Sustainability for One Planet

The 2020 edition of the World Water Development Report (WWDR 2020) entitled ‘Water and Climate Change’ aims at helping the water community to tackle the challenges of climate change and informing the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation. The scientific evidence is clear: the climate is changing and will continue to change, affecting societies mainly through water. Climate change will affect the availability, quality and quantity of water for basic human needs, threatening the effective enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation for potentially billions of people. The alteration of the water cycle will also pose risks for energy production, food security, human health, economic development and poverty reduction, thus seriously jeopardizing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

According to WATER LOSS ASIA : The need for NRW management in general, and in Asia in particular, is so obvious that it is hard to understand why efforts to improve the situation have been so limited. There are, however, a few successful examples of utilities reducing NRW to below 20% (e.g. Singapore, Osaka, Manila [East Zone])(see illustration on right) and some places where serious actions have at least started. However, the vast majority of water utilities in Asia are not engaging in serious and professional NRW management. For many cities, reducing NRW should be the first option to pursue when addressing low service coverage levels and increased demand for piped water supply. Expanding water networks without addressing water losses will only lead to a cycle of waste and inefficiency. Malaysia's NRW average is at 35% as of 2019. The aim is to reduce it to 31% this year. In 2017 the target was to reduce it by 25% come 2020.  What ails the Water Supply Services in Mal

Research articles Negin VaghefiFaculty of Environmental Studies, Department of Environmental Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia Correspondence: negin.vaghefi@gmail.com ,Mad Nasir Shamsudin,Alias Radam &Khalid Abdul Rahim Pages 19-35 | Received 13 Mar 2015, Accepted 21 Oct 2015, Published online: 03 Dec 2015 Image from ASEAN Post: Deforestation, pollution and resource degradation are increasing ASEAN’s vulnerability to natural and human-induced disasters, derived from climate changes. In view of this matter, ASEAN needs to find solutions to adapt to climate change in building a resilient ASEAN; Climate change dilemma driven by urbanisation;by Rebecca Shamasundari ; 26 August 2017 Rice paddies production in Malaysia, as in other parts of the world, is extremely vulnerable to weather changes and extreme conditions such as drought and flooding. Such situations forced Malaysia to maintain a protectionist regime with respect to its rice industry to be

Why Humans? Living things consume - consume air, water, food. The order of nature is whatever life consumes it gives back to nature to be used back to sustain the large diversity of life forms on the planet from the basic virus to the sperm whale. There is one life form which does not fit in. It only takes, consumes and what it gives back is garbage which cannot sustain any life, therefore useless. Every living thing on this planet has a role and a purpose. Take one species out, there will be chaos and nature adjusts to the absence of the species and life goes on. All living things except for one species adjust according to the natural order of things. This one species has tried and tried to adjust the natural order of things to fit its purpose. This one feeble species with a large brain thinks it was born to extract and manipulate the planet to protect its interests. It believes it has the power to protect and extract at the same time. It believes its purpose on

Live like an animal! The jungle / forest and its dwellers are without a doubt the manifestation of peaceful of coexistence of flora and fauna which is crucial to the survival of humans. Often the phrase “it’s a jungle out there” or “do not behave like an animal”, or it’s dog’s life are used as derogatory terms. They are used to indicate chaos, disorder, uncouth behavior or destitute situation. As if we humans are better and more privileged than them. We take pleasure in reminiscing on our achievements, our monuments, our lineage and gloat over positions and material endowments. While the planet is on fire! If we humans are so special, civilized, educated and have the ability to reflect on our actions and right a wrong, why are our habitat in such deplorable situation unlike the habitat untouched by us? The air we breathe is putrid, the water is polluted, we cannot manage our waste and we measure success by taking natural resources, changing them to something we can own an

According to the Guardian (March 15, 2018) the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water. This was in response to results of analysis of bottled water brands and that more than 90% contained tiny plastic pieces – microplastics. There were other studies which found the same problem with drinking water supply, rivers, marine and seafood. Recent studies into water contamination have found microplastics in 83% of tap water samples from major cities around the world.   We humans are exposed to microplastics / microfibers through air, water and food. Microplastics include broken-down plastic waste, synthetic fibres and beads found in personal hygiene products. They are known to harm marine life, which mistake them for food, and can be consumed by humans too via seafood, tap water or other aquatic food sources. Their impact of microplastics comes from their size and thus the ability to evade most filters and mayb