Research Note / Note de recherche

Development and Land-Use Change in the

Semenyih River Basin and Their Impact, Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 ,

Muhammad Barzani Gasim, Salmijah Surif, and Sahibin Abd Rahim School of Environment and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Ainon Hamzah School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Md. Fauzi Abdullah School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Mohd. Ekhwan Toriman School of Social, Development and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Mazlin Mokhtar Institute for Environment and Development, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia Wannor Azmin Sulaiman and Mohd. Ismail Yaziz Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia

Introduction

Land-use change and population in Malaysia are reported by the Statistical Department and the Agricultural Department every 10 years, and local authori - ties typically publish 20- to 30-year development plans. A report from the Majlis Daerah Hulu Langat (MDHL 1996) reveals that the population of , which includes Cheras, Hulu Langat, and Hulu Semenyih, was 78 063 in the mid-1990s. Land use is highly variable in form, structure, and composition. Land has many potential uses, which can be classified in different ways for different purposes (Davis 1976). Nelson and Shubinski (1975) have shown that there are

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) 205 -214 © 2011 AWG Publishing, Toronto Canada 206 Muhammad Barzani Gasim, Salmijah Surif, & Sahibin Abd Rahim closed relationships between human activities and land uses in different land- use categories. The study area, Semenyih and Hulu Semenyih, is located in the District of Hulu Langat in Selangor Darul Ehsan, between latitude 02°53’50”N and 03°07’10”N and between longitude 101°50’5”E and 101°57’15”E, about 30 km south-east of (see Figure 1). The new Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 government administration is located in , 20 km from Semenyih town and only 30 km from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Access roads have been improved (as proposed by HLDC 1987), which has encouraged more people to relocate to Semenyih and nearby areas (Gasim 2003). Development can occur smoothly when it is planned and controlled; however, uncontrolled development can lead unavoidably to pollution, erosion, and the spread of disease. Land uses in the study area are divided into seven categories: (1) forest, (2) agriculture and horticulture, (3) settlement and industry, (4) mining, (5) rubber and oil-palm plantations, and (6) swamps and bodies of water. The whole of the study area is drained by the Semenyih River, which flows from upstream at Genting Peras (600 m) and passes through Semenyih Town to join the River before merging into the . The upper part of the catchment is occupied by Sg. Lalang Forest Reserve, the largest forest reserve in the basin. As noted by Kenneth P. Davis (1976), forests have many functions: they can help to clean the air, build and hold soil, and produce a wide variety of goods and services. The practice of forest management is based on watershed protection, wild life, recreation, and erosion control. Forests are extremely effective in watershed protection and maintain - ing sustained water yield from streams, lakes, and underground aquifers; forested land is highly valuable to the ecosystem in the study area. Agriculture and horticulture are strongly influenced by soil classification, which defines the capabilities of agricultural land; grouping of soil series is generally carried out to gain soil information for use in agriculture and many other purposes. Surface mining results in destruction of vegetation and reshaping of the land surface, including changes to the land surface and subsurface drainage pattern (Detwyler 1971). Rubber has been and remains a very important sector in Malaysia since its introduction during the British colonial period; because of decreased demand for rubber and increased demand for palm oil, many former rubber plantations have now been converted to oil palm plantations. Swamps and bodies of water in the study area are categorized as (a) fish - ponds, (b) swamps/wetlands, and (c) rivers, dams, and lakes (unclassified land). The objectives of this study are: to identify land use category in the study area; 2) to determine land use change and 3) to relate the impact of land use change to Semenyih River.

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) Development and Land-Use Change in the Semenyih River Basin 207 Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021

FIGURE 1 Location of the study area Materials and Methods Land-use maps at 1:50 000 scale were derived from the Malaysian Agricultural Department. Five series of land-use maps (1966, 1974, 1990, 1997, and 2006) were evaluated for the study area. Current land use is the result of previous activities, and land-use changes could be used as an indica - tor for evaluating the impact of human activities on the environment of the Semenyih River Basin. At least seven categories of land uses have been iden - tified in the study area. Topographical maps of the study area were derived by combining four sheets (nos. 94, 95, 102, and 103) of topographical maps at 1:63 360 scale. Site observation was carried out to confirm the impact of land- use changes, especially based on physico-chemical characteristics of the Semenyih River.

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) 208 Muhammad Barzani Gasim, Salmijah Surif, & Sahibin Abd Rahim

Results and Discussion

Forest

Changes in forested areas based on Forestry Department data between 1978 Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 and 1994 show that logging has cleared more than 1.39 million ha of forest reserve in Malaysia (“Tackling Root” 1996, 2–6), converted to other land uses such as agriculture, townships, reservoirs, highways, and/or golf courses. In the study area, forest covers the mountainous region in the upper part of the river basin (mainly at Mukim Hulu Semenyih). At least three categories of forest/vegetation cover have been classified: (a) grassland, (b) scrub forest, and (c) forest. The total area of forest coverage in 1966 was 16 815.50 ha; this had decreased to 15 835.012 ha by 1974. There were three significant forest harvests in this catchment area during that period, in 1971, 1972, and 1982 (Abu Talib 1995). In 1985, when the Semenyih Dam was under construction, about 360 ha of forest was cleared for the impounded reservoir. Total forest area was 15 174 ha in 1990, a significant decrease of about 661 ha compared to 1974. This decrease was due to several factors such as development of Sg. Tekala Forest Recreation, construction of the Semenyih Dam in 1985, resettlement of Orang Asli in Kg. Pening-Pening, and extension of palm-oil plantations. By 1997, the total forested area left in the study area was only 14 872 ha, about 600 ha less than in 1990, as a result of the extension of agricultural areas and of oil-palm and rubber plantations and of forests’ being cleared for manu - facturing, settlements, and logging activities. The total forested area in 2006 was 14 472 ha, about 400 ha less than in 1997 (see Figure 2a). Forests now occupy 50.91 % of the study area, and this forested area can be maintained as long as no illegal logging activity takes place; agricultural land or abandoned unused land can revert back to forest, especially in the catchment area, to maintain the water resource of the catchment.

Settlement and Industry

There are three categories of human-settlement interactions in the study area: (a) urban and associated areas, (b) estates and associated areas, and (c) newly cleared land areas. A gradual increase of population in certain places is normally based on better facilities (e.g., water supply, electricity, road systems) and developments in the vicinity such as manufacturing and industry. In early 1966, the total area occupied by settlements and industry was only 228.22 ha in the study area, with a population of 19 880 (Md. Arof 1988; Detwyler and Marcus 1972). By 1974 the had increased by almost 100 %, to

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) Development and Land-Use Change in the Semenyih River Basin 209

453.46 ha, but the increase in area was not synchronized with an increase in population (22 776, based on projections). Semenyih’s industrial sector is presumed to have started n the early 1970s. According to the Hulu Langat District Council (HLDC 1987), at least 14 manufacturing industries had been set up in Semenyih town by 1983. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 Certain schemes have been carried out by the state government to protect the land title of the Bumiputra and Orang Asli for future generations and reser - vation purposes. By 1990, the total area for settlements and industry had increased to 951 ha, and the total population to 34 313 (Khoo 1995). From 1974 to 1990, population increases were synchronized with the extension of settlement and industrial areas. Land use for settlement and industrial areas had increased from 951 ha in 1990 to 1 686 ha in 1997, while the total population rose to 40 000 (Khoo 1995). This very significant increase may be attributed to the declaration of industrial areas at Kg. Pasir Baru, Mukim Hulu Semenyih (36 ha), and Bandar Rinching, Mukim Beranang (131.20 ha), whose implications included clear - ance of land for the development of new houses, commercial lots, and high - ways all over the study area. By 2006, land use for settlement and industry had increased to 3 828 ha, and total population to 68 334 (DOS 2007)—values almost double those of 1997 (see Figure 2b). Settlements and industrial areas occupied 13.46 % of the study area.

Agriculture/Horticulture

Agricultural (mostly horticulture) areas cover the foothills and lowlands along the riverbanks all over the study area. Mixed horticulture consists of fruit trees, coconut, bananas, tapioca, and garden vegetables. The other main agricultural crops are cocoa, coffee, fruit, rice, and market products. Cultivators are generally smallholders (Chinese or Malay) and are distributed all over the study area. The total area devoted to agriculture increased steadily

FIGURE 2 Distribution of land-use change between (a) forest (always decreasing) and (b) settlement and industry (always increasing), 1966–2006

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) 210 Muhammad Barzani Gasim, Salmijah Surif, & Sahibin Abd Rahim from 1966 to 1997, when the total area under cultivation reached 910 ha, but by 2006 total agricultural land area had decreased to 761 ha, or 2.67 % of the study area (see Figure 3a), mainly because agricultural land was converted to development and settlement. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 Mining Mining areas are located mainly in the upper parts of the study area. The base rock of this region is igneous rock, mainly granitic. Mining distribution is uncertain, unpatterned, and scattered in the rubber and forest areas near Semenyih town. An estimated 270.75 ha of land in the study area was affected by surface mining prior to 1966. Tin ore is mined only in this area; tin mining is usually managed by the Chinese. The road systems in these areas were built to bring out ore for processing and export. The total area used for mining gradually increased, to 767.31 ha in 1974 and 819 ha in 1990. Since the mid-1980s, however, the price of tin has decreased because of a drop in global demand for tin; mining contractors have shifted their operations from tin mining to quarrying rock or sand. Thus, the total area used for mining operations increased from 819 ha in 1990 to 906 ha in 1997, but the actual operations were open-pit quarries, used especially to meet the demand for gravel and sand for development projects in Semenyih and nearby areas. The total mining area decreased slightly by 2006, to 848 ha, or 2.98 % of the total study area (see Figure 3b). Abandoned mining operations are very important for the sustainability of the basin, as they function to (1) recharge groundwater and floodwater deten - tion, (2) providing access to fire protection, (3) provide recreational areas, and (4) provide areas for aquaculture.

Rubber and Oil Palm These two sectors are considered important commodity exports, although the

FIGURE 3 Distribution of (a) agriculture and horticulture and (b) mining in the study area, 1966–2006

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) Development and Land-Use Change in the Semenyih River Basin 211 demand for rubber is unstable because of the availability of synthetic rubber on the world market. In early 1966, the total area used for rubber plantations stood at 10 084.02 ha. Starting in early 1970, the oil palm was introduced; by 1974, the total area of oil-palm plantations had increased to 625.45 ha, while rubber plantations decreased slightly, to 10 074.24 ha. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 The planting of oil palms may be interrelated with forest harvesting in the northern areas, while oil-palm plantations occupied former rubber-growing and swamp areas in the south-east and succeeded grassland areas in the south. The change from rubber to oil palm was very clear by 1990, when oil palms (3 030 ha) had widely succeeded rubber plantations (7 703 ha). In 1997 and 2006, however, land area used for both plantation types decreased, and rubber and oil palms were replaced by settlements and indus - trial areas. Rubber plantations diminished to 5 267 ha, and oil palm to 2 493 ha (see Figure 4a). The total area planted with both rubber and oil palm in 2006 was 7 760 ha, 27.30 % of the study area.

Swamps and Bodies of Water

Bodies of water found in the study area include (a) fishponds, (b) swamps/wetlands, and (c) rivers, dams, and lakes (unclassified land). All categories encompassed an area of 844.61 ha all over the study area in 1966. Swamps/wetlands are distributed along the Semenyih and Rinching Rivers. No commercial fishponds existed before 1966. By 1974, the total area covered by water had dropped to 380.8 ha, as a result of reclamation of swamp/wetland areas to agriculture/settlement or of the expansion of mining areas. The total was 609 ha in 1990 and increased to 736 ha by 1997. In Mukim Hulu Semenyih, the number of fishponds increased since 1974, including the construction of the Semenyih Dam in 1985. The increase in bodies of water to a total of 609 ha in 1997 was due to the addition of commercial fishponds and the conversion of former mines to lakes/ponds. The 2006 total was 757 ha, or 2.66 % of the study area (see

FIGURE 4 Distribution of (a) rubber and oil-palm plantations and (b) bodies of water in the study area, 1966–2006

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) 212 Muhammad Barzani Gasim, Salmijah Surif, & Sahibin Abd Rahim

Figure 4b). Table 1 and Figure 5 summarize the comparisons of the seven land-use categories in the study area between 1966 and 2006.

Environmental Issues Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021

With the establishment of Putrajaya as the new federal administrative centre of Malaysia in 1999, new developments have taken place in nearby areas, including the study area. At Semenyih town, at least 10 new settlements— including new commercial and manufacturing operations and private clin - ics—were developed between 1995 and 2006. Such development is inevitable, thanks to high demand for houses and other development as a result of population increases. Semenyih town has been transformed from a

FIGURE 5 Land-use patterns in the study area, 1966–2006

TABLE 1 Distribution of seven land-use types in the study area, 1966–2006

1966 1974 1990 1997 2006 Land-use type ha % ha % ha % ha % ha % Settlement and industry 228.22 0.80 453.46 1.57 951 3.30 1686 5.9 3 828 13.46 Forest 16 815.50 59 15 835.01 54.87 15 174 52.50 14 872 52.3 14 472 50.91 Tin mining 270.75 0.95 767.31 2.66 819 2.83 906 3.2 848 2.98 Agriculture or horticulture 222.21 0.78 308.75 1.07 743 2.57 910 3.2 761 2.67 Rubber 10 084. 02 35.43 10 074.24 34.90 7 703 26.65 6 682 3.49 5 267 18.53 Oil palm – – 625.45 2.17 2 903 10.48 2 776 9.76 2 493 8.77 Water 844.61 2.96 380.84 1.32 609 1.68 736 2 .58 757 2.66 Total 28 465.31 100 28 858.58 100 28 902 100 28 441 100 28 426 100

Source: Department of Agriculture, Malaysia

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) Development and Land-Use Change in the Semenyih River Basin 213 small, traditional, largely unregulated town to a modern municipality since 1999, thanks to its location near Putrajaya. The impact of land-use change is reflected in the results of physico-chemical studies (e.g., Gasim et al. 2002; Gasim 2003). For example, in 2002/2003, water-quality index values for the Semenyih River varied from from Class I (upstream) to Class II and Class III Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021 (downstream), not including E. coli contamination as a result of untreated domestic wastewater from farms, poultry operations, and direct discharge from houses or from development projects into the Semenyih River (Gasim 2003). When the results of this analysis were compared to those of the latest study (Lim 2010), some physico-chemical parameters of the Semenyih River were found to have increased their range. For example, total suspended solids increased from 1.02–200.26 mg/L to 10–298 mg/L; biochemical oxygen demand increased from 1.2–4.5 mg/L to 1.03–7.65 mg/L; NH 3-N increased from 0.19–0.80 mg/L to 0.01–3.97 mg/L; and chemical oxygen demand increased from 1.56–39.54 mg/L to 3.67–66.44 mg/L, whereas dissolved oxygen decreased from 3.74–7.01 mg/L to 5.44–6.55 mg/L. The water-qual - ity index at the sampling locations increased by one class, except at station 1, farthest upstream. Degradation of these water-quality parameters was expected as a result of activity by some pollution sources such as domestic and commercial areas, restaurants, sawmills, oil-palm plantations, and indus - trial effluents in addition to the previous contamination.

Conclusions

The reduction in forested and agricultural areas has occurred in concert with the increase of settlement and industry. Between 1966 and 2006, half of forested (14 472 ha) and rubber (5 267 ha) areas were converted to other land uses. Timber harvesting, the main reason for the conversion of forested land into housing, agriculture, recreation, and industrial areas, has placed signifi - cant stresses on ecosystem health, runoff, and siltation of streams. Urban and associated areas increased dramatically from 1974 to 2006, from 453 ha to 3 828 ha, or more than 900 %. Increased population stimulated economic activity in the Semenyih Basin, particularly at Semenyih town, which is located within the the triangle formed by , Bangi, and . (In the near future these areas will become satellite towns of Putrajaya, thanks to its location and its economic and political characteristics.) This change led to the degradation of the Semenyih River, which was characterized by different types of human activities along the river.

The Arab World Geographer / Le Géographe du monde arab Vol 14, no 2 (2011) 214 Muhammad Barzani Gasim, Salmijah Surif, & Sahibin Abd Rahim

Acknowledgements The authors thank the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for their valuable research grants UKM-AP-PLW-05-2010 and UKM-OUP-PLW-11-48/2010 , and the staff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for arranging fieldwork and lab analysis facilities. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/awg/article-pdf/14/2/205/1449176/arwg_14_2_n77q5l737w724662.pdf by guest on 27 September 2021

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