Water Policy In Press, Uncorrected Proof © IWA Publishing 2012  |  doi:10.2166/wp.2012.162

Inter-agency cooperation in river management as a precondition for realizing water ethics principles in Malaysia: the case of the Gombak River

Ravichandran Moorthy^a and Ganesan Jeyabalan^b

^aCorresponding author. School of History, Politics and Strategy, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43000 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. E-mail: drravi5774@gmail.com
^bInternational Relations Department, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia 62662 Putrajaya, Malaysia

Available online 5 June 2012

This paper looks at how water ethics manifest in the coordination among agencies involved in river management in Malaysia. The study employs the case of the Gombak River, the most polluted river in Malaysia which runs through some densely populated urban centers. More specifically, the paper examines inter-agency coordination issues between the Department of Environment (DOE), Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) in managing river pollution. Research data was gathered through scientific testing of water quality and levels of pollution at several points along the Gombak River, and by expert interviews with officers from related agencies involved in managing the river. The study reveals two major findings: first, that the river is significantly polluted and that the levels of pollution upstream are less than those downstream; second, despite numerous pieces of legislation already in place, there is a lassitude in the enforcement efforts due to poor inter-agency communication and coordination. As such, it is imperative that the agencies involved in river management undertake cohesive measures to ensure that the river is managed well and its water quality controlled. The study recommends that a more structured coordination mechanism between these agencies be put in place.

Keywords: Inter-agency coordination; River management; River pollution; Water ethics; Water quality

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