Water Pollution

Article

Water Pollution:

Challenges and Future Direction

for Water Resource Management

Policies in Malaysia

Environment and Urbanization Asia

5(1) 63–81

© 2014 National Institute

of Urban Affairs (NIUA)

SAGE Publications

Los Angeles, London,

New Delhi, Singapore,

Washington DC

DOI: 10.1177/0975425314521544

http://eua.sagepub.com

Rafia Afroz, Muhammad Mehedi Masud,

Rulia Akhtar and Jarita Bt Duasa

Abstract

Water pollution is a major problem in the global environment. This necessitates continuing assessment and review of water resource policy at all levels. The main objectives of this article are to investigate major sources of water pollution, water resource policies and challenges to improve water

quality in Malaysia. The findings indicate that the major problem associated with water pollution

is that human heart and kidneys can be adversely affected if polluted water is consumed regularly.

Other health problems associated with polluted water are poor blood circulation, skin lesions, vomiting, cholera, gastroenteritis and damage to the nervous system. It also highlighted that residential,

agricultural and industrial wastes are three main sources of river pollution in Malaysia. This article

also identified several challenges fronting as rural water supply and sanitation, recreational water

and safe drinking water in Malaysia. Finally, we discuss the water resource policies in Malaysia and

provide some recommendations that will be helpful for policymakers to improve river water quality,

particularly in Malaysia.

水污染：马来西亚水资源管理政策的挑战和未来方向

水污染是全球环境的一大难题。这需要持续的对水资源政策进行全方位的评估和审查。本文的

主要目的是探讨水体污染的主要来源、水资源政策和马来西亚改善水质的挑战。研究结果表明

一些重大问题均与水质污染相关，比如如果经常食用被污染的水，人的心脏和肾脏都会受到不

利影响。其它与水污染有关的健康问题还包括血液循环不畅、皮肤损伤、呕吐、霍乱、肠胃炎

和神经系统损伤。研究还强调了生活、农业和工业废物是马来西亚河流污染的三个主要来源。

本文还确定了马来西亚面临的一些挑战，比如：农村供水和卫生、娱乐用水和安全饮用水。最

后，我们对马来西亚水资源政策提供了一些建议，这将有助于政策制定者改善河流水质，特别

是马来西亚的水质。

关键词：水污染；政策；挑战；健康和马来西亚

Keywords

Water pollution, policy, challenges, health, Malaysia...