FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

KKKH 4284

SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING

TASK 5 : LOCAL AGENDA 21

LECTURER:

PROF. IR. DR. RIZA ATIQ ABDULLAH BIN O.K. RAHMAT

DR. MUHAMAD NAZRI BIN BORHAN

DR. NORLIZA BINTI MOHD AKHIR

NAME : NOR IZHAM BIN NOHANAZI

MATRIC NO. : A133921

DEPARTMENT : JKAS/4

PROBLEM :

You are given a task by the mayor of your hometown to evaluate and give suggestion on how

to plan the town in accordance with Local Agenda 21. Write a brief report on your

evaluation and suggestion.

Introduction

Local Agenda 21 is a program aimed at implementing sustainable development at the local

level. Local Agenda 21 can provide a mechanism for local authorities to consider the social

and environmental impacts of their various activities, as well as the interaction between

theseactivities and the practical objectives of sustainable development. Founded on a strong

partnership between local government and the community, the progress towards local

sustainable development will be guided by the preparation of a long term strategic action plan

that integrates existing policies and programs and an agreed future direction and encourages

local authorities to find ways of conserving resources, minimising adverse impacts on the

environment and on society, and obtaining the maximum benefit in financial, social and

environmental terms from the discharge of their functions.

There are significant positive outcomes that should result from an effective Local Agenda

21 process, these include the stronger community and local government partnership, on going

community involvement in the resolution of sustainable development issues, integrated

decision making which takes all foreseeable economic, social and environmental

considerations into account, development, implementation and periodic review of a long term,

integrated action plan which incorporates sustainable development principles and the changes

which promote a continual improvement toward sustainable development. The Local Agenda

21 needs cooperation of many parties. It includes society, private sector and local authorities.

So each party has their basic own role. These are some of them:

a) Individual or Society

Give cooperation to any program or event that private sector or local authorities

invented.

Mass media need to announce the activity relate to this sector.

b) Associations and Companies

An association of Local Agenda 21 needs to be established to focus on the vision of

this principle for the hometown.

Any companies surround my hometown need to be alert to the necessity of the

residential of the hometown by providing the requirement for residents.

c) Governments Representatives or Local Authorities

Doing campaign and kind of same activity or event relate to Local Agenda 21

Making collaboration within the authorities to execute any activities

There are several elements of Local Agenda 21. Based on the element, the evaluation and the

suggestion are considered.

1. Improving the Quality of Life

Evaluation

Quality of life is the general well-being of individuals and societies. Quality of life has a wide

range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, education and

politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is

based primarily on income. Instead, standard indicators of the quality of life include not only

wealth and employment but also the built environment, physical and mental health, education,

recreation and leisure time, and social belonging. In Kota Bharu, the quality of life is quite

high compare to others town in Kelantan since Kota bharu is a state capital of Kelantan.

Suggestion

One of the to achieve a better quality of life for everyone is by improving the health

environmental that can form an important element of preventative health care, and have a

beneficial effect on community health. Good air quality, safe drinking water, clean bathing

waters and sound waste water systems all contribute to effective public health protection and

support a healthy lifestyle. Local authorities can co-operate with health boards to increase

awareness of the links between environment and health, and help formulate and implement

relevant strategies in their areas. Also improve the environmental education that can relate to

all educational levels within their area, including adult education, and could include

encouraging local business or industry to do likewise.

2. Effective Protection of the Environment.

Evaluation

Environment protection is a practices of protecting the natural environment by individual,

organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of both the natural environment and

humans. The transportation system in Kota Bharu led to negative impact on the environment.

Kota Bharu has less of public transport with a low efficiency of management. Most of the

resident prefer to use their own transport and this will let to the traffic congestion and increase

the emissions of greenhouse gases that will effect the environment.

Suggestion

The authorities need to considered in continue to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases

and plan for greater reductions in longer term emissions of greenhouse gases. Besides that, it

is also important in reduce air pollution and ensure air quality continues to improve through

the longer term. In the context of the transportation, the authorities can make changing in

reduce the need to travel and improve choice in transport. Re-using previously developed land

also help in giving protection to the environment, in order to protect the countryside and

encourage urban regeneration.

3. Maintaining High and Stable Levels of Economics Growth and Employment.

Evaluation

Kota Bharu is an area that being developed as an commercial and industrial city that can

accommodate the needs of the population through the increasing of job opportunities. So, this

can generate the economic growth of local communities that will take the benefit from the

opportunities available.

Suggestion

In order to maintain the high and stable levels of economic growth and employment, we need

to make sure the economy of an area must be continue to grow up. The investment in public,

business and private assets is a vital to the future prosperity. The objective is to maintain

the high and stable levels of employment to make sure everyone can share greater job

opportunities.

4. Recognises the Needs of Everyone Through a Social Progress.

Evaluation

Social progress is the idea that societies can or do improve in terms of their social, political,

and economic structures. This may happen as a result of direct human action, as in social

enterprise or through social activism or as a natural part of sociocultural evolution. In Kota

Bharu, the social progress is something that needs to be developed more in order to fulfill the

Local Agenda 21.

Suggestion

In order to increase the social progress which recognizes the needs of everyone, the

authorities must do something such as equip people with the skills to fulfill the potential,

improve the health of the population overall, reduce the proportion of unfit stock and also

reduce both crime and fear of crime.

5. Prudent Use of Natural Resources

Evaluation

The high population of residents at Kota Bharu led to the high and arising volume of waste.

The public awareness and participation in waste management practices in the residential of

Kota Bharu is very low. The low quantity of the recycling center in the residential is

contributed to the low awareness among the residents.

Suggestion

The best way to improve the prudent use of natural resources is moving away from disposal

of waste towards waste minimisation, reuse, recycling and recovery. Increase the number of

the recycling centre.

Conclusion

The benefits that we could get from the planning and implementation of Local Agenda 21 are

we can improve the quality of life in our town. The local authority must be more sensitive and

effective fulfill the needs of their resident to produce more conductive environment and a

higher quality of life and we could have more pride and ownership over the surroundings.

While, as an organization or establishment, the thing that could benefits through are

projection of the image of the organization as a good corporate citizen sensitive to the needs

of the community, increasing the effectiveness through co-operation with other stakeholders

in the community, the opportunity to participate in the planning and development in the

surroundings with the local authority, the opportunity to give valuable input to policies and

practices that will influence your surroundings and the community's quality of life and also

the opportunity to serve the community.