporation) has to ensure that Emergency.Response Plans and Procedure are prepared and implemented to handle such potential emergencies.

The Issues

● In-stream discharges from UPM and MARDI located north of Putrajaya Lake Catchment Area (sewerage discharges, treatment plant, septic tank system)

● Discharges from point and non-point sources of various types of pollutants from agriculture, institutions, commercial areas, golf course, residential areas, power station, health facility and parks

● The wetland cells (point and non-point pollutant source)● Existing and future land-use type and pollution

potentials● The main lakes and outlets

Non-point pollutant sources from road runoffs are to be controlled through the implementation of the drainage system based on vegetated drainage corridor. Those from fertiliser and pesticide inputs from MARDI, UPM, IOI, and Cyberjaya are to be controlled by regulatory measures using the prepared MP guidelines on the use of fertiliser and pesticides.

● To improve the quality of water entering into Putrajaya Lake

● To ensure Putrajaya Lake and water resource areas are protected from pollution

● To streamline and improve the efficiency of monitoring, observation and enforcement of water quality in the Putrajaya Lake Basin

● To enhance the overall environment

30 THE INGENIEUR

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SCOPE DESCRIPTION RECOMMENDATION

Land-use Planning

To ensure that the development in the above areas are in line with the objectives for the catchment a land-use masterplan has been prepared.

- Detailed review of any changes or deviations between current land-use and land-use in the CDMPPL, 2000

- An evaluation of the committed projects that has come into effect since the publication of the CDMPPL (Perbadanan Putrajaya, 2000)

- Updated GIS generated maps showing the current land-use scenario

Land-use IssuesSustainability of the land-useLand-use positions of major stakeholders (shares of the Putrajaya Lake catchment) identify and evaluate sensitive issues of physical development Land-use Policies and Guidelines● Structure and Local Plans used:-

- Selangor Structure Plan;- Putrajaya Structure Plan- Sepang Local Plan; and- Subang Jaya Local Plan.

● Putrajaya Land-use Masterplan● Putrajaya Urban Design Guidelines (UDG)● Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) - The plan should be incorporated in

MSC areas Local Plan that is currently being prepared by JPBD.

Planning and Land-use Control

Planning and land-use control of areas within the catchment represents one of the most important mechanisms for the protection of the water quality in the lake. The mechanism and set-up for control and management of planning in Majlis Daerah Sepang (MDS) and Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) are not as well organised as in Putrajaya.The major land parcels in the catchment areas outside Putrajaya are UPM, MARDI, IOI, TNB, West Country, UNITEN, Cyberjaya and the Sg. Merab Malay Reserve.

● To develop and gazette local plans for the land parcels outside Putrajaya. This will be carried out by JPBD as part of local plan for MSC Area.

● To implement similar planning submission and approval process requirement similar planning submission and approval process requirement as those in Putrajaya Corporation, for all proposed development projects in the catchment areas of Majlis Daerah Sepang (MDS).

Sewerage Planning

The sewerage masterplan comprises of Sewerage Planning and Design Guidelines:

Specific recommendations for the management of the sewage effluent discharge from MARDI, UPM, IOI and Cyberjaya.

Drainage Management and Control

There is no integrated approach to this issue since the responsibilities for drainage lies with JPS, local authorities and other agencies such as JKR and other developers.

● To require all development projects, including utilities and transportation projects to comply with the recommended drainage concept and design guidelines for the Putrajaya Lake catchment.

● To assign an additional Civil Engineer and Technical Assistant to MDS so that they can give special attention to drainage and earthworks for developments in the Putrajaya Lake catchment areas.

Chairman: Selangor State SecretarySecretariat: LUAS/The Lake Unit, Perbadanan Putrajaya;Members: (i) Selangor Waters Management Authority (LUAS),

(ii) Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS),(iii) Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS),(iv) Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa (JPBD),(v) Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR),(vi) Jabatan Perkhidmatan Pembentungan (JPP),(vii) Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ),(viii) Majlis Daerah Sepang (MDS),(ix) Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj),(x) Representative of Stakeholder’s Consultative Committee

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Appendix B: The Putrajaya Lake Catchment Management Committee (PLCMC) as recommended by the CDMP 2000

Appendix A: Catchment Management Scope Review and Recommendations

The JKR/PWD Forms (Rev. 2007): An Overview

This paper was presented on November 8, 2008 at a talk organised jointly by the Bar Council Malaysia, The Society of Construction Law (KL & Selangor) and The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Malaysia Branch). It will be published in three parts in consecutive issues of The Ingenieur, starting with Part 1 in this issue.

By Ir. Harbans Singh K.S.P.E., C. Eng., Advocate and Solicitor (Non-Practicing)

engineering & law

(Part 1)

32 THE INGENIEUR

1.2 Ambit Of This Paper

This paper has been penned with an objective of presenting an overview of the principal changes introduced by the revised Forms. It is not to be construed as exhaustive, nor as a legal treatise.

1.3 Forms Revised

The Forms that have been revised can be classified according to the method of contract procurement adopted i.e. whether this is along the Traditional General Contracting (TGC) route or employing the ‘Package Deal’ type.

For TGC, the fol lowing Forms have been revised:

OLD FORM NEW FORM APPLICATION

JKR 203A (Rev. 1983)

JKR 203A (Rev. 2007)

For Contracts based on Bills of Quantities

JKR 203 (Rev. 1983)

JKR 203 (Rev. 2007)

For Contracts based on Drawings & Specifications

JKR 203N (Rev. 1983)

JKR 203N (Rev. 2007)

For Nominated Sub-Contract (NSC) where Main Contract (MC) is based on JKR 203 & 203A

JKR 203P (Rev. 1983)

JKR 203P (Rev. 2007)

For Nominated Suppliers where the Main Contract (MC) is based on JKR 203 & 203A

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The JKR/PWD Forms (in short the JKR Forms) were last revised almost a quarter of a century ago i.e. in 1983. Since then, numerous changes have occurred legally and in practice. Whilst these changes were taking place, the said Forms did not keep in pace making them anachronistic especially in content

Numerous cal ls were made by interested bodies, learned authorities and local practitioners for these Forms to be revised to keep in tandem with contemporary development in the construction industry. Feeble attempts were made on and off in terms of ad hoc changes to specific clauses, but these were more often a knee-jerk reaction to deal with particular problems rather than approaching the matter on a holistic basis.

However, the cries for a thorough review grew louder by the day, thereby necessitating some concrete action on the part of the ‘powers to be’. Steps were initiated a number of years ago to revise the said Forms; a process which culminated in the preparation of the revised Forms early this year.

It should be noted that these Forms have been approved by the Attorney General’s Chambers and are intended to be used for all Public Sector Contracts and apparently also for other applications involving Statutory Bodies and the like.

As far as the ‘Package Deal’ Types of Contracts is concerned, the previous PWD DB/T (2002 Edn.) has been replaced with the new PWD DB (Rev. 2007) to be used for Design & Build Contracts only.

In terms of content, the JKR 203 and 203A Forms have been increased by 22 clauses, the PWD DB Form by 14 clauses and the JKR 203N by 13 clauses. The number of clauses for the JKR 203P has been maintained at 37 clauses in total.

1.4 Principal Changes

At first blush, it is apparent that the basic philosophy of the earlier Forms has been maintained. However, there has been some change in the format and content of most of the main Forms.

As has been adverted to previously in para 1.3 above, most of the Forms have been expanded content-wise to include additional clauses. Furthermore, the format of some of the Forms, in particular, the JKR 203, 203A and DB have been altered. Content-wise, the said Forms have been basically revised and in most cases altered to address the relevant procedural and legal shortcomings.

Generally, the parties’ (be these the Employer’s, Main Contractor’s or Sub-Contractor’s) obligations and liabilities have been further enhanced, albeit, in a much clearer language. In terms of risk allocation, in tandem with the previous Forms, the bulk of the risk is transferred to the Contractor (including the Sub-Contractors) though, for a change, procedurally specific time periods for the Contract Administrator/ Employer to fulfill certain obligations have been stipulated.

It should be noted that notably ‘Turnkey’ Contracts are now excluded from the family of new Forms; this being clearly manifested in the replacement of the label ‘DB/T’ with merely ‘DB’ in the new Form for the ‘Package Deal’ type of contracts. Another major change is the removal of Marginal Notes from all the new Forms.

In summary, despite some improvements in content, style and formatting, the Forms are still cluttered with legalese, have many omissions and deficiencies and in some cases exhibit mere ‘cut and

paste’; the sum total of which appears to water down the effectiveness of the said Forms.

The subsequent write-up deals with some of the observations pertaining to the main changes/revisions that have been undertaken to the said Forms. However, these are not exhaustive.

2.0 JKR 203 & 203A FORMS (REV. 2007): MAIN CHANGES

2.1 Articles of Agreement and Recitals

The Articles of Agreement and Recitals have been revamped and shortened with some of the previous provisions either deleted or transferred to subsequent clauses e.g. Contract Sum (Clause 7.0), etc.

2.2 Definitions and Interpretation: Clause 1.0

Although expanded considerably, this clause is not exhaustive and has excluded certain principal words and phrases e.g. Temporary Works, etc.

An interes t ing new def ini t ion is that for ‘Contract Documents’ where the ‘Articles of Agreement’ has been left out but ‘Treasury’s Instructions’ now included. The actual effect and implementation of the latter in practice is left to be seen. Though, aimed at protecting the Employer due to the perennial problems associated with the vagaries of ever new Treasury’s Instructions issued perpetually post-contract, it nevertheless places a seemingly onerous and uncertain burden on the Contractor.

2.3 Scope of Contract: Clause 6.0

The previous clause has been reformulated and renumbered. An additional provision i.e. sub-clause 6.2 has been included to cover any consequential works on the Site; these being mainly in respect of utilities.

Despite the above amendments, the revised provision is still couched in general terms. It would have been better, if the scope of the Contract could have been drafted in more detail with full particulars of the scope either enumerated or particularized to avoid any doubt or unclarity.

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2.4 Representations, Warranties and Undertakings of the Contractor: Clause 9.0

This is wholly a new provision encompassing 2 sub-clauses i.e. sub-clause 9.1 and 9.2.

Sub-clause 9.1 deals essentially with the Contractor’s Representations and Warranties and is said to address, in an express manner the requirements of Section 11 (Who Are Competent to Contract) of the Contracts Act 1950 (Rev. 1974) and the judicial pronouncement in the case of Hiap Aik Construction Bhd. v HPC Engineering (M) Sdn. Bhd. (2002) 1 LNS 52

Sub-clause 9.2 on the other hand covers basically undertakings of the Contractor in regard to matters such as compliance with statutory requirements, payment of taxes, conformance with the relevant laws, etc. It is meant to give effect to the ruling in Swi Realty Sdn. Bhd. v JPP & Ors (2003) 8 CLJ 733.

2.5 Obligations of the Contractor: Clause 10.0

This new clause has collated the various obligations of the Contractor and spelt these out in seemingly clear language. The express enumerations of such obligations entail a very wide and diverse scope but are apparently not exhaustive.

Some of the said obligations e.g. to prevent abuse or uneconomical use of facilities (sub-clause 10.1(e)), etc. though well intentioned are both subjective as well as difficult to enforce in practice. Their workability and effectiveness is for time to tell, but it places additional responsibility on the S.O./Employer to monitor and enforce.

2.6 Programme of Works: Clause 12.0

This is another new provision dealing with another important matter hitherto covered usually in the ‘Preliminaries’ portion of the Bills of Quantities or the Contract Documents.

Although a welcome change, i t is rather disappointing, as it is neither comprehensive in terms of content, nor the consequential sanctions/remedies. It is also not in tandem with contemporary international practice as reflected in documents of

the like of the Society of Construction Law’s (SCL) Protocol on Delay and Disruption.

Another interesting observation is that the clause envisages a programme of work being provided by the S.O. to the Contractor; a situation in direct contrast to the conventional practice where the Contractor is primarily responsible for both planning and undertaking the Works under the Contract. In so far as its invocation, this occurs only by default of the S.O.; a rather peculiar practice best known to the drafters of the provision.

2.7 Performance Bond/ Performance Guarantee Sum: Clause 13.0

Clause 13.0 is a reformulation and renumbering of the previous Clause 37.0. It addresses a number of pertinent issues vis-à-vis Performance Bond including:

(a) The extent of the Contractor’s liability e.g. the duration of cover has been extended until 12 months after the expiry of the Defect Liability Period, or issue of the Certificate of Making Good Defects, etc.;

(b) Default options, procedures and remedies available to the Employer (Government); and

(c) Alternatives to the provision of a Performance Bond.

In amplification of para 2.7(c) above, the new clause 13.0 introduces the use of the alternative mechanism i.e. a Performance Guarantee Sum at the very outset or upon the failure of the Contractor to submit a Performance Bond.

The introduction of the said alternative is a ‘double-edged sword’. On one hand it formalizes a long practiced non-contractual default mechanism that has been rampant especially for Public Sector Contracts where many a Contractor has encountered considerable difficulties in procuring the contractually stipulated Performance Bond, leaving it open to breach of a fundamental obligation under the Contract. On the other hand, the introduction of the said Performance Guarantee Sum from the outset, encourages Contractors to avoid procuring Performance Bonds at all. Whether this is of any advantage to the Employer, or the Contract as a whole is left to be seen.

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2.8 Insurance, etc.: Clause 14.0 to 16.0

The previous provisions on this subject are generally content-wise unchanged, save for some reformatting, relabelling and renumbering. The only change that appears to be significant is in the introduction of a new sub-clause 15.4 entitled ‘Cancellation of Insurance’; which provision:

(a) is said to give effect to the ruling in the case of Cold Storage Holdings PLC & Ors v The Overseas Assurance Corpn. Ltd. & Ors (1989) 2 MLJ 324 vis-à-vis the effect of conditions pertaining to the cancellation of an insurance policy by the insurer;

(b) st ipulates a noti f ication procedure and obligates the Contractor to ensure a mandatory procedure is followed vis-à-vis any cancellation process; and

(c) imposes a positive duty on the Contractor to ensure that any insurance cover is not vitiated or rendered void or voidable.

2.9 Design: Clause 22.0

Clause 22.0 is a new provision intended to cover the oft recurring situation in practice where the Contractor is required in a Conventional/Traditional General Contract to undertake certain design work; in particular on a ‘stand alone’ basis. This includes scenarios where only ‘performance specifications’ are given to the Contractor e.g. for works such as diaphragm walls, piling, etc. and the Contractor is required to not only construct but also design the Works.

Sub-Clause 22.1 spells out in an express form the expected Contractor’s design liability vis-à-vis the risk assumed, the obligations, procedures, deliverables, etc. aptly labelled ‘Design Liability’ and resonates the decision in John Mowlem & Contractors Ltd. v British Callenders Pension Trust Ltd. (1977) 3 Con LR 63.

Sub-Clause 22.2 on the other hand deals with the necessity for the Contractor to provide a ‘Design Guarantee Bond’ for the part of the Works designed by it and covers incidental issues such as the amount of the bond, duration of cover, conditions for invoking, default provisions, etc.

Although a most welcome change, it nevertheless is still not complete and can be improved further to ensure that its effectiveness in practice is not compromised in any way.

2.10 Employment of Workmen: Clause 23.0

This new clause is a consolidation of the previous:

(a) Clause 16: Employment of Workmen (Sub-Clause 23.1)

(b) Clause 17: Compliance with Employment Ordinance 1955, etc. (Sub-Clause 23.2)

(c) Clause 18: Pay and Hours of Working (Sub-Clause 23.3)

(d) Clause 20: Wages, Books & Time Sheets (Sub-Clause 24.4)

(e) Clause 21: Default in Payment of Wages (Sub-Clause 25.5)

(f) Clause 22: Discharge of Workmen (Sub-Clause 25.6)

The core provisions have been maintained except for some updating and revisions to meet contemporary practice.

The only major revamp is for the ‘Employment of Workmen’ where the new sub-Clause 23.1 is a much abridged version of the previous Clause 16. Notable omissions as compared to the previous version are items such as ratio of workmen, source of labour, on-site training programme, etc.

2.11 Variations: Clause 24.0

This new provision is a reformulation of the previous Clause 24.0 and exhibits some minor changes only.

In view of the introduction of the new Clause 22.0 on Design, there is a cross-reference now to the new sub-Clause 22.1 on the effect of the S.O.’s approval of the Contractor’s design.

As for the previous provision, the new clause is also not comprehensive enough and does not

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address issues of the likes of the Contractor’s right to vary, Cardinal Changes, variations during the Defect Liability Period, etc. The new clause certainly could be amply improved upon.

2.12 Valuation of Variations: Clause 25.0

As for the foregoing provision, the new Clause 25.0 is a mere reformatting of the previous Clause 25.0 and leaves much to be desired.

The valuation formulae stipulated are still not clear and comprehensive enough. They do not encompass issues such as:

(a) whether omitted work can be given to others;

(b) if the Contractor can contractually claim for loss of profit for such omitted work;

(c) the contractual effect of invalid variation orders including Cardinal Changes;

(d) the use of the ‘Quotation Method’ for the Contractor designed portion of the varied works; and

(e) valuation for payment of varied work outside the contract, etc.

2.13 Bills of Quantities: Clause 26.0

This clause reflects in essence the provisions of the previous Clause 26.0, save for sub-clause 26.1 which has been redrafted to give effect to JKR’s current practice and the judicial decision of Tuck Seng Loong Transport Service Co. Ltd. v Malayawata Steel Ltd. & Anor (1973) 2 MLJ 111.

The effect of the new sub-Clause 26.1 is that the Bills of Quantities is meant primarily to arrive at the Contract Sum only, and if there is any error, it must be rectified and cannot serve as a basis to vitiate the contract.

2.14 Payment to Contractor and Interim Certificates: Clause 28.0

Clause 28.0 is basically a revision of the previous Clause 47.0. It maintains the S.O.’s duty

to undertake the payment process and still does not require the Contractor to make any application for payment.

Minor changes include:

(a) The signing of the Contract is not a condition precedent to the issue of the First Payment Certificate;

(b) The value of payment for materials on site has been increased from 75% to 90%;

(c) The value of payment to Nominated Suppliers has been increased to 100%; and

(d) Inclusion of a new provision covering payment where a Performance Guarantee Sum is used in lieu of a Performance Bond.

The principal omissions/deficiencies include:

(a) The re a r e no s t i pu l a t i on s a s t o t he Contractor submitting necessary documents e.g. invoices, delivery orders, etc. to substantiate any payment;

(b) There are no stipulations covering payment for ‘off-site’ materials e.g. for equipment, pre-fabricated items, etc.;

(c) Absence of any provisions vis-à-vis retention of title issues, liens, etc.;

(d) There are no provisions encompassing the Contractor’s entitlements or remedies following the Employer’s default in payment obligation e.g. interest, right to suspend work, right to determine employment, etc.; and

(e) Absence o f re tent ion sum, a l te rnat ive payment mechanisms e.g. stage payment, etc.

2.15 Final Account and Payment Certificate: Clause 31.0

Basically this provision is a revision and renumbering of the previous clause 48: Final Certificate, save for the introduction of a new sub-clause 31.2 covering the situation where the contractor fails to submit the required particulars in time.

36 THE INGENIEUR

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Despite the instant revision, there are still a number of notable deficiencies, which include, inter alia, the following:

(a) The clause does not cater for the eventuality of finalising the account either on an ‘elemental’ basis, or for the issue of a ‘Penultimate’ Certificate;

(b) It does not suitably clarify whether there is a need for the Final Account to be mutually agreed to and/or signed off by both the Employer and the Contractor;

(c) It does not address the likely situation where the Contractor fails to agree to the Final Account and its effect on the subsequent issue of the Final Certificate by the S.O.; and

(d) The stipulated Statutory Declaration does not cater for the requirement pertaining to the payment of all Sub-contractors/Suppliers to defeat possible Retention of Title claims, etc.

2.16 Materials, Goods and Workmanship: Clause 35.0

This new clause is essentially similar to the previous Clause 10 entitled ‘Materials and Workmanship’.

The only notable changes are the inclusion of two new provisions, namely:

(a) Sub-clause 35.3 on the Contractor’s obligation to pay all duties, taxes, etc. on materials, goods and equipment; and

(b) Sub-clause 35.4 on the Contractor’s duty to pay all tonnage, royalties, etc. for getting stone, sand, gravel, clay or other materials which was previously part of Clause 13.0: Patent Rights and Royalties.

2.17 Inspection and Testing of Materials, Goods and Equipment: Clause 36.0

This is a new provision that has been introduced in possible amplification of the Contractor’s obligations under Clause 10.

It comprises a total of six Sub-clauses i.e. Sub-clause 36.1 to 36.6 and covers the procedural, commercial and substantive requirements pertaining to the Contractor’s obligations vis-à-vis inspection

and testing at the various stages of the Works; in particular concerning workmanship, materials or goods. Perhaps, the purpose of this new provision is to cater for issues generally connected with QA/QC matters.

2.18 Constructional Plant, Equipment, Vehicles and Machineries: Clause 37.0

Another new clause encompassing a very important facet of operations on Site and the Contractor’s obligations under the contract.

This new provision comprises seven sub-clauses i.e. sub-clauses 37.1 to 37.7 governing the principal procedural, commercial and substantive issues pertaining to this head of the Contractor’s obligation although, sadly, it fails to address matters involving insurance requirements particular to this clause e.g. for items on Hire-Purchase, Temporary Works, etc.; which deficiency waters down the ultimate effect of the said clauses.

2.19 Possession of Site: Clause 38.0

The previous clause 38.0 bearing the same title has not been broken-up into two new Clauses, namely:

(a) Clause 38: ‘Possession of Site’, covering the previous sub-clauses 38(a) to (e); and

(b) Clause 45: ‘Investigation by the Government and Other Persons in Case of Accident, Failure or other Event’, encompassing the old sub-Clause 38(f).

This is a positive change as the previous sub-clause 38(f) had little or no nexus with the other sub-clauses as it dealt with a totally distinct matter.

A new sub-clause 38.6 has been now included to cater for the situation where there is a delay on part of the Employer in giving possession of any section or part of the Site beyond 90 days from the stipulated Date of Possession.

Despite the said amendments, the new clause 38.0 is still deficient in many aspects inclusive of issues such as the obligations of the respective Parties vis-à-vis access to Site, wayleaves, easements, etc. and the ensuing consequences. BEM

THE INGENIEUR 37

engineering & law

By Ir. Ellias Saidin Perunding Ikatan

Deforestation contribute to global warming. Construction activities and treatment plants processes consume fossil fuels, emitting carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The sustainable method of water supply is to capture water at source where it falls, store and utilise it there.

The Malaysian Government has recognised that RWH contributes towards national water conservation. It has made a commitment to revise the Guidelines for Installing a Rainwater Collection and Utilization System, in the Ninth Malaysia Plan; ref: item 18.50, Chap 18, of Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010.

In March 2007, after chairing the National Water Council meeting, the Prime Minister stated that a by-law for local Government to enforce rainwater harvesting and storage systems would be formulated by the

Ministry of Housing and Local Government. The regulations shall be implemented, initially on factories and institutions such as schools.

SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY AND CONSUMPTION

In a municipal or community water supply system, the supply of water is at a common standard of chemical and physical quality either for industrial, commercial or domestic consumption. The used water is discharged into lined sewers to be discharged into watercourse and finally to the sea. It has been recognised that water for different applications may be of different quality standards. Industrial water for semi-conductor manufacturing needs to be free of all impurities whilst for carwash, toilet flushing, laundry, general cleaning and watering gardens, rainwater may be used.

Review Of

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is an age old technique involving capturing or

trapping rainwater on roofs or some other surface before it touches the ground and storing it for reuse. The practice of rainwater harvesting had been out of necessity in arid and semi-arid regions. Rainwater was used for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. Presently, RWH is widely gaining recognition in the world as a sustainable source of water supply.

The resurgence of RWH is due to the paradigm shift in concepts of supplying municipal water in developed countries. When cities grow in size with increasing demand on water, new catchments have to be identified and dams constructed with adverse effects on the local and global environment. Pipelines and tunnels have to be constructed over long distances involving inter-state boundary crossings.

This paper was presented at the 10th Annual IEM Water Resources Colloqium on June 14, 2008.

Rainwater harvesting has been gaining recognition lately as a sustainable means of domestic water supply. For arid and semi-arid areas, domestic rainwater harvesting has long been utilised as a source of household water supply, irrigation and even groundwater replenishment. There is now a paradigm shift in the harvesting of rainwater as an alternative and sustainable means of water supply for industrial and domestic use in urban and developed cities. In Malaysia, 40% of household consumption may be supplied by rainwater harvesting in the home. Rainwater harvesting systems with proven track records are available for implementation in Malaysia.

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Rainwater Harvesting

38 THE INGENIEUR

This recognition has led to the paradigm shift in the utilisation of harvested rainwater for a sustainable water supply for industry and household consumption.

A study by NAHRIM on a double-storey house indicated that untreated rainwater used for toilet flushing, general cleaning and laundry has saved up to 34% of total monthly water use. (Ahmad Jamalluddin and Huang YK, 2007). From a typical breakdown of water use in a Malaysian home, the water used for toilet flushing (30%), clothes washing (13%), outdoor (7%), and cleaning (8%) amounts to a total of 58% of total water use in a household. This is the potential amount of household water requirements that can be replaced by rainwater harvesting. (Baharuddin A., 2007)

In Australia, the use of domestic rainwater tanks has been a long standing common source of water supply for domestic use and drinking. In 1994, a survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that about 13% of all Australian households use rainwater tanks as a source of drinking water. A survey conducted in South Australia in 1996 showed that 82% of the rural population used rainwater as the primary source of water for drinking compared to 28% of the population in metropolitan Adelaide. (Heyworth et al, 1998)

In Malaysia, the densely populated areas of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya are facing a water crisis as suitable areas for impoundment of rivers for water supply are depleted. The Pahang-Selangor water transfer project will transport raw water captured in Pahang though a a 45km tunnel through the Titiwangsa Range to treatment plants in Hulu Langat, Selangor. The project will take eight years to complete. Another

project mooted is the withdrawal of underground water from Kinta Vally in Perak and transferring the water to west coast states.

The above costly and potentially environmental ly damaging projects could be averted through the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems.

RAINWATER HARVESTING IN MALAYSIA

The earliest rainwater harvesting study in Malaysia was a status paper presented at the first Rainwater Cistern System Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1982. (Uzir A Malik et al 1991). A series of international conferences has been held since 1982 and at the 4th Conference in 1989; the International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (IRCSA) was formed. The Association has organised international conferences biannually with the next international conference in 2009 to be hosted by NAHRIM, Malaysia.

Rainwater harvesting systems was introduced by the Ministry of Health in 1968 for rural water supply as part of the Rural Environment Sanitation Programme. According to records of the Ministry of Health,

in 1980, there were 1,863 RWH cisterns constructed in Malaysia with 1,759 systems in Sarawak. In 1989, 7,648 RWH cisterns were constructed with 6,708 in Sarawak. The total population served then was 41,402 persons (0.5% of the population). (Uzir A Malik et al, 1991).

A survey indicated that the stored rainwater was a supplementary water supply source in addition to shallow wells and irregular piped supply. The rainwater was used for domestic consumption and non-consumption purposes. However with the implementation of Government development policy to supply reticulated treated water to rural areas, the development of RWH cisterns was phased out, except in extreme cases. It was also reported that rainwater were used in schools, mosque and community centers until by policy, new public buildings then were connected to existing reticulated supplies. (Uzir A Malik et al, 1991)

Pulau Ketam residents had been dependent on RWH until recently, when treated water was made available. The old abandoned cisterns can still be seen in the compounds.

Interest in rainwater systems revived in 1991 during the major

Pulau Ketam : RWH Cisterns(Circular Concrete Tank below house)

Pulau Ketam 2007 : RWH Cisterns

THE INGENIEUR 39

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water crisis in Malacca when the Durian Tunggal Dam dried up early that year. The community realized their dependency on a single source of water supply and alternative sources were considered.

In 2003, a shopping complex in Petaling Jaya successfully installed a RWH system and reported a savings of 30% of its monthly water bill. Rainwater is captured on the concrete rooftop parking, filtered (vortex type) and stored in a large underground tank in the basement. The water is then distributed throughout the building and used for toilet flushing, landscaping and air-conditioning cooling water. In a housing scheme, a five-day storage tank of 100 gallons capacity was installed in the double storey houses for general cleaning and gardening.

DOMESTIC RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS (DRWH)

Rainwater harvesting may be classified into two categories; first is for domestic (DRWH) use and the other is storage for agriculture or groundwater recharge. The components of a domestic rainwater harvesting system(DRWH) consist of the collection system, conveyance, storage and draw-off.

Roof Collection Surface The collection surface over

which the rainwater falls and run-off, has to be selected from suitable materials. The roofing materials shall not contain toxic substances and should be smooth. Concrete, clay, zinc coated metal sheets, color-bond, are suitable materials. Lead-based paints should not be used, even as primers. Tar-based materials lend a bad taste to the water. For new installations

using cement tiles, acrylic paints coatings, etc the first few rainfall has to be discarded.

Leaf and Large Debris Diverters Systems

The rainwater runs along the roofing surface and gets collected in a gutter system which transports the rainwater to the downpipe. Specially designed coarse screens or gutter guards of 5mm openings made from stainless steel, galvanized steel or plastics, are installed to trap and divert away large debris, leaves, etc; from going into the rainwater storage vessels. These screens may be (i) ingeniously fitted to cover the gutter drains, (ii) placed below on the underside of the gutter drains outlets to down pipe inlets, (iii) along the downpipe before the inlet of the storage vessels. These screens are designed to be self cleansing and maintenance free. These screens are also termed ‘leaf-eaters’ or ‘leaf-beaters’.

A patented German product called a vortex filter is also widely

used to divert the debris and coarse grained contaminants from the rainwater. The self cleansing device works by turning the incoming rainwater through a cyclone barrel causing the heavier particles to separate from the water which goes into the storage vessel. They are efficiently designed with more than 90% of the rainwater being captured for storage.

First Flush Water Diverters The rainwater is further refined

using devices called the ‘first flush diverters’, fitted before the inlet of the storage vessel. After a prolonged period of drought, deposits such as droppings, dead insects, particulates, dirt, etc. accumulates of the roof surface and is washed and carried by the first rainfall. The water diverter traps or diverts the first part of the contaminated rainfall water from the roof, away from the storage vessel. After a certain rainfall volume; the subsequent rainfall is diverted into the storage vessel.The amount of first flush volume

Components Of A Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Systems

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is dependent on condition of the environment and surrounding activities.

In Australia, a rule of thumb is to allow 2mm of rainfall to be diverted. The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting, published by the Texas Water Development Board, 2005, recommends minimum of 10 gallons (38 litres) for every 1,000 sq ft (95sqm.). An Australian manufacturer recommends between 13 gallons (50 litres) and 49 gallons (190 litres) for every 1,000 sq ft. (95 sqm.).

In a Japanese study on Tokyo in 1986, only 1.5mm of rainfall is affected by the pollutants that have accumulated on the capture surface.

A patented device to divert first flush water is the first flush valve. Instead of diverting a fixed volume of first flush water, the cleansing

Screen in downpipe (90% eff.) Source: www.wisy.de

Vortex filter ( 90% eff) Source: www.wisy.de

cover feature

First Flush Water Diverter System

Gutter Screen

Leaf Beater

Leaf Beater

Source: www.rainharvesting.com.au and www.leafbeater.com.au

THE INGENIEUR 43

effect of rainwater is also dependent on the initial rainfall intensity .This first flush valve device functions by being activated when rainwater flow reaches a certain designed flow rate Then a ball is gradually filled with a designed volume of rainwater, whereby the filled ball activates another valve to divert the subsequent rainwater into a storage vessel.

Storage Vessels The rainwater are stored in tanks

above ground, partially below ground or completely buried.These vessels of various shapes and sizes can be constructed or purchased commercially. The tank materials are concrete, ferro-cement, fiberglass, steel and plastics. The size of the storage tank is dependent upon the required usage, roof area, rainfall volume and supply security.

The basic design considerations for sizing a storage vessel are to determine the volume of rainwater that can be collected and then compare it to the amount of usage. (see Fig. 1)

An alternative method of tank sizing is the accumulative method. (see Fig. 2)

The actual yield depends on collection area, localised rainfall, filter efficiency, first flush diversion and run-off yield coefficient. A typical coefficient of 0.9 is recommended by the South Australian Water Corporation and Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs

An assumption on the above yield calculation is that all the rainfall is captured and stored. However rainwater overflows and is lost when tank is full. The rainfall volume during a heavy storm can exceed the storage capacity of the tank. In a South Australian study on typical domestic application of 10-20 cu. m. of storage, about 65% of the rainfall can be captured with 90% security.

The average daily usage or consumption is determined from adding up the water demands from applications of the rainwater; ie; toilets, gardens, laundry, taps, etc.The final choice of storage size will then depend upon available

area, investment costs and level of supply security required.

The storage may be connected for back up topping from mains supply where available. In such cases, plumbing pipework separation must be carried out for the mains supply and the rainwater storage. In Australia, plumbers qualified to install rainwater harvesting systems and plumbing are accredited the Master Plumbers & Mechanical Services Association of Australia (MPMSAA) as ‘Green Plumbers’ (www.greenplumbers.com.au).

Tank Details and Vermin Proofing

The Tank has to be opaque and vermin proofed. The absence of light will inhibit the growth of algae, which is food for micro-organism, protozoa, bacteria and viruses, which may reside in the storage vessel. All inlet and outlet openings shall be detailed to be vermin and insect-proofed.

Tanks should be fitted with drain plug and desludged at least every 2-3 years. The sludge may also be siphoned off by manually using an inverted hose to the lower portion of the tank. Inlets should be designed to allow entry of water with minimal disturbance to the sludge bed accumulated at the bottom of the tank.

Outlet or draw off points may be located at least 150mm above the bottom of tank. There are gadget which floats and allow water to draw-off the water surface. Adequate ventilation must be provided to avoid anaerobic conditions.

Water Quality Rainwater as it falls on house

roofs is pure, soft, clear and largely free of micro-organisms and contaminating chemicals.Being almost pure, it is an

Maximum Rainwater Available = Roof Area x Annual Rainfall Storage Volume = Avg no. of days with no rainfall x Avg daily water use

Household Tank 2Household Tank 1 Underground Tank Basement Concrete Tank

Fig.2 Cumulative Method of Determining Tank Size

Fig.1

extremely good solvent and will readily dissolve the chemicals and contaminants that the water flows through.

Enteric pathogenic organisms, such as protozoa, bacteria and viruses, are introduced into the rainwater from dusts, leaves, droppings from lizards, bird, mice, dead animals and insects on the roofs, gutters and tank itself. It was reported in Australia that although the presence of coliforms, which is an indicator bacteria, is commonly detected in domestic tanks, general testing has failed to detect pathogens such as Salmonella, Shigella,

44 THE INGENIEUR

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Cryptosporidium and Giardia in water from domestic tanks,. (David A. Cunliffe 1998)

I n Aus t ra l i an p rac t i ce , rainwater is safe to drink if it is clear, has little taste or smell and the catchment system is well maintained. Routine testing of rainwater collected in domestic tanks should not be necessary and in most cases is not recommended. If there are doubts about the quality of rainwater, particularly if used for drinking or cooking, testing may be necessary. (David A. Cunliffe 1998). Secondary treatment such as boiling, UV treatment or

filtration may also be applied if in doubt.

In Malaysia, the water qualities of harvested rainwater studies were reported by Baharuddin Abdullah, Jamalluddin Shaaban (NAHRIM), and Mohd Affifi et al (UTM) are listed in Appendix 1. The results show that the rainwater quality samples conform to the national water quality index (WQI) Class IIB – recreational use with body contact. This means that the water may be used for non potable applications such as toilet flushing, laundry, cleaning and gardening.

Float Intake Smoothing InletSource: www.wisy.de

Smoothing InletSource: www.wisy.de

Overflow Kit Source: www.wisy.de

Collecting rainwater from roof gutter

CASE STUDIES AND EXAMPLES OF RWH SYSTEMS (GDRC.; 2007)

Sumida City, Tokyo Located in the eastern part of Tokyo and

surrounded by the Sumida and Arakawa Rivers. The population of Sumida City(13.75 km2) is 225,935 (December 2001). Sumida City became involved in rainwater utilisation projects in 1982. Since then, Sumida City Government has been promoting rainwater utilisation in cooperation with its citizens. The Tokyo International Rainwater Utilisation Conference (TIRUC), organised by citizens and the Sumida City Government, was held in Sumida City in August 1994. After TIRUC, the Sumida City Government produced guidelines and subsidy program for rainwater utilisation. To date, 300 rainwater tanks have been installed in Sumida City, achieving a total rainwater reservoir capacity of 9000 m3. In 1996, the Sumida City Government organised the Rainwater Utilisation Liaison Council for Local Governments for 104 local governments in Japan. Sumida City’s rainwater utilisation projects were selected as an example of “best practice” by the G8 Environmental Futures Forum 2000, and also received an excellence award from ICLEI for “Local Initiatives” in 2000.

The Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo-wrestling Arena, built in 1985 in Sumida City, utilises rainwater on a large scale. The 8,400 m2 rooftop of this arena is the catchment surface of the rainwater utilisation system. Collected rainwater is drained into a 1,000 m3 underground storage tank and used for toilet flushing and air conditioning. Sumida City Hall uses a similar system. Following the example of Kokugikan, many new public facilities

have begun to introduce rainwater utilisation systems in Tokyo. To date, about 750 private and public buildings in Tokyo have introduced rainwater collection and utilisation systems.

Singapore Singapore has limited land resources and

a rising demand for water. Almost 86% of Singapore’s population lives in high-rise buildings. Collected roof water is kept in separate cisterns on the roofs for non-potable uses. A recent study of an urban residential area of about 742 ha, demonstrated an effective saving of 4% of the water used, the volume of which did not have to be pumped from the ground floor.At Changi Airport, rainfall from the runways and the surrounding green areas is diverted to two impounding reservoirs. The water is used primarily for non-potable functions such fire-fighting drills and toilet flushing. Such collected and treated water accounts for between 28% to 33% of the total water used.

Berlin, Germany In October 1998, rainwater utilization systems

were introduced in Berlin as part of a large scale urban re-development, to control urban flooding, save city water and create a better micro climate. Rainwater falling on the rooftops (32,000 m2) of 19 buildings is collected and stored in a 3500 m3 rainwater basement tank. It is then used for toilet flushing, watering of green areas (including roofs with vegetative cover) and the replenishment of an artificial pond.

In another project at Belss-Luedecke-Strasse in Berlin, rainwater from all roof areas (7,000 m2) is

THE INGENIEUR 45

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discharged into a separate public rainwater sewer and transferred into a cistern with a capacity of 160 m3, together with the runoff from streets, parking spaces and pathways (representing an area of 4,200 m2). The water is treated and used for toilet flushing and garden watering. The design ensures that the majority of the pollutants in the initial flow are flushed out of the rainwater sewer into the sanitary sewer for proper treatment in a sewage plant. It is estimated that 58% of the rainwater can be retained locally through the use of this system.

Bangladesh In Bangladesh, rainwater collection provides

safe drinking water in arsenic affected areas. Since 1997, about 1,000 rainwater harvesting systems have been installed in the country, primarily in rural areas, by the NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation. Its primary objective is to improve access to safe, sustainable, affordable water and sanitation services and facilities in Bangladesh. The rainwater harvesting tanks in Bangladesh vary in capacity from 500 litres to 3,200 litres, costing from Tk. 3000-Tk.8000 (US$50 to US$150).

The composition and structure of the tanks also vary, and include ferro-cement tanks, brick tanks, RCC ring tanks, and sub-surface tanks. The rainwater that is harvested is used for drinking and cooking and its acceptance as a safe, easy-to-use source of water is increasing amongst local users. Water quality testing has shown that water can be preserved for four to five months without bacterial contamination.

Island of Hawaii, USA At the U.S. National Volcano Park, on the Island

of Hawaii, rainwater utilisation systems have been built to supply water for 1,000 workers and residents of the park and 10,000 visitors per day. The Park’s rainwater utilisation system includes the rooftop of a building with an area of 0.4 hectares, a ground catchment area of more than two hectares, storage tanks with two reinforced concrete water tanks with 3,800 m3 capacity each, and 18 redwood water tanks with 95 m3 capacity each.

Several smaller buildings have their own rainwater utilisation systems as well. A water treatment and

pumping plant was built to provide users with good quality water.

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, is an island city

which is 4.8 km wide and 19 km long. Annual rainfall is in the range of 1,020 to 1,520 mm. A rainwater utilisation system is a mandatory requirement for a residential building permit in St. Thomas. A single-family house must have a catchment area of 112 m2 and a storage tank with 45 m3 capacity. There are no restrictions on thet ypes of rooftop and water collection system construction materials. Storage tanks are located within or below the house. Water quality test of samples collected from the rainwater utilisation systems in St. Thomas found that contamination from faecal coliform and Hg concentration was higher than EPA water quality standards, which limits the use of this water to non-potable applications unless adequate treatment is provided.

Bermuda The island of Bermuda is 30 km long, with a

total area of 53.1 km2. The average annual rainfall is 1,470 mm. A unique feature of Bermuda roofs is the wedge-shaped limestone ‘glides’ (sloping gutters), diverting rainwater into vertical leaders and then into storage tanks. Most systems use concrete rainwater storage tanks under buildings with electric pumps to supply piped indoor water.

Rainwater utilisation systems in Bermuda are regulated by a Public Health Act which requires that catchments be white-washed by white latex paint; the paint must be free from metals that might leach into water supplies. Owners must also keep catchments, tanks, gutters, pipes, vents, and screens in good repair. Roofs are commonly repainted every two to three years and storage tanks must be cleaned at least once every six years.

Botswana Thousands of roof catchment and tank systems

have been constructed at a number of primary schools, health clinics and Government houses throughout Botswana under the Ministry of Local Government, Land and Housing (MLGLH). The original tanks were prefabricated galvanized steel tanks and brick tanks.

48 THE INGENIEUR

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The galvanized steel tanks have not performed well, with a short life of approximately five years. The brick tanks are unpopular, due to leakage caused by cracks, and high installation costs. In the early 1980s, the MLGLH replaced these tanks in some areas with 10-20 m3 ferro-cement tanks promoted by the Botswana Technology Centre.

Thailand Storing rainwater from rooftop run-off in jars is

an appropriate and inexpensive means of obtaining high quality drinking water in Thailand. Prior to the introduction of jars for rainwater storage, many communities had no means of protecting drinking water from waste and mosquito infestation. The jars come in various capacities, from 100 to 3,000 litres and are equipped with lid, faucet, and drain. The most popular size is 2,000 litres, which costs 750 Baht, and holds sufficient rainwater for a six-person household during the dry season.

Initially implemented by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) in Thailand, the demonstrated success of the rainwater jar project has encouraged the Thai Government to embark on an extensive national programme for rainwater harvesting.

IndonesiaIn Indonesia, groundwater is becoming scarce in

large urban areas due to reduced water infiltration. The decrease of groundwater recharge in the cities is directly proportional to the increase in the pavement and roof area. In addition, high population density has brought about high groundwater consumption.

Recognising the need to alter the drainage system, the Indonesian Government introduced a regulation requiring that all buildings have an infiltration well. The regulation applies to two-thirds of the territory, including the Special Province of Yogyakarta, the Capital Special Province of Jakarta, West Java and Central Java Province.

It is estimated that if each house in Java and Madura had its own infiltration well, the water deficit of 53% would be reduced to 37%, which translates into a net savings of 16% through conservation.

Acheh, Tsunami Affected Area Prof Mouyoung Han from Seoul National University,

Korea, installed rainwater tanks for tsunami affected families in Acheh province. Rainwater supply was more regular, cleaner and safer than the public mains which are poorly maintained, irregular and tainted with waste.

Capiz Province, the Philippines In the Philippines, a rainwater harvesting

programme was initiated in 1989 in Capiz Province with the assistance of the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC). About 500 rainwater storage tanks were constructed made of wire-framed ferro-cement, with capacities varying from 2 to 10 m3. The rainwater harvesting programme in Capiz Province was implemented as part of an income generation initiative. This type of innovative mechanism for financing rural water supplies can help avoid the requirement for water resources development subsidies.

Gansu Province, China Gansu is one of the driest provinces in China with

annual precipitation of 300 mm, and evaporation of 1500-2000 mm. Limited surface water and groundwater means agriculture relies on rainfall and people suffer from inadequate supplies of drinking water. In 1995, after extensive research since 1980, the ‘121’ Rainwater Catchments Project implemented by the Gansu Provincial Government supported farmers by building one rainwater collection field, two water storage tanks and providing one piece of land to grow cash crops. These projects now supply drinking water for 1.3 million people and their irrigated land for a courtyard economy. As of 2000, a total of 2,183,000 rainwater tanks had been built with a total capacity of 73.1 million m3 in Gansu Province, supplying drinking water for 1.97 million people and supplementary irrigation for 236,400 ha of land. Seventeen provinces in China have since adopted the rainwater utilisation technique, building 5.6 million tanks with a total capacity of 1.8 billion m3, supplying drinking water for approximately 15 million people and supplemental irrigation for 1.2 million ha of land.

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THE INGENIEUR 49

REFERENCES

Ahmad Jamalludin Shaaban and Huang Yuk Feng.(2007), Nahrim’s Experience in Rainwater Utilisation Systems Research. In Proceedings of the Colloquium on Rainwater Utilisation , 19-20 April 2007, Putrajaya Malaysia.

Baharuddin Abdullah (2007), Quality of Rainwater at Nahrim’s Rainwater Harvesting System Pilot Project. In Proceedings of the Colloquium on Rainwater Utilisation, 19-20 April 2007, Putrajaya Malaysia

David A Cunliffe (1998); Guidance on use of Rainwater Tanks. National Environmental Health Forum, Water Series No. 3. Published by the National Environmental Health Forum.

Environmental Conservation Planning Pty Ltd; (2003); Sustainable Water from Rainwater Harvesting. 3rd Edition.

Han, Mooyoung Prof., Promotion of New Paradigm of Rainwater Harvesting and Management in Korea. Paper presented at NAHRIM, Serdang Feb 2008.

Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran,Malaysia & Perunding Azman, Ooi & Rao Sdn Bhd; (2006), Rainwater Harvesting Technology Handbook

Jessica C. Salas Dr.(2007), Trends and Practices in Rainwater Harvesting in South East Asia. In Proceedings of the Colloquium on Rainwater Utilisation, 19-20 April 2007, Putrajaya Malaysia.

Jo Smet, (2003); Domestic Rainwater Harvesting; Data Sheet

Patricia SS., H. Macomber; (2004); Guidelines on Rainwater Catchment Systems for Hawaii. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, (2007); Harvesting, Storing, and Treating Rainwater for Domestic Indoor Use. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The Global Development Research Center, GRDC (2007); Rainwater Harvesting And Utilisation, An Environmentally Sound Approach for Sustainable Urban Water Management: An Introductory Guide for Decision-Makers www.gdrc.org/uem/water/rainwater/rainwaterguide.pdf

Uzir bin Abdul Malik, Hamidon bin Othman; (1991); Rainwater Cistern System in Malaysia Reconsidered. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Rainwater Catchment Systems, Taiwan

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50 THE INGENIEUR

Conclusions The above study has shown the

wide spread utilisation of rainwater for domestic use throughout the world. The quality of the harvested water is suitable for domestic use, potable and non-potable consumption. Various appliances, systems and installation designs are available and are being used to harvest rainwater for domestic,

commercial and industrial use. Further study and research should be conducted on systems performance, water quality and economics of RWH in the Malaysian scenario. Finally, the ever increasing demand for water should be resolved by looking at alternative and sustainable sources of water supply. RWH is a viable proposition. The non

necessity of mechanical and chemical treatments systems leads to a reduction in CO2

emissions and neutralise global warming. The Government should not only issue regulations but need to look into financial incentives, rebates and subsidies on installations of RWH systems. RWH is sustainable and should be a permanent water supply system in Malaysia. BEM

#1 - Residential House at Taman Melawati (2003-2005) #2 - Mosque at Bukit Indah, Ampang (2003-2005) #3 - JPS HQ, KL (2005) #4 - House, Tampoi, Johor (2005) #5 - D/S House in Taman Melawati (2002)

APPENDIX 2: Rainwater Harvesting Associations

The International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (IRCSA) aims to promote and advance rainwater catchment systems technology with respect to planning, development, management, science, technology, research and education worldwide; It was founded August 1989 at the 4th International Rainwater Cistern Systems Conference in Manila and officially launched in August 1991 at the 5th conference in Taiwan. The association has since run conferences every two years; in Kenya 1993, Beijing 1995, Iran Islamic Rep 1997, Brazil 1999, Germany 2001, Mexico 2003, India 2005 and Australia 2007. The next conference will be held in 2009 in Malaysia.; www.ircsa.org

International Rainwater Harvesters Alliance, (IRHA), based in Switzerland, was founded in 2002 in Johannesburg at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. It was given the mandate to federate or unify the disparate organisations harvesting rainwater around the world.; www.irha-h2o.org

American Rainwater Catchments Systems Association (ARCSA ) was formed in 1994, in Austin Texas. – www.arcsa.org

People for Rainwater (PR) was established by citizen initiatives after the Tokyo International Rainwater Utilization Conference (TIRUC), 1994 in Sumida City, Tokyo. www.skywater.jp/

Association for Rainwater Storage and Infiltration Technology, Japan; www.arsit.or.jp

Greater Horn of Africa Rainwater Partnership (GHARP) 2001; www.gharp.org

● Ethiopia Rainwater Harvesting Association (ERHA) ● Kenya Rainwater Association (KRA) ● Rainwater Association of Somalia (RAAS) ● Rainwater Harvesting Association of Tanzania (RHAT) ● Uganda Rainwater Association (URWA)

German Professional Association for Water Recycling and Rainwater Utilisation; www.fbr.de

Development Technology Unit, School of Engineering, Warwick University; www.eng.warwick.ac.uk/dtu/rwh/index.html

Parameter Units Standards (WHO) House 1 Mosque 2 Building 3 House 4 House 5

pH - 6.5 -8.5 6.3-8.63 6.52-7.9 7.65 5.58 6.3-6.6Chloride mg/l 250 - - - - <1Sulphate mg/l 250 0 -2.0 1.0-13 31 - 1.4-6.8

SiO2 mg/l - - - - - 1.2-2.4Iron mg/l 0.3 0.01-0.06 0.01- 0.5 0.02 - 0.01-0.02Lead mg/l <0.01 - - - - <0.05

Phosphorus mg/l - 0.01-1.22 0.05-0.89 0.01 - -Cadmium mg/l <0.003 - - - - <0.001

Copper mg/l 1 0.01-0.18 0.01-0.38 0.17 - -Manganese mg/l 0.1-0.5 - - - - 0.01-0.04

Hard (CaCO3) mg/l 500 - - - 1.386 8.6-32.6Bicarbonate mg/l - - - - - 4.0-10.6

Turbidity NTU 5 0.4-7.4 0.13 – 7.38 1.97 1.0 0.44-2.56Color TCU 15 - - - 3.67 -

N as Nitrate mg/l 50 - - - - 0.36-1.52N as Ammonia mg/l 0.5 0.01-0.19 0.01-0.33 0.04 0.0113 0.02-0.18

TDS mg/l 1000 - - - 11.3 14-126DO mg/l 1.3 3.4-6.4 2.8-5.5 5.0-5.5 - 2.1-4.2

BOD (3-day/30C) mg/l 6.0 - - - 6.9-7.2 -Coliform MPN/l 0 <1-2400 <1-2420 6 - -

E-Coli MPN/l 0 <1-410.6 <1-1986 <1 - -Faecal Coliform MPN/l 0 - - - - -

APPENDIX 1: Water Quality of Samples in RWH Systems [Source: Baharuddin and Jamaluddin Shaaban, NAHRIM, & Mohd Affifi et al UTM]

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THE INGENIEUR 51

By Ir. Dr Lee JinDirector, DRE Consulting Sdn Bhd

Environmental Management– The Why, What And How

Can we r ea l l y manage our environment , both the physical and social

dimensions, in which we exist? Yes, to a certain extent we can. Among all the living beings on this ‘Spaceship’ of ours called Earth, human beings seem to have the power to manage or shape their physical and social environment to suit their needs. All other living beings seem to live in harmony with (i.e. do not change) their physical and ‘social’ (i.e. the way they organised and relate among themselves) environment. Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of the natural and man-made assets on ‘Spaceship Earth’.

Our ‘power ’ l i e s in ou r intellectual capacity to understand the way our environment work and then to use that understanding to change the physical and social environment in which we live. This activity of changing the environment has been going on

for thousand of years. We do it naturally in the course of our daily lives. We transform the raw materials in our physical environment into products that meet our increasingly demanding needs.

We do this through leveraging on our understanding of natural laws and through the tools we design. Our social institutions continuously evolve to address the overall needs of the majority of our

Figure 1 Natural and Man-Made Assets on ‘Spaceship Earth’

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52 THE INGENIEUR

population, based on our leaders (political, cultural, business and technological) understanding of the overall needs of the majority of our population.

However, as our collective knowledge on the laws of nature increases and our tools become more sophisticated, our powers to change the physical environment have also increased. This, coupled with increased population and their increasingly demanding needs, has resulted in progressively, serious and major negative consequences on the physical environment in which we live. Thus, there is increasing awareness that there is a need to manage our daily living activities so that the environment in which we live can be conserved, as much as possible, for the benefits of future generations. This management of our activities within the framework of environmental conservation i s known as “Envi ronmental Management”.

It must be emphasised that Environmental Management is not Environmental Preservation. Its scope also includes the social envi ronment , s ince the way we organise and relate with each other (in our increasingly globalised society) will determine whether we can succeed in conserving our environment for the benefit of future generations in this Spaceship of ours! If we do not succeed, the Spaceship may still be there but the inhabitants may not!

How do we manage our environment

The following is a list of steps summarising how environmental management can be systematically promoted and implemented by a ‘Group’ of people of any size. A ‘Group’ can be any social unit

in our society - family, company, association, school, village, city, district, state, country and region of the world.

■ Environmental Awareness ■ Environmental Commitment■ Environmental Management

Principles ■ Environmental Management

System ■ Environmental Management

Technologies

■ Environmental Awareness S ince our dai ly ac t iv i t ies

are the ones that collectively contribute to major changes to our environment, the first step in Environmental Management is Environmental Awareness. Without awareness of the environmental consequences of our actions and decisions, we will not realize that there is a need for us to manage our activities that have impact on the environment.

■ Environmental Commitment Once we are aware of the

environmental consequences of our actions and decisions, we can either decide to ignore them or do something to manage them. Different people will decide to do different things. The decision will depend on a combination of factors - the individual ’s personal value system, cultural and economic backg round . They will determine the level of commitment by the individual to environmental conservation. Thus, collectively, the level of Environmental Commitment of any Group will depend on the social environment of the Group.

To increase the Environmental Commitment of any Group it is necessary to address in an integrated manner their social environment. There will be a need

to conduct a dialogue with the Group, to learn and understand the social constraints in the Group that are not conducive towards environmental conservation. Only with an adequate understanding of the social environment of the Group can the initiator of the dialogue be able to manage the social environment of the Group to align it towards environmental conservation. The strategies to manage the social environment will be an integration of the following components:

● education to increase awareness and personal discipline

● acceptable changes to the social rules and regulations governing the conduct of the Group

● incentives to the Group to adopt and comply with the changes

All of us have a stake in conserving the environment, be it in our immediate community, village, city, state, country, region and of our Spaceship, Earth. However, not all of us have equal stakes in each one. Thus, it is expected that the initiator of any dialogue will naturally be from those Groups with the greater stakes.

■ Environmental Management Principles

Once a Group is aware of the need fo r env i ronmenta l conservation and is committed to do something about it, the next step is for it to do something, guided by a set of environmental management principles, which determine the policy directions taken by the Group. A good set of principles is necessary to guide the actions taken by the Group towards the path of environmental sustainability.

THE INGENIEUR 53

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Figure 2 Illustration of the Natural Step’s “4E” Principles

A S w e d i s h N G O c a l l e d The Natural Step (TNS) (www.naturalstep.org) has developed such principles in 1989. Based on the laws of physics (thermodynamics) and of natural systems (biology - including humans), TNS has found that there are four basic (4E), ‘non-negotiable’ system conditions for us to survive in a sustainable way on this planet. They require us to systematically decrease our dependence on:

(a) Extraction - materials from the lithosphere (e.g. fossil fuels, metals, minerals and other items extracted from the earth’s crust);

(b) Exotics - persistent unnatural s ub s t ance s ( e . g . man -made chemicals that do not biodegrade because they a re exo t ic to nature);

(c) Ecology - activities which encroach on productive parts of nature (e.g., forests, rivers, wetlands, biodiversity - in other words, ecology)

(d) Equity - using large amounts of resources in relation to added

human value (e.g. activities that violate basic principles of social equity).

In summary, they are as follows and are illustrated in Figure 2 below.

● Avoid Extraction and Exotics● Protect and Enhance Ecology

and Equity

The ‘4E’ Questions to ask in any project are:

(a) How does it affect Extraction (can it be done in a way that materials are not extracted faster than they are replaced)?

(b) How does it affect Exotics (and can this be mitigated or eliminated)?

(c) How does it affect the Ecology (and can it be done in a way that preserves or restores the natural environment)?

(d) How does it affect Equity (and can it be done so that one group of people does not preclude that opportunity for others)?

Af te r ask ing the above ‘4E ’ Questions, we can then ask, Should we do the project at all, and if so, how can we achieve the end result in a sustainable way?

■ Environmental Management System

Guided by a set of good e nv i r o n m e n t a l m a n a g e m e n t p r i n c i p l e s a n d p o l i c i e s , a Group can then start to identify which activities have the most significant negative impact on the environment. Only then can it take the necessary action to manage those activities and their associated impact on the envi ronment . Since the ultimate objective of environmental conservation is environmental preservation, the Group should work continuously on improving its environmental performance.

To facilitate the above process o f i d e n t i f y i n g t h e G r o u p ’s significant environmental impact, the action to take to address them and work towards continuous improvement, an internationally accepted systematic approach has been developed. The system is the ISO14001 Environmental Management System (EMS).

The ISO14001 EMS is an international standard that specifies the generic requirements for an EMS. It can be used as a template by any organisation or Group to develop the specif ic EMS framework that is compatible to the nature of the organisation or Group.

■ Environmental Management Technologies

One important element of the Environmental Management System is the environmental management programme developed to mitigate and eventual ly e l iminate, i f

54 THE INGENIEUR

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possible, negative impact on the environment. To support the programme, appropr ia te environmental technologies have to be developed to address the impact associated with each aspect. The technologies can be industry-specific management systems, monitoring and measurement systems and their associated products.

There is a need to identify and promote the adoption of cleaner environmental technologies (those that pollute less) for each target Group. There is also a need to develop the appropriate strategies to manage the social environment so that it will be conducive for the adoption of cleaner environmental technologies. BEMFlora and fauna

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thermal system for water will help to reduce electricity required for heating. Under the Budget 2009 announcements, energy-efficient appliances (e.g. air-conditioners, lightings, fans and televisions) and solar heating equipment that are manufactured locally are exempted from sales tax. Import duty and sales tax on intermediate goods such as insulation materials are also exempted, thus bringing down the cost of energy efficiency measures for buildings.

Solar Photovoltaic: Sunny Solution For Tomorrow

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can be utilized in at least three ways. The owner can design the building to maximize the use of natural daylight. Malaysia being in the equatorial, receives consistent amount of sunshine every day of the year. Office buildings can easily tap into the sunlight for natural daylight. The Zero Energy Office (ZEO) of Pusat Tenaga Malaysia is an exemplary application.

The second use of solar energy will be heating. The use of a solar

W ith the ever fluctuating c o s t s o f f u e l a n d rising electricity tariffs,

households and businesses would need to consider ways to reduce their energy consumption. There are a few ways to do so. Firstly, improve the energy efficiency of your appliances used. This typically involves simple measures such as changing to energy-efficient air conditioning, energy-saving lightings, five star-rated refrigerators and living a lifestyle which inculcates energy saving practices. Besides using energy-efficient appliances, the owner should consider ways of increasing energy efficiency of buildings. If the owner is planning to build a new house, then energy efficiency should be incorporated into the design of the house. If the house already exists, then the owner can retrofit the house with some energy-efficient measures.

Solar Energy, The Next Step

Once the energy efficiency of appliances and buildings is taken care of, the next step for the owner to consider is to lower the electricity bill by using alternative energy. The use of solar energy is most suitable for urban application. Solar energy

In Pusat Tenaga Malaysia, the use of natural daylighting is maximised to reduce electricity consumption

56 THE INGENIEUR

While solar thermal system is widely known in the country, many are unaware that electricity can also be generated f rom the sun. Solar technologies are divided into solar thermal and solar photovoltaic. While solar thermal uses the heat component of the sun, solar photovoltaic uses the l ight component of the sun to generate electricity. Both technologies are readily available in Malaysia, however, solar photovoltaic (PV) for urban application is still relatively new compared to the solar thermal heater.

Solar Photovoltaic Applications

Most people associate the use of solar PV system for rural applications where there is no access to grid electricity. Most people would also be familiar with PV applications for simple consumable goods such as solar calculator. In the urban areas, solar-powered parking meters and hazard road signs can also be seen. But not many would realize

that solar PV can also be for household and office use. In urban applications, the solar PV system is grid-connected as opposed to off-grid PV systems for rural applications. When the solar PV system is connected to the grid, it means that the building has two power sources; one from solar PV system and the other from the

grid. The grid essentially acts as a ‘giant battery’. This means the owner does not have to invest in any battery system and this will lower his capital investment. The electricity generated by solar PV system is consumed in situ and the net result is a lower electricity bill at the end of the month. This is termed as net-metering and TNB

The use of solar thermal system to heat water is common in Malaysia. Solar-powered parking meters are common sight in Malaysia

Commercial Rooftop Application of BIPV, Putrajaya

THE INGENIEUR 57

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has agreed in principle with this arrangement of net billing.

According to a report on IEA PVPS Trends 2007, grid-connected PV applications dominated in the OECD countries (about 94 % of the 2007 market) but the largely unsubsidized off-grid markets continued to grow worldwide, albeit less vigorously than the publicly funded grid-connected PV markets. Graph 1 indicates the trend of proportion of grid-connected and off-grid PV applications for OECD countries from 1992 to 2007. Grid-connected PV applications gained dominance over the off-grid applications since year 2000.

By 2007, the total installed PV capacity for countries under OECD is 7,800 MW. Countries having the largest urban PV installations in houses are found in Germany, Japan and US. Germany alone contributed nearly 48% of the total installed PV capacity reported by IEA PVPS.

Solar PV systems for urban a p p l i c a t i o n s a r e n o r m a l l y incorporated into the buildings. For existing buildings, the solar PV systems can be retrofitted on to existing roofs. For new

buildings, the solar PV can be integrated into the building without requiring secondary roofs. This is cal led building integrated

photovoltaic (BIPV) system and such installations help to reduce material cost as PV acts as roof as well as it generates electricity for the building owners.

PV Financial Incentives in Malaysia

Although Malaysia is blessed with abundant sunlight, the use of solar photovoltaic is still minimal. One of the barriers is the high capital investment required for solar PV systems. The range of unit cost of solar PV system is RM24,000 - RM28,000 per kWp. For a bungalow, the recommended PV capacity is on average 5 kWp which means the capital investment is RM120,000 – RM140,000. If a house is energy efficient, then the portion of PV electricity

Graph 1Source: IEA PVPS Trends Report 2007

Domestic Application of PV Retrofitted over Existing Roof

58 THE INGENIEUR

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generated for the same 5 kWp will contribute more significantly to the household e lect r ic i ty demand. For larger installations (say in commercial buildings), the economies of scale will bring the average cost of solar PV system to as low as RM23,000 per kWp (> 70 kWp).

Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, the Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) Project was launched to promote widespread use of solar PV systems in urban area. Renewable energies often involve high capital investment cost but minimal running cost. Solar PV is the prima donna of renewable energies. The cost of solar PV has dropped by more than 50% from 2000 to 2006. The prices of solar PV will continue to drop when the market achieves economies of scale. The strategy for bringing the price of solar PV down is therefore to create a market but unless the price drops, the market is unlikely to move. This creates a chicken and egg situation and the only way to break the deadlock is for Government to intervene.

Under the MBIPV Project, we have several financial incentives available to the public. They are the SURIA 1000, demonstration and SURIA fo r Deve loper s . Detailed information regarding

(i) L e v e r a g e o n e x i s t i n g Government incentives for solar PV;(ii) For retirees, having a BIPV house will help to hedge against future electricity price increase;(iii) Environment conscious;(iv) For home buyers, having a BIPV house will help create a point of differentiation by being a clean micro IPP (independent power producter;)(v) For commercial entities, the installation of PV systems in the buildings help create an image of social responsibility.

The Way Forward

In countries where solar PV has flourished (e.g. Germany, Spain, South Korea), their Governments have conducive PV policies which stimulate the market to develop. One proven and effective PV policy is the feed-in tariff in which the solar PV owner is able to sell PV electricity to the utility at a much higher rate than the utility is selling to the people. Effectively, the solar PV system’s owner is able to recover his/her investment in solar PV in a much shorter time frame. In Malaysia, the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications is studying the possibility of adopting feed-in tariff for the use of renewable energies (RE). This is one of the strategies to mitigate the energy crisis issue which country will one day face. The secondary issue is to mitigate climate change through carbon reduction with the use of RE.

W e i - n e e C h e n i s t h e Technical Advisor (Strategic Communications) of MBIPV Project. To gain a better insight to solar PV, please visit www.mbipv.net.my . Please email comments to weinee@mbipv.net.my.

Chicken and Egg situation for PV

each incentives can be found in http://www.mbipv.net.my/. The incentives are in the form of direct discounts to members of the public.

Application for PV financial incentives

The quality of PV installation is very important to the MBIPV Project. For this reason, financial incentives will only be awarded to applications under the Approved PV Service Provider. You can find the list of these approved PV service providers from http://www.mbipv.net.my/APVPS.html. The Approved PV Service Provider provides a one-stop service to advice and provide quotation based on the agreed design of the PV system. They are also familiar with the incentives administered by MBIPV Project.

Other Government incentives

Under Budge t 2009 , the Government has extended import duty and sales tax exemption on PV systems to PV system importers and PV service providers approved by Suruhanjaya Tenaga. Commercial entities can continue to claim Investment Tax Allowance (ITA) in addition to the normal Cap i t a l A l lowance (CA ) on investment approved under Budget 2008. Please visit http://www.mbipv.net.my/C3GI.html for more information on these incentives.

Why BIPV homes?

A survey was carried out in Malaysia to find out the reasons why building owners install solar PV systems in their house/office buildings. The survey showed that these owners do so for the following several reasons:

THE INGENIEUR 59

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BEM

By Ir. Liaw Yew Peng

Construction of Cameron Highlands Hydro Scheme

recollection

Construction of Ringlet Falls Dam in full force in 1961. Building of this dam commenced in mid-1960 and was completed at the end of 1962.

The downstream (south) end of Telom Tunnel which has a total length of 33,611 ft and an equivalent diameter of 10 ft 6 in. Two-thirds of its length was excavated from this end and one-third from the upstream (north) end. 25% of this tunnel was lined.

Ringlet Falls Dam looking towards the right bank in 1962 showing that the dam was substantially completed. Impounding of the reservoir commenced a few months before its completion. The lake impounded behind the Dam is about 2 miles long and up to about a quarter of a mile in width. Its height is 130 ft.

View of Bertam valley resettlement area. Top right of this photo shows the houses provided for the residents of Lubok Tamang Village was sited in the reservoir area and inundated by the impounding water. Some of the residents were resettled to Kampong Raja resettlement area.

Kampong Raja resett lement area provided for the residents of the Village of Lubok Tamang Village. The present Kampong Raja village was the by-product of the first major hydro-electric project in Cameron Highlands. Before 1959, there was no such village!

The Cameron Highlands Hydro-Electric Scheme was tendered and awarded in 1958-1959 and the physical works started in March 1959. It was the first major hydro-electric project built in this country after the Second World War.

The major engineering works comprise 15 miles of tunnels, a 132-ft high composite dam and two power stations, the larger of which is built underground about 800ft deep and houses 4-25 MW Pelton driven alternators. Other works are mechanical and electrical plants and the 120-mile 132kv transmission lines from Jor power station switchyard to Rawang and then to Connaught Bridge substation. The total cost of the project was about RM130 million. The whole project was completed in 1963 and the Opening Ceremony was held on June 26, 1963. The first Yang di-Pertuan Agong officially declared it open.

60 THE INGENIEUR

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