Mr. Ramali Bin Awang presented the status and challenges of domestic waste collection in Kuantan, and an Action Plan to enhance schoolchildren’s awareness of their city’s natural environment.

1. The City

The past quarter century has seen more than a doubling of Kuantan’s population, from 178,000 in 1980 to 412,000 today. In addition, national investments have brought a large increase in commercial, industrial and port activities, plus the opening of colleges and universities and many new tourist facilities. 

As might be expected, this rapid growth in population and activities has brought a substantial growth in solid wastes. The total domestic waste now exceeds 125,000 tons. Approximately 80% of this is sent to landfills, another 15% is recycled. 

This is carried out largely by private contractors under the direction of the Waste Management office. The city has made a strategic decision to contract out the actual work of waste management, keeping only a small office to oversee the work. Currently some 85 people (10 administrative, 25 technical and 50 other) oversee this work. The office appears to be increasing its contracting efficiency, since the administrative cost represented over 5% of the total budget in 2006, and less than 4% of the total budget in 2007. 

The waste collection service currently covers 60,000 households and 8,000 business/ industrial premises. Collection is carried out 3 times a week from residential areas, and daily from premises in the central urban area. From villages on the outskirts, collection is daily from public bins supplied by Kuantan Municipal Council. 

Jerangau-Jabor Landfill in Kuantan

Five hundred metric tons of waste material is produced daily, all of which is disposed of using the 135 ha sanitary landfill system, of which half has been filled. The amount of waste is increasing annually by 10%, and as well as a lack of awareness of citizens on appropriate disposal, the Municipality faces such problems as un-renewed waste transportation trucks and un-maintained bins; rising fuel costs; delays caused by frequent rains; disturbances from free-roaming animals; narrow roads and vehicle hindrance during collection; and increasing illegal dumping. 

To keep Kuantan green, planning by the Landscape Department (formed in 1980) aims to balance its ecology and scenic beauty through the implementation of appropriate policies. (See Best Practice Report, pp.10-11) The Structure Plan Municipality of Kuantan 1990-2010 and the Kuantan District Local Plan 2004-2015 state that all land use and physical development proposals incorporate the protection and improvement of the environment and landscape; preservation of the natural topography; preservation and planting of trees; provision of open spaces; preservation and enhancement of buildings; improvement of communication systems; and management of traffic. 

Plans to enhance Kuantan’s urban greenery incorporate parks; open spaces for active recreation; trees along the roads and traffic islands; and unplanned green space/ strips to be planted with ornamental trees/ palms and shrubs. Landscape proposals are required for all development applications for housing, commercial, institutional and industrial development.

The identity of Kuantan as a ‘Palm Beach City’ is to be achieved through the additional planting of ornamental palms and exotic trees (genius loci species) in commercial and tourism areas.

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1. The Proposed Action Plan

This image and awareness of the importance of greenery is the focus of Mr. Ramali Bin Awang’s workshop Action Plan. Environmental awareness among school children is to be promoted, so that they can appreciate the natural set up of their city. A sense of belonging to Kuantan as a ‘Palm Beach City’ will be enhanced through educational activities on landscape themes, such as the ‘Rhythm of Nature’ and the ‘Tropical Exotica’ of Kuantan. 

Participation will be encouraged through competitions in poetry writing, natural landscape painting, essay writing and photography; as well as nature trial races and treasure hunts in the mangrove forest area. 

A committee incorporating members of the Department of Community Services and Tourism of Kuantan Municipal Council and Kuantan District Education Department will be set up, to oversee the implementation of the plan.

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Kuantan Action Plan Time Frame: June 2008 - May 2009

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