Palm | Kelapa Sawit

Nuradilla Noorazam New Straits Times 2 Feb 13;

DEVASTATING EFFECTS: Its rivers feed 80pc of Penang water supply

KUALA LUMPUR: AN urgent management plan for Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is needed to stop further logging activities in the crucial water catchment area.

Failure to do so would cause grave consequences to the livelihood of people in the northern states.

The logging activities could cause devastating effects to the 135 million-year-old natural forest that functions as the water catchment for the Ahning, Pedu and Muda dams.

Friends of Ulu Muda (FoUM) spokesman Sirin Suksuwan said the water quality of Ulu Muda would be affected due to logging activities.

"Logging in the area is likely to result in the loss of environmental services provided by the forest.

"Without the water storing and filtering functions of natural forests, rainfall will not be captured and stored.

"Water from these three dams are supplied to Kedah, Langkawi and Penang. Eighty per cent of water supply in Penang and 100 per cent in Langkawi depend on the dams.

"Without sufficient water supply, the agriculture industry in these states, particularly padi farmers, would be gravely affected.

"Deterioration of water quality caused by logging activities would also have adverse effects on industries based in the northern region such as Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah and the tourism industry in Langkawi," he said on Thursday.

According to FoUM data, more than 48,000 families in the northern states, who depend on agriculture, would be affected by the disruption of water supply and its quality from the three dams.

Sirin recommended the state government gazette the 160,000ha forest as water catchment forest under the National Forestry Act 1984.

"The protection of Ulu Muda forest should be enhanced by establishing a state or national park with a proper management plan.

"The state government plays a very important role in gazetting all identified water catchment areas to confront issues related to development in these important forests," he said.

One of the last remaining tracts of large continuous forests in northern Malaysia, the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve is rich in flora and fauna.

It has more than 450 species of floral plants, 305 species of birds and 111 species of mammals such as elephants, tapir and gaur.

The logging activities, which have been reportedly going on for the past month, poses inevitable danger to the wildlife.