rhubidium.files.wordpress.com€¦  · Web viewPROJECT 2 : NATURE AND US. NAME: KONG REN HENG 0316416. LIM WAI MING 0317068. Getting back to nature or getting nature back? Getting

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Architecture

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN (RAC1413)

LECTURER: MS TAMIL SALVI

PROJECT 2 : NATURE AND US

NAME: KONG REN HENG 0316416

LIM WAI MING 0317068

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Getting back to nature or getting nature back?

Getting back to nature or getting nature back? In our opinion, getting nature back is more important than getting back to nature, because if there is no more nature, how do we get back? When getting nature back we can realise that environment issue is at a critical state. Therefore when we get back to nature we will appreciate it more. To get nature back, first of all we need to solve the problem that exists now, which is water problem. Lack of drinking water and clean water are always the main problems that await us to solve. So think back, where does the water comes from? River.

In pursuits of our nation building, rivers have been utilized to carry out different development needs, the change of natural conditions and dynamics of rivers, and the land use in river basins. Damage to the river system, the degradation of their quality and ability to perform important functions bring about major consequences, leading to long-term economic losses and affecting the population's quality of life as a whole. The way we apply and manage river will do great environmental damage that adversely affects the very imagination that we rely on for our well-being and endurance. Unable to deny, most threats to rivers are caused by human activities.

Children playing in the polluted river Rubbish strewn along the river bank

River pollution is one of the greatest threats to our rivers. The decrease of water quality is a clear sign of the fall in the environmental health of a river basin. Domestic and industrial sewerage, effluents forms livestock farms, construction, logging and clearing of forest and heavy metals from factories are the sources of river pollution coming from. Urbanization significantly conduce to the increase in water pollution problems, specifically in the form of sedimentation, rubbish, solid waste, and organic pollution. Urban development usually removes forests within a basin that result in soil erosion and sedimentation. Waste and sewage ending up in rivers are commonly caused by inefficient waste disposal schemes and lack of proper sanitation facilities. Rivers contaminated by sewage contain high degrees of organic pollutants and they become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria and viruses that may cause either mass die-offs or cut down immunity to diseases and loss of reproductive ability of fish and other aquatic beings. Sewage pollution also causes outbreaks of water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis that are detrimental to human. Pollutants such as hard metals, pesticides and herbicides pose health risks to human beings and aquatic life. Consumption of fish, prawn or cockles that have accumulated heavy metal pollutants result in disturbed reproduction rates and life spans. Pesticide and herbicide contamination may lead to death or chronic, long-term illness in man as well as impairing the fertility and growth of both humans and aquatic fauna. 

River pollution will affect the physical alteration of river systems. Infrastructure projects implemented in river basins for the purpose of flood control, storage of water or to generate power, such as dams, normally involve channelization of rivers running through urban areas, river diversion,

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deepening, straightening and widening, and clearing of riparian vegetation. These activities cause shifts in flow regimes, changes in river water chemistry and processes, and sediment deposition resulting in alteration of the natural river ecology and hydrology. Ordinarily, the aquatic life is the most significantly and directly involved.

Destruction of highland catchment areas will influence the quality of river and cause pollution. The highlands are important water catchments that are major sources of our water supply. Although forests still form the biggest single land used in our highlands, at that place is increasing interest towards highland development. Disturbances involving vegetation clearing, particularly on the unstable and sensitive steep slopes, will result in soil erosion and sometimes landslides. The cases of activity conducted in the highland catchment which impact most significantly on rivers and riverine wetlands are forestry (i.e. Timber extraction), farming, mining, industry and urbanization.

River pollution is sometimes caused by over exploitation of fisheries resources. Excessive harvesting and using destructive and illegal fishing practices and methods, such as Derris roots, poisons, explosives, small mesh nets and fish traps, can contribute to the decrease in population of most fish species. Introduction of exotic species into the riverine environment, either intentionally or accidentally, for food fish and aquarium trade, is a major issue particularly from the perspective of indigenous freshwater species conservation. Once introduced to a suitable aquatic environment, the exotic fauna and flora can potentially breed excessively and cause displacement of the indigenous populations. [Threats to rivers…]

For example, the recent Selangor River pollution incident occurred in August 2013 caused by diesel spilling had left approximately 10000 people in the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor area with no tape water to use for the week. Measures had been taken to take care of this incident, however, Selangor River still remains the most polluted water walkway, despite its major role in supplying water to Malaysia’s most densely populated belt. [Water cuts in KL, 2013]

To get nature back, it is our duty to protect water resources from pollution and restoring already polluted rivers back to their original clean state. Some programmes has been conducted in Malaysia by both the government and the non-government organizations (NGO) to reduce water pollution, aimed at rehabilitate polluted rivers and ambitiously restore them to their original unpolluted state, or, at the very least, decrease the level of pollution.

For instance, a Pollution Prevention and River Water Quality Improvement Programme under the 8th Malaysia Plan (2001 to 2005) was introduced with key objectives as below:

(i) To identify all the sources of pollution and determine the pollution load and impact on the subject river.

(ii) To prepare and formulate action plans to rehabilitate and improve river water quality according to the water quality classification for purpose of beneficial uses, such as potable water supply, tourism and recreational activities.

(iii) To conserve and sustain the restored water quality after the rehabilitation works have been completed.

A total of 26 rivers in Malaysia were identified and 6 out of these rivers were selected for detail study on the feasibility of the programme. These rivers were Sungai Langat, Sungai Segget, Sungai Tebrau, Sungai Melaka, Batang Rajang and river systems in Cameron Highlands. Action plans that had been proposed were industrial pollution control measures, upgrade existing sewage treatment plants and construct new modern mechanical treatment plants because of the population increase. Some in-stream measures such as the gross pollutant traps (GPT) were placed at strategic locations to capture floating solid wastes before they are discharged into the rivers. Measures such as Legal and

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institutional measures as well as environmental awareness campaigns were also implemented. The programme was successful. [Board of Engineers Malaysia, 2004]

Figure: Water quality statues of rivers from 1990 to 2006 [Department of Environment, 2014]

Another more significance example is the Malacca River with its three phases of rehabilitation from 2001 to 2008. Once dirty and smelly, Malacca River has changed into tourist attraction with people queuing up to pay for a ride on the Malacca River Cruise to enjoy the sight of a picturesque river, credited to the rehabilitation programme conducted on the river. However, the clearer water and tiled river walk decorated with colourful flower planters and neo-classical lamp posts were only a pretend, as the condition of the river water was only raised one bar, which was from Class IV to Class III and not yet fit for safety consumption and water sport activities. The details regarding the classification of rivers are as follow:Class I Conservation of natural environment Water supply - practically no treatment

necessary. Fishery – very sensitive aquatic species can survive.Class IIA Water supply - conventional treatment required. Fishery - sensitive aquatic

species can survive.Class IIB Recreational use with body contact.Class III Water supply - extensive treatment required. Fishery - tolerant species can

survive. Livestock drinking.Class IV Only for irrigation.Class V River is polluted.

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Malacca River after rehabilitation [Board of Engineers Malaysia, 2010]

There are two rivers that could be found in the Kuala Tahan National Park, one is the Tembeling River, and the other one is the Tahan River. Although they both seemed muddy and yellowish-brown, they are actually classified as Class II rivers, which in accordance with the table above, the rivers are considered clean and can be used as water supply, requires conventional water treatment and sensitive aquatic species can survive in the rivers. [Ministry of Natural...] Department of Stistics Malaysia, 2013]

A more recent project, the River of Life (ROL) which started at 2012 aimed at transforming the Klang River, the 4th biggest river basin in Malaysia, into a liveable high economic water front consists of three main components: River cleaning, river master planning and beautification, and river development. For river cleaning, it covers a 110 km stretch along the Klang River basin including the municipal areas of Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS), Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ) and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), with the goal of raising the state of the river water from Class III to Class IV to Class IIB by year 2020. Master planning and beautification for a total of 10.7 km along the Klang and Gomback River can then be carried out. Subsequently, development will begin and potential government lands are identified and bid by private developers.

River of Life concept illustration

As conclusion, get nature back is more important than get back to nature. However, if the rivers are not polluted at the first place, we would not need to conduct these river rehabilitation programmes. The Malacca River is evident to the success of these programmes, but millions and billions of money have been spent to achieve that. People should respect the nature more, protecting it instead of harming it, to solve pressing environmental issues. [AECOM...]

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INDIVIDUAL ESSAY:

PERSONAL REFFLECTIVE BY KONG REN HENG

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When we feel safe in a forest, does the forest feels the same with us?

I was often unnerved by the idea of visiting a Taman Negara when I was a child. I used to imagine it as an adventure in the forest, fending off wild animals, camping and huddling at the make-shift fire at night. As I grew up, I realized these imaginations were not accurate, but a cabin in the woods and occasional animal howl at night were still expected, although a recent study trip to the Taman Negara revamped my impression on it. I was sleeping on actual bed, there is tap water and electricity (rumour has it that there will be none). I do believe there are camping grounds somewhere in the forest, though.

The chalet

During the night walk, I was surprised to see the raised platform. I had imagined walking on natural forest ground when jungle trekking, observing the flora and fauna and at the same time watching out for leeches and snakes. I would not be a hypocrite and claim that I was disgusted by the platform for vandalising the natural order of the forest. However, was the platform really necessary? Was it there for our safety, or plain convenience? I bet if the forest has the authority of setting up road blocks, the covered distance would be so far that humans are going to live on the moon. Also when I was wielding my torchlight, I somehow expected the animals to raise up their hands and surrender. The contrast with the dark forest made me feel like a trespasser.

I will remember this when developing ideas for design studio, as my site for the retreat house is also a forest. The form will blend well with the surrounding contexts so that it is a part of the forest, instead of an invader. Just as Frank Lloyd Wright had said, a house should be of a hill, not on a hill. This reminded me of the School of Art, Design and Media in the Nanyang Technology University, Singapore. The roof is gorgeous.

School of Art, Design and Media, NTU, Singapore

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Illuminated plant contrasting with dark background

Me in front of the accommodation (left most: me)

Protesting against the platform

More flora and fauna can be seen during the jungle trekking on the following day. At the end of the approximate 45 minutes trekking, the canopy walk awaited me. I was thrilled about this activity, imagine walking on top of the trees with such height and excitement. To be honest, I felt the existence of the platform on the trees was justified, even if it was just so we could see the views, as it was different than the platform on the ground, when you could just walk on the ground. I did not get a good look on how the platform was placed on the tree. Was it bolted into the tree? I hoped not. I also believed I had a slight phobia of bees, but that small fear was enlarged into annoyance when they kept throwing themselves on me. Perhaps I should be happy that the forest was vibrant with bees everywhere. The complaint on mosquitoes during the Design Studio study trip to Kuala Selangor seemed trivial then.

Perhaps people could take aspiration from this to come out with new methods or technologies to do architecture, one that will not disrupt the site. This way the environment can be preserved, and we can live in harmony with the nature.

The jungle trek

The subsequent activity was the rapid shooting and visit to an orang asli village. The rapid shooting was the most satisfying experience throughout the trip. When my lecturer reminded us about getting wet in this activity, I thought she meant that we “could” get wet. The actual situation was we “would” get wet, in an extreme manner and full of fun, enough to forget the yellow-brownish river water. However, the visit to the orang asli village was uneasy. I felt like I was once again a trespasser, not respecting their privacy. I always hated it when people intrude my private space. This made me think: When we are respecting people, do we realize we should respect nature too? Environmental problems were caused because of a lack of respect towards nature. How about we treat nature as a person, respect him or her and take action in solving environmental issues.

Similar to what I am going to do in my studio design, the architecture found in the orang asli village was simple and natural. Only natural materials were utilized, and the space was open without full covering. I remembered I saw one of the kids sitting in her house, her face filled with confusion and uncertainty as she was watching me taking photographs and checking out her village. In that mean time, I was looking at the bee crawling on her face, which to my astonishment, she seemed to not feel anything about it. I reckoned the house was built in that way to allow maximum ventilation because

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The canopy walk The flora

The platform

there were no fans or air-conditioners. However close to nature, that kind of house was not meant for an urban person such as myself. I can live without air-conditioner, but not with insects crawling on me.

When we feel safe in a forest, does the forest feels the same with us? I think only when we respect the nature and not abuse it. Before I went to this trip, I was not vigilant enough in protecting the environment. I recycled when I feel like it, I turned on the air conditioner even when the temperature was hot. Now, even if I am not able to improve the environment on a larger scale, I can drive myself to do it in a subtle way with small actions, and not just when I like to, but whenever and wherever I can, if possible.

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The orang asli village One of the orang asli demonstrating how to set up a fire

INDIVIDUAL ESSAY:

PERSONAL REFLECTIVE BY LIM WAI MING

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The feeling of nature, and what does the nature feel me?

An exploration of fine balance between nature and us, the 3 days 2 nights of exploration in Taman Negara, Malaysia inspired me that the influence of nature is straightly impacted by our daily life. By being in touch with the nature, I had found out that the basic of life should be simple and natural. We were so close to nature that time, but it seemed so far too, I was so close to it, but I could not read the story of it. The ranger told us a lot of things in the jungle including the flora and fauna, and their uses too, but all these things were not familiar to me as I had been living in the city for too long. Most of the things were fresh and fun.

Spending time with friends are always the best things in our life. By exchanging opinion, we learn more than what we know. Everyone wears casual and comfortable for this trip. Comfortable is always the most important things when you when to a jungle. The feeling that Taman Negara give me is relaxing and feel free. Every single air here is clean and fresh. We breathe hard, play hard and study hard. The trees here are huge, the different height of the trees tell us about the age of this jungle. They know the nature more than us, that is why we walk into it to let them tell us the story of it.

A night walk with a group of 10. Separation in a group makes us closer and easier to get what the ranger told us. Torch light shine in the night, everything we saw were shown under the light. All the plants and animals were magnified in the dark, but the things that we did not realize was we were indirectly interfering the nature. That night we observed a lot of flora and fauna, some we had seen in books, some were new. Everything seemed amazing. Walk in the night in the jungle, we are still rushing like in urban life. The ranger walk very fast, not to get lost, everyone rushing in the jungle. When we saw something like an animal or some plants that we cannot find it in the city, we stop, but just for few second. I feel a bit disappointed in it because we cannot stay for a long time to feel the environment. The feeling of nature, and what does the nature feel me.

Before we came to Taman Negara, I have some experience in the jungle, so what I had expected for this trip will be higher, as it is a protected jungle. The jungle I went before is not

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"protected" but people who live there does not destroy or pollute the place. Taman Negara is a jungle that is protected by our government, but I hardly see anything getting protect.

The platform in the jungle looks like it is protecting the jungle, because it can avoid people falling or some bad things happen. But this action decreases the contact between us and the nature. Stepping on the platform, but not the real land of the jungle made me feel disappointed. I expect that we can step on the land and feel the uneven walkway that create by the nature. Imagine if I step on the uneven walkway, I will fall sometimes, and I should balance myself to adapt the nature. But the built on the platform are making the nature to adapt human activities.

The adventure of the seven rapids takes place from Kuala Tahan and ends at Terenggan. The 9 kilometer ride in an open boat takes us about 45 minutes. Rapid shooting was a good experience, we have a lot of fun while on the boat. By crossing the river, we have a very good view to look at the forest. When I close my eyes, I hear the sound of the nature. There was not a sound save that from time to time a bird called. But this was all imagination, what I heard is the sound of the engine of the boat, the excitement of urban people who are in the jungle now. We were splashing by water, but then I notice something, the water in the river is unclear. We hardly saw any clear water in Taman Negara except the tap water. I remember the jungle I went before is clean, and we are ease to use the water to clean ourselves.

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Taman Negara Malaysia Other jungle in Malaysia

The orang asli stays in a very simple house, they used on wood and leaves to build the house are a very traditional style. These houses have a good ventilation. The house look very simple and not a nice place to stay for a city person, but for the orang asli they just need a place that can sleep and stay with family. At there you can feel the quiet and peace of the environment. People here are not busy like us. The life in the city is too rushed, if we can learn to calm down ourselves and enjoy life like the orang asli, maybe we can stay happier and healthier.

I remember the last time I went into the jungle, we sleep in the tent, we change in the tent, we shower in the river, we cook our self by using the element in the jungle, like branches and leaves to make fire. It seems like impossible in the city, but this is how people lived in the past. But this time in Taman Negara, we stay in hostels that made up of simple concrete without any ornamentations. There are chalets too, and I think the chalet is more to nature, because they are built of timber. The material used are more sustainable. Staying in the hostel it does not mean bad, but if we are staying in a space that more closer to the nature it will be better. I hope that we human went into the jungle can change ourselves to adapt to the nature, but not changing the form of the nature to adapt human.

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References

1. Threats to rivers. [ONLINE] Available at: 1. http://www.wwf.org.my/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_main/freshwater_conserving_river_basins/threats_to_rivers/. [Last Accessed 19/06/2014].

2. (30/08/2013). Water cuts in KL, S’gor after overturned tanker spills diesel into Sg Selangor. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/30/Water-cuts-in-KL-Sgor-after-overturned-tanker-spills-diesel-into-Sg-Selangor.aspx/. [Last Accessed 19/06/2014].

3. Board of Engineers Malaysia, (2004). 'Pollution Prevention and River Water Quality Improvement Programme'. In: Ir. Fong Tian Yong (ed), Bulletin Ingenieur. 1st ed. Malaysia: Board of Engineers Malaysia. pp.6 - 7. Available at: http://www.bem.org.my/v3/body/pdf/einforeach/2004/BEM%20Sep04-Nov04%20(Environment).pdf [Last accessed 19/06/2014].

4. Department of Environment, (2014). Malaysia Environment Quality Report 2006. 1st ed. Malaysia: Department of Environment.

5. Board of Engineers Malaysia, (2010). 'Malacca River Rehabilitation: A Class Above'. In: Ir. Fong Tian Yong (ed), The Ingenieur. 1st ed. Malaysia: Board of Engineers Malaysia. pp.42 - 47. Available at: http://www.bem.org.my/v3/body/pdf/einforeach/2010/06082010.pdf [Last accessed 19/06/2014].

6. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Pahang Nature Park. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nre.gov.my/English/Ecotourism/Pages/PahangNationalPark.aspx. [Last Accessed 19/06/2014].

7. Department of Statistics Malaysia, (2013). 'Water quality status within Slightly Polluted basin monitored, Malaysia, 2011 and 2012'. In: (ed), Compendium of Environment Statistics Malaysia 2013. 1st ed. Malaysia: Department of Statistics Malaysia. pp.201.

8. Department of Malaysia Irrigation and Drainage. [ONLINE] Available at: http://app.kwp.gov.my/riveroflife2/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1&lang=en_GB.utf8%2C+en_GB.UTF-8%2C+en_GB%2C+eng_GB%2C+en%2C+english%2C+english-uk%2C+uk%2C+gbr%2C+britain%2C+england%2C+great+britain%2C+uk%2C+united+kingdom%2C+united-kingdom [Last Accessed 19/06/2014].

9. AECOM. The River of Life. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.aecom.com/Where+We+Are/Asia/Countries/SEA/Malaysia/_projectsList/The+River+of+Life. [Last Accessed 19/06/2014].

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