Chamhuri Siwar

Urban development and urban poverty in Malaysia

Reports that urban poverty in Malaysia is not considered a serious phenomenon; however, rapid urbanization and industrialization is expected to bring in rural migrants into urban centres bringing along low incomes while putting pressure on urban services, infrastructure and the environment. Reviews past and present trends of urbanization and urban poverty, especially in the metropolitan city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and highlights evidence on the nature and causes of urban poverty based on a recent survey of urban poverty in Kuala Lumpur. Also assesses past policies on urban development and urban poverty alleviation programmes and makes recommendations for alternative policies.

Climate change induced adaptation by paddy farmers in Malaysia

The climatic factors are changing very rapidly in Malaysia. For the farmers to adapt with the changes, government and other external agencies are providing several supports. But still there is a gap between farmers’ adaptability with climate change and current level of supports. This study uses descriptive statistics, ordinal regression, and percentile analysis to measure the level of farmers’ adaptability to climate change as a result of the various existing supports and encouragements provided by the government and other external agencies, and new supports expected by farmers. The data were collected through questionnaire survey on 198 paddy producing farmers in the area of Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA), North-West Selangor, Malaysia. The study found that among current types of supports provided by different agencies, only farmers’ accessibility in the market is statistically significant for influencing their current adaptability to climatic changes. Though 58.6% of the farmers agree that government supports are enough to cope properly with climate change, 12.1% of farmers are not able to cope with climate change with the current level of supports. Farmers’ expectations of several new supports has no statistically significant influences on their current adaptability with climatic changes, but their priority ranking for these expected supports will help policymakers to determine the future supports for climatic change adaptation for agriculture sustainability and livelihood sustainability under adverse climatic changes scenarios, especially for Malaysia.

Thermal springs of Malaysia and their potential development

Abstract The study on the potential development of hot springs for the tourism industry in Malaysiawas conducted. Out of the 40 hot springs covered, the study identified 9 hot springs having a high potential for development, 14 having medium potential and the remaining 17 having low or least potential for development. This conclusion was arrived at after considering the technical and economic feasibility of the various hot springs. Technical feasibility criteria includes geological factors, water quality, temperature and flow rate. The economic feasibility criteria considers measures such as accessibility, current and market potentials in terms of visitors, surrounding attractions and existing inventory and facilities available. A geological input indicates that high potential hot springs are located close to or within the granite body and associated with major permeable fault zones. They normally occur at low elevation adjacent to topographic highs. High potential hot springs are also characterised by high water temperature, substantial flowrate and very good water quality which is important for water-body contact activities such as soaking. Economic criteria for high potential hot springs are associated with good accessibility, good market, good surrounding attractions like rural and village setting and well developed facilities and infrastructures.

Climate Change Mitigation and Policy Concern for Prioritization

Purpose – Climate change impacts and scientific evidence are now irresistible based on time scales, consequences and perspectives. Civil society leaders and business people are now agreed on emission reduction targets to mitigate the effects of climate change but the question remains: how to make sure that durable, lasting, and real mitigation options are taking place? The purpose of this paper is to ask, does climate change mitigation option (via carbon tax) exert a greater improvement within the tradeoff between climate change and economic values?Design/methodology/approach – This study tries to lessen the gap between mitigation options and economic development activities using computable general equilibrium techniques focusing on alteration of carbon tax instruments.Findings – The findings indicate that much strong carbon tax policy compensates GDP compositions, places economic burden, shrinks enterprise savings and investment.Originality/value – This paper describes the most favorable policy option an...

Climate Change Adaptation Policy Guidelines for Agricultural Sector In Malaysia

Climate Projection shows the impacts of climate change on agricultural sustainability and relevant livelihood sustainability is vulnerable in Malaysia. Here mitigation is necessary but adapting to future risk is more important for immediate and long term action relating to the larger number of stakeholders in local scale. Generally adaptation policy has different levels and approaches that related with different challenges. Several countries have already prepared their adaptation approaches in their own way. Malaysia is on the way to develop its adaptation policy for last couple of years. This paper focuses on few guidelines that need to examine carefully while determining the climatic change adaptation approach for agricultural sector in Malaysia.

Energy Use and Environmental Impact of New Alternative Fuel Mix in Electricity Generation in Malaysia

Production of electricity by burning coal, oil, and natural gas produces CO2, SO2, NOx, etc. which act as green- house gases and pollutants. This paper examines fuel use, energy production, and the quantities of these gases produced in the Malaysian economy during the years 1991 and 2000. Input-output (Leontief) analysis is used in this study to enable calculation of energy demand and pollution effects throughout the economy. This study also estimates changes in emis- sions related to changes in fuel mix projected in Vision 2020. It is found that the fuel mix envisioned by the Fuel Diversi- fication Strategy, designed to reduce Malaysias dependence on fuel oil and increase its energy security would increase undesired emissions. This study may find use in formulation of energy policy in Malaysia.

Integrating General Environmental Knowledge and Eco-Label Knowledge in Understanding Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behavior☆

Abstract Global warming and climate change have become emerging issues for marketing to promote ecologically conscious consumer behavior. Past studies investigated the role of general environmental knowledge in attitude-behavior relationship of pro-environmental consumer behavior. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as a guiding framework, this study takes a fresh look at attitude-behavior relationship that integrates both general environmental knowledge and knowledge of eco-labels in the model to investigate their role in predicting ecologically conscious consumer behavior. The study finds that both general environmental knowledge and eco-label knowledge positively influence consumer attitudes towards environment in driving ecologically conscious consumer behavior. The findings suggest that marketing strategy, specifically communication strategy, needs to focus on educating consumers about issue-specific environmental knowledge (e.g., eco-label knowledge) along with general environmental knowledge. Further research should integrate more issue-specific dimensions to investigate pro-environmental consumer behavior.

Willingness of the Poor to Pay for Improved Access to Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Services

This study uses a contingent valuation method and multiple linear regression techniques to determine the factors that could affect the willingness to pay for solid waste collection and disposal services of householders residing in the squatter and low-cost flats in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One of the main problems experienced by many developing nations is the lack of service provisions, particularly in the low-income areas. Because such conditions adversely affect the quality of life of the poor, local stakeholders’ participation in social and environmental activities is necessary to resolve such socially undermining and environmentally degrading problems. In fact, tackling such a problem would require massive investment schemes by local governments. However, the governments of developing nations usually suffer from heavily burdened and stretched financial and economic resources and a high opportunity cost of funds. Therefore, society’s participation is logically and realistically needed for widening infrastructure and environmental service provisions.

Paddy farmers’ adaptation practices to climatic vulnerabilities in Malaysia

The climatic factors in Malaysia have been changing very rapidly affecting agricultural productivity and farmers’ sustainable livelihood. Agriculture which depends heavily on climate is becoming increasingly vulnerable to risk and uncertainty. In order to face and manage the situation farmers are trying in various ways to adapt to these climatic vulnerabilities. This study analyses paddy farmers’ perception of climatic variations and vulnerabilities and focuses on the techniques they use to adapt to the situation. It uses primary data collected through a questionnaire survey on the paddy farmers in the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA), North-West Selangor in Malaysia. Through a descriptive analysis of the data, the study finds that most farmers do not have a clear perception of the climatic changes and vulnerabilities. Farmers’ adaptation practices to the climatic vulnerability are mostly based on their common sense responses. It suggests that farmers need necessary training and support from the government and international agencies to make them able to effectively adapt to the climatic vulnerability and avert any adverse effect on their socioeconomic sustainability and national food security.

Agricultural Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climatic Changes In Malaysia: Review on Paddy Sector

Climate change has mixed impacts on agriculture and the impacts are different in terms of areas, periods and crops. The changing factors of climate have been exerting strong negative impacts on Malaysian agriculture, which is apprehended to result in shortages of water and other resources for long term, worsening soil condition, disease and pest outbreaks on crops and livestock, sea-level rise, and so on. Due to climate change, agricultural productivity and profitability is declining. Despite continuous increases of government subsidy, area of paddy plantation is decreasing and the adaption practices are ineffective. As climate change is universal and its existence is indefinite, the farmers need to adapt to and find ways to mitigate the damages of climatic variation in order to sustain agricultural productivity and attain food security for them.