Rivers are an indicator of the quality and health of a habitat, and in the case of Janda Baik, Pahang, a main tourism attraction. However, increased developments in the area are taking its toll on the natural environment. TERESA YEO writes.

Written by Teresa Yeo on 21 Nov 2011 with 0 comments. Be the first!

It was a sunny and humid October morning when a group of us clambered onto the vehicle of our guide, Ahmad Zaini, 43, of Zaini Guesthouse in Janda Baik. With tyres gripping the gravel, he expertly engaged its low gear and the vehicle slipped safely down the slope and into the river bed.

We were in Sungai Benus but where was the 10-feet deep water Zaini's grandmother used to warn him about? As some of us got out of Zaini's four-wheel drive, the water only splashed up to three inches of the tyres.

Zaini and his colleague Alwi Din, 42, are concerned about what's happening to Sungai Benus which is one of the main rivers in Janda Baik, located about an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur. Both tour guides grew up in Janda Baik. They love the area and are proud to show tourists its natural beauty. What is causing them anxiety is the development that is happening in and around Janda Baik, often with dire consequences on their natural surroundings.

What's at stake?

Janda Baik is a small and beautiful kampong at the confluence of the Benus and Cherengin rivers. The bubbling Sungai Benus offer visitors a cool place to dip in. At the same time, Janda Baik's high altitude and cooler climes provides respite from the bustling city life.

Zaini and Alwi are not the only two locals who are worried that all this is changing because of development.

Another local Mohd Fauzi Abd Latif, 41, who is the owner of Cherengin Hills Convention & Spa Resort, notes that among others, development in Janda Baik has resulted in the deteriorating quality of Sungai Benus.

For example, hill slopes have been cleared for homes and farms, and in some instances, without any kind of buffer between the cleared hill slope and the river. Rain causes sedimentation run-offs into the river, causing the river to become shallow. Land slips are also a possibility without any measures to protect an exposed slope.

The water levels in Sungai Benus have also been further reduced by those who use rubber pipes to siphon off river water for their own domestic consumption. Plus, the impact of El Nino has caused drier weather in some years.

For certain, what is happening in Janda Baik is not unique. In 2008, the Department of Environment found that 47% of the nation's rivers were polluted. It cited an increase in polluting sources and a decrease in rainfall as the causes. Some pollution was due to "earthworks and land clearing activities," the department noted.

Other pollutants

With the increased number of urban tourists and rising population in Janda Baik, rubbish is also becoming a problem. Rubbish is strewn indiscriminately adding pollution and the stench of rotting waste to the landscape.

Farming is another concern in Janda Baik. If the farms are organic, the farmers are quick to announce so. The rest, however, may be guilty of introducing agricultural wastes which then become a health hazard when transmitted to the fishes in the river.

When river water is degraded, there is a social cost in that biodiversity is affected and the species of fish, plants and other wildlife endangered. In addition, the habitat's aesthetic and recreational values are lost for local and foreign tourists.

Development provides a Catch-22 situation. More deforestation for resorts and farms mean more economic activities but less river water. Combine human waste, agricultural pesticides and fertilisers with reduced river water, the question to ask is, do we value our natural environment? And if yes, why aren't we placing a higher price on it?