They did us proud!

AN idea to use oil palm fruit bunches to purify water and waste has won three Malaysians a prestigious spot in an international science and engineering competition in the United States.

Ahmad Amirul Aiman Samsudin, Ijaz Khalif Abdul Malek and Mohd Suhaimi Suib clinched a fourth placing in the grand awards for team projects at the recently concluded Intel Science and Engineering Fair. They were participating in the Environmental Management category.

Nine Malaysian students took part in the fair, which was held from May 13 to May 19 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The three 18-year-old students from the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) Langkawi submitted an entry entitled Lignin from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) as an Adsorbent for Heavy Metal Ion (Cu2+).

Their project aimed to find a cheaper alternative to purifying water or waste. Lignin – an organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief part of a woody tissue – is similar to activated carbon which is often used to purify water in reverse osmosis. The boys took home US$500 (RM1,700) in cash, a ribbon of honour and a certificate.

“Over 1,500 Intel participants from 51 countries, regions and territories, representing some of the most innovative thinking around the world, took part in the competition,” said Intel chairman Craig Barrett.

Intel Malaysia country manager (sales and marketing) Debjani Ghosh said the MRSM Langkawi boys joined the league of winners that Malaysia had produced since 2000.

Over the past seven years, 58 Malaysians have taken part in the fair.

“Malaysia has proved that it is able to compete and win in an international arena. We need to continually promote the acquiring of 21st century skills like inquiry-based learning to ensure that we are moulding critical thinkers who are the next wave of innovators,” he said.

Last year, a group from SM Mohamad Jiwa, Sungai Petani, won fourth place in the grand awards for team projects in the Medicine and Health category.

Posted by Nor Hidayah Mohd.(SEP060075)

59 peratus Malaysia masih diliputi hutan

JABATAN Perhutanan sering menjadi sasaran kecaman jika terdapat sebarang laporan negatif mengenai hutan di negara ini.

Tidak dapat tidak, sebarang laporan mengenai pencerobohan atau pembalakan haram oleh orang luar atau rakyat tempatan menjadi tamparan perit ke atas imej jabatan berkenaan di sebalik usaha gigihnya untuk terus menguruskan hutan negara ini secara berkekalan dan lestari.

Pada masa sama, mungkin ada pihak yang menuding jari ke arah Dasar Perhutanan Negara (DPN) dan menyoal apa impak dasar ini sejak ia diluluskan Majlis Tanah Negara (MTN) pada 1978?

Walau apapun isu hutan yang menjadi polemik atau retorik, yang pasti, khazanah hutan negara ini perlu tadbir urus yang berterusan. Inilah yang menjadi tanggungjawab Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM) yang berusia lebih 100 tahun.

Boleh dikatakan Malaysia adalah bumi bertuah kerana masih mempunyai kawasan hutan yang luas. Kawasan hutan lazimnya dikaitkan dengan penghasilan kayu balak yang mempunyai permintaan pasaran tinggi selain hasil hutan lain.

Pada 2005 saja, jumlah pendapatan eksport hasil kayu Malaysia meningkat 8.6 peratus kepada RM21.5 bilion berbanding RM19.8 bilion pada 2004.

Bagi Semenanjung Malaysia saja, eksport hasil kayu dan eksport hasil berasaskan kayu untuk 2005 berjumlah RM10.5 bilion, meningkat 9.4 peratus berbanding RM9.58 bilion pada 2004.

“Bagaimanapun, kepentingan hutan bukan untuk pengeluaran kayu-kayan semata-mata, malah untuk pemeliharaan tanah, sumber air, hidupan liar dan alam sekitar.

“Sebab itu kita wujudkan kawasan Hutan Simpanan Kekal dan ia diurus di bawah sistem pengurusan hutan berkekalan dan diberi perlindungan sepenuhnya,” demikian menurut Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Perhutanan (Perancangan & Pembangunan) JPSM, Datuk Dahlan Taha ketika diwawancara, baru-baru ini.

Keluasan kawasan hutan asli di Malaysia pada akhir 2005 dianggarkan berjumlah 19.52 juta hektar atau 59.5 peratus daripada jumlah keluasan tanah di Malaysia.

Daripada keluasan kawasan berhutan berkenaan, seluas 14.39 juta hektar diwartakan sebagai kawasan Hutan Simpanan Kekal dan diurus mengikut sistem pengurusan berkekalan.

Di samping itu, 2.15 juta hektar di luar Hutan Simpanan Kekal dijadikan Taman Negara dan Suaka Hidupan Liar.

Ini menjadikan jumlah hutan yang diberi perlindungan penuh menurut polisi dan perundangan ialah seluas 16.54 juta hektar.

Selain itu, baki daripada jumlah kawasan hutan asli iaitu seluas 2.94 juta hektar diasingkan sebagai Hutan Tanah Kerajaan yang akan dibangunkan untuk tujuan pertanian, industri dan kegunaan lain.

Berita pencerobohan kawasan hutan dan pembalakan haram yang berleluasa sering mendapat liputan yang meluas.

Selain kayu balak, kegiatan mencuri yang membabitkan penyangak dari negara jiran untuk kayu gaharu turut menjadi berita sensasi, sehingga ada yang berjaya menerobos hingga ke hutan simpan di selatan tanah air.

Bagaimanapun, Dahlan berkata, kebanyakan laporan yang dipaparkan di skrin televisyen bukan membabitkan hutan simpan, sebaliknya tanah kerajaan dan tanah milik persendirian.

“Apa yang sering berlaku, berita yang negatif itu sudah disiarkan terlebih dahulu. Bagaimanapun, nak kata tak berlaku di Hutan Simpanan Kekal, tak betul juga, tetapi keadaannya terkawal.

“Satu daripada sebabnya mengapa pencerobohan Hutan Simpanan Kekal berlaku ialah orang kita tidak boleh berada di satu-satu tempat pada setiap masa. Pihak jabatan sedang mengkaji untuk menambahkan anggota, terutama di bidang penguatkuasaan,” katanya.

Menurut beliau, paparan yang negatif di televisyen juga seolah-olah menunjukkan JPSM memusnahkan hutan dan tidak melaksanakan tanggungjawabnya.

“Kita bukan tutup mata, lepas tangan atau berpeluk tubuh. Sebenarnya, kita ada pelbagai peraturan. Kalau pembalakan di ladang balak jabatan ini, kita mempunyai sistem serta kaedah tersendiri untuk mengawal cara dan kekerapan penebangannya. Kami sekali-kali tidak membenarkan pembalakan dibuat sewenang-wenangnya,” kata Dahlan.

Beliau turut memberitahu, kes pencerobohan hutan dan pembalakan haram juga berkurangan dengan drastiknya selepas jumlah denda dinaikkan dari RM10,000 kepada RM500,000 dan penjara mandatori tidak kurang daripada satu tahun, tetapi tidak melebihi 20 tahun dikuatkuasakan sejak 1993.

Kes pembalakan haram dalam Hutan Simpanan Kekal menurun daripada 149 kes dalam tahun 1993 kepada 12 kes dalam tahun 2005.

“Semua tuduhan dibuat mengikut Akta Perhutanan Negara 1984 (Pindaan 1993), tetapi prosedur pertuduhan dibuat menggunakan kod prosedur jenayah. Ada yang pernah dipenjarakan.

“Dalam tempoh 2000 hingga 2005, 30 orang dipenjarakan, membabitkan pembalakan haram dan penerokaan hutan tanpa izin,” katanya.

Menurut Dahlan, pihaknya buat masa ini tidak bercadang untuk menambah undang-undang sedia ada, tetapi akan meningkatkan usaha terus menggempur dan membawa ke muka pengadilan pihak yang masih berani menceroboh kawasan Hutan Simpanan Kekal.

Di samping itu, katanya, JPSM juga menggunakan sistem maklumat berkomputer untuk mengumpul serta menganalisis data dan maklumat sumber hutan sesuai dengan perkembangan pesat teknologi hari ini.

Langkah itu, katanya, dapat meningkatkan lagi tahap perancangan, pembangunan dan pengurusan hutan.

Antara teknologi yang digunakan termasuk ‘Geographic Information System’ (GIS), ‘Automatic Mapping System’ (AMS) dan teknik ‘Remote Sensing’ yang menjadikan kerja pengamatan sumber hutan menjadi lebih berkesan.

Menyentuh fokus JPSM khususnya mengikut tempoh Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan (RMK9), Dahlan memberitahu, pihaknya akan terus memberi perhatian kepada pengurusan hutan berkekalan.

“Jika dibandingkan dengan 10 atau 20 tahun lalu, pendekatan yang kita gunakan sekarang sememangnya berbeza. Kita bukan hanya bertumpu kepada penebangan kayu balak untuk keperluan ekonomi dan sosial, tetapi memberi penekanan yang sama beratnya untuk keseimbangan ekologi dan kestabilan alam sekitar.

“Tumpuan kepada pemuliharaan dan perlindungan kepelbagaian hayat (biodiversiti) adalah satu proses yang berterusan dan bukti komitmen jabatan ini untuk menguruskan hutan secara holistik dan seimbang,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, menurut RMK9 (2006-2010), catuan tebangan tahunan seluruh Malaysia ditetapkan iaitu 266,940 hektar iaitu 36,940 hektar di Semenanjung Malaysia, 60,000 hektar di Sabah dan 170,000 hektar di Sarawak.

Pada masa sama, katanya, pihaknya juga akan melaksanakan kawalan yang lebih rapi terhadap aktiviti pembalakan yang dibuat khususnya di dalam Hutan Simpanan Kekal.

Langkah itu, katanya, perlu bagi memastikan kontraktor pengubahasilan mematuhi semua peraturan seperti yang terkandung di dalam permit dan lesen pembalakan.

“Perlu diketahui sebahagian daripada hutan di Semenanjung Malaysia dilindungi daripada pengubahasilan oleh undang-undang, dasar dan panduan operasi. Sebagai contoh, hutan yang terletak di dalam kawasan sensitif seperti kawasan curam dan berhampiran sungai.

“Hutan lain seperti Hutan Perlindungan, Hutan Simpanan Dara dan Kawasan Pemeliharaan adalah dilindungi undang-undang. Ini adalah sebahagian daripada komitmen negara,” katanya. - Bernama

Water Quality Major Priority

Tuesday July 3, 2007

Water Quality Major Priority

THE management of the country’s fresh water supplies should now be a major national priority and handled as a “state project,” Premier Wen Jiabao said.

Wen’s comments come after a string of algae outbreaks tainted drinking water supplies.

Since May, blue-green algae outbreaks have been reported in eastern Taihu Lake, Chaohu Lake and south-western Dianchi Lake.

Pollution has largely been to blame.

“We need to take environmental management of the three lakes as a state project and put it at a more prominent, pressing and important position,” Wen said at a meeting over the weekend on pollution control work of the three lakes in Wuxi, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province.

“We should tackle the problem with a scientific approach, good leadership, and high standards and confidence,” he said.

The priority was to protect the lakes from further pollution and ensure the safety of drinking water for the local residents, Wen said.

At the meeting, Wen instructed local officials to “strengthen supervision and ban factories from discharging pollutants into the lakes.”

He also urged strengthened efforts to draft regulations on the environmental protection of the three lakes.

Stung by a series of water crises, China will adopt a new national compulsory drinking water safety standard from this month to secure safe water supplies for citizens.

The new standard is the first amendment to the outdated former one, enacted in 1985.

According to the amendments, a total of 106 parameters have been developed.

“Safe drinking water is vital to people’s health and, to a great extent, important to social stability as it’s one of the primary and basic needs for human survival,” said Wang Xuening, deputy director-general of the Bureau of Health Supervision under the Ministry of Health. – China Daily / Asia News Network

Najib: Enforce sewage law strictly to protect rivers

05 August, 2007

PEKAN: Sewage treatment regulations will now be enforced without exception to protect rivers from filth, the deputy prime minister said. Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the authorities would no longer listen to excuses as sewage had been identified as the main cause of river pollution in the country.

He said the tough stand was meant for all, whether individual home owners or firms running sewage treatment plants.

"We need to start with stricter enforcement and adherence to the law," he said after handing out financial assistance to fishermen at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Convention Hall here yesterday.

Najib, who is the Pekan member of parliament, was commenting on a finding by the Department of Environment (DOE) that 91 per cent of river pollution was due to sewage seeping into the natural water system.

DOE director-general Datuk Keizrul Abdullah was quoted on Monday as saying that the study, carried out two years ago, identified poorly treated or raw sewage as the main river pollutant.

Keizrul said the flow of sewage into rivers was mainly due to the unwillingness of many owners of homes and premises to get treatment services for their septic tanks.

Najib said enforcement officers would now be required to go on inspection rounds more frequently and not compromise with those who failed to treat their sewage according to regulations.

He said state governments had also been ordered to crack down on those who flouted the regulations or cause pollution in rivers by other means.

Najib said protecting rivers from pollution was a priority for the government as it could not afford to continue cleaning them up without dealing with the source of the problem.

"Once a river is polluted, it would cost us a lot to clean it up. We are willing to do this but it would have been wiser to prevent the pollution in the first place."

There are currently 16 rivers categorised by the DOE as critically polluted. The majority of them are in the developing states of Penang, Selangor and Johor.

The government has set a target of rehabilitating them by 2020.

Najib: Enforce sewage law strictly to protect rivers

05 August, 2007

PEKAN: Sewage treatment regulations will now be enforced without exception to protect rivers from filth, the deputy prime minister said. Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the authorities would no longer listen to excuses as sewage had been identified as the main cause of river pollution in the country.

He said the tough stand was meant for all, whether individual home owners or firms running sewage treatment plants.

"We need to start with stricter enforcement and adherence to the law," he said after handing out financial assistance to fishermen at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Convention Hall here yesterday.

Najib, who is the Pekan member of parliament, was commenting on a finding by the Department of Environment (DOE) that 91 per cent of river pollution was due to sewage seeping into the natural water system.

DOE director-general Datuk Keizrul Abdullah was quoted on Monday as saying that the study, carried out two years ago, identified poorly treated or raw sewage as the main river pollutant.

Keizrul said the flow of sewage into rivers was mainly due to the unwillingness of many owners of homes and premises to get treatment services for their septic tanks.

Najib said enforcement officers would now be required to go on inspection rounds more frequently and not compromise with those who failed to treat their sewage according to regulations.

He said state governments had also been ordered to crack down on those who flouted the regulations or cause pollution in rivers by other means.

Najib said protecting rivers from pollution was a priority for the government as it could not afford to continue cleaning them up without dealing with the source of the problem.

"Once a river is polluted, it would cost us a lot to clean it up. We are willing to do this but it would have been wiser to prevent the pollution in the first place."

There are currently 16 rivers categorised by the DOE as critically polluted. The majority of them are in the developing states of Penang, Selangor and Johor.

The government has set a target of rehabilitating them by 2020.

Environmental Management System

- Experience of a
Malaysian company
Sony Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd (SEM) established an environmental committee in 1993 with the mission to help minimise and reduce the environmental impact of SEM's products and manufacturing processes, More importantly, the SEM Environmental Committee is an integral part of the management process of the company.

SEM Environmental Committee continually seeks to enhance the competitive edge of operations through:


The establishment of SEM Environmental Policy

Continual promotion and elevation of environmental awareness. The Environmental Committee has made environmental training one of its top priority through the development of rigorous training programmes. To date, we have developed a wide range of training programmes from basic awareness courses to specific ISO 14001 and environmental auditing programmes.

Providing of support to the establishment of Environmental Management System (EMS) and to assist Sony companies throughout Malaysia to achieve ISO 14001 certification.

Providing of technical support and consultancy services to the manufacturing facilities like waste minimisation, product design, etc.

Fostering of closer relationship with government bodies such as the Ministry of Science, Technology, and the Environment, SIRIM Berhad and Department of Environment (DOE).
In SEM, we believe that environmental management is a new and alternative approach to business. Why do we make such a statement?

Firstly, we strongly believe that having good environmental management will help us to gain better acceptability in the export market. SEM is an international company and most of our manufactured products are sold in the Western market where environmental concerns are far more advanced than in Asia.

Therefore, to achieve this SEM will have to:


Establish proper environmental management systems in all our facilities

Attain the ISO 14001 certification to demonstrate our commitment to continually improve our management system and with the ultimate goal of improving our environmental performance

Be attentive of and understand the laws and regulations of the countries we export to through monitoring of programmes and updates from our affiliates in these countries
Secondly, SEM's business relies completely on customers. Today, we are living in the age of Green Consumerism where our customers are more aware of environmental issues. Therefore, SEM must embark on programmes to further enhance customer confidence in our products through:


Development of Product Stewardship programmes such as:

Product labelling to better inform our customers of the environmental performances or uniqueness of our products

Product take back programmes at the end of the product's life, so that we can recycle or reuse the parts instead of them finding their way to landfills

Smarter ways of using our natural resources like using more of our recycled materials in our products, etc.
Thirdly, we would like to further enhance the Sony name to the public. We believe we can further enhance the Sony name by:


Demonstrating our leadership in the environmental field by chartering new environmental achievements

Being a good corporate citizen wherever in the world we operate by fostering greater trust in community
Till today, we are still being asked why does a company like SEM need environmental management at all? People always assume that we just do assembly operations, not water and energy or chemical intensive operations like DOW, DuPoint, Shell and ESSO. We always say that environmental management makes good business sense. It provides us opportunity to identify areas where we can improve our performance as well as to reduce costs. To date, we have seen positive results in our plant.

We also feel that having proper environmental management programmes will help us to avoid unnecessary trade complications as we would be well prepared for any surprises that may come our way like new environmental laws in Europe or USA, that could effect the way we manufacture our products.

Fourthly, there are always difficult moments in the areas of implementing environmental issues, especially in the areas of knowledge and awareness. Knowledge and awareness calls for basic requirements and understanding of the need for environmental promotion carried out plant wide, from the very top management right through the staff Organisation. With a population of employees like Sony Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd, the trigger point of environmental knowledge and awareness is definitely erupted from the Environmental Management System Committee itself. Information sources collected from Governmental and Non-Governmental organisations, posters, banners, education seminars and environmental literature, are a great asset when required to follow and spread these environmental knowledge plant-wide, creating awareness among all. On the whole the ISO specification and top management commitment to fulfil the requirements, has become a stronghold to continuously make the spread of environmental participation possible.

Today, the Malaysian industries are faced with more environmental pressures:


Government's introduction of newer and tougher environmental regulations

Investors and financial institutions today are very interested in the environmental performance of a company before carrying out any transactions.

Employees are more aware of environmental issues now than they were a few years ago, and they want to know if they are working in a company that is environmentally safe

Public has the right to know about our environmental performance and how our operations affect their livelihood

Business community and our corporate customers in the US and Europe want to know if our products are manufactured with environmentally sound practices

Media reports on our unfortunate environmental problems, no matter how small, will affect our company's image

Our greener competitors will put pressure on us to achieve better environmental performance
In 1993, Sony Corporate headquarters announced the Global Environmental Policy. This policy is applicable to all Sony companies world-wide which is endorsed by our company's President, Mr Nobuyuki Idei. The policy says:

"Sony recognises that global environmental conservation is one of the most important issues that the world faces. Sony therefore gives environmental conservation full consideration in every aspect of its operations."

In Asia, environmental activities and programmes formally began in 1993 with the formation of the Asia Environmental Office as the body that overlooks the environmental issues of Sony, in Asia. Within each Sony company in Asia, manufacturing or non- manufacturing, environmental committees were established to organise and implement environmental action plans for their respective companies. Top management support is the most important link to the success of a company's Environmental Management Programme. In SEM, the Managing Director is directly in-charge and involved in the Environmental Planning process.

In each country, Sony has also appointed a country environmental chairman, who is usually the most senior Managing Director in that particular country. The role of the country chairman is to oversee the environmental programmes and progress of all Sony companies in his respective country. In Malaysia, SEM is honoured that our Managing Director, Mr T.Tokita, is appointed as the Country Environmental Chairman.

The three years of active environmental activities have produced some significant environmental results for SEM. Some of the significant achievements are:


SEM is in the process of eliminating the use of toxic substances in our manufacturing process by substituting it with less toxic substances

SEM has implemented recycling programmes to recycle all our packaging materials with our vendors

SEM is continuously phasing out the usage of expanded polystyrene as packaging materials. Some of the alternative packaging materials are using corrugated boards and other recycled materials

SEM is in the process of (-Iiminating the use of toxic substances in our manufacturing process by substituting it with less toxic substances

SEM is in the process of switching to energy efficient lighting system such as electronic ballast and reflectors. The savings in our energy bills have been very encouraging
Today, Sony places great emphasis on the development of proper Environmental Management System (EMS), as required by all Sony manufacturing plants world- wide, where EMS must be established and ISO 14001 certification achieved. This requirement is spelt out in Sony Corporation's ISO 14000 policy, which states very clearly that all manufacturing facilities world-wide must achieve ISO 14001 certification by fiscal year 1997 and all non-manufacturing companies by fiscal year 2000.

From 28 to 30 October 1996, SEM had completed the Environmental Compliance Audit with SIRIM and was officially awarded the ISO 14001 certification on Manufacturing of Audio Products on the 17 December 1996. Thus, making SEM the first company to obtain this certification in Malaysia and meeting Sony Corporation's ISO 14001 policy target.

Lastly, SEM as the pioneer in the area of environmental management for manufacturing products is committed in providing environmental conservation full consideration in every aspect of our operation. SEM will continue to be proactive in areas of environmental management by having environmental management programmes as a natural part of our management process.

Environmental Management for Vector Control

WHO defines Environmental Management for Vector Control as the planning, organization, carrying out and monitoring of activities for the modification and/or manipulation of environmental factors or their interaction with man with a view to preventing or minimising vector propagation and reducing man-vector-pathogen contact. It may entail one of two options (or both): environmental modification (permanent infrastructural changes of a capital-intensive nature) and environmental manipulation (recurrent actions aimed at achieving temporary unfavourable conditions for vector breeding).
WHO has, for many years, worked with FAO and UNEP on the promotion of EMVC and continues to promote it as part of Integrated Vector Management. Current activities of the WHO Water, Sanitation and Health Programme include the development of a methodology to estimate the fraction of the burden of vector-borne diseases that can be attributed to components of water resources development and the promotion of good practice in water management and other environmental management approaches. WSH also provides inputs into WHO’s Malaria programme and links with the CGIAR System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA).
Since Environmental Management was the mainstay of vector-borne disease control in the pre-DDT era, several historic reviews have highlighted the potential of this approach in the reduction of reliance on pesticides. WHO/WSH will initiate the production of a CD-ROM containing such grey literature on the history of Environmental Management.
Burden of Disease work: assessing the burden, analysing the cost-effectiveness of intervention options
Including environmental management measures as health safeguards in water resources development projects requires action and investment from outside the health sector. Ministries of agriculture, energy or water resources, local authorities or private corporations need to be convinced, with solid evidence, that it is worth investing in health. And that such investments translate in greater chances of success, sustainability and, ultimately, economic return of their projects.
It is therefore crucial that the health benefits of such measures (and the costs of not including them) are translated into economic terms that can be part of a larger balance sheet of investments and returns. With a view to providing a methodology to analyse the cost-effectiveness of environmental management as compared to other vector control and disease control measures in specific settings, guidelines (PEEM 3) were developed.
WSH has now embarked on a study, commissioned from the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel, to develop a methodology of estimating the relative burden of vector-borne diseases as it is associated with components of water resources development. The four diseases covered are malaria, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and Japanese encephalitis.
Water management for vector control

Many insect vectors of the most important parasitic diseases are linked to aquatic ecosystems. Three important categories can be distinguished: natural water bodies, man-made water bodies and water bodies in the human settlement and household environment. The creation of man-made water bodies often results in hydrological changes that favour intensified vector breeding, or shifts in local vector species composition. Many are linked to project of an infrastructure development nature. The World Bank and WHO recently reviewed the situation in this respect for the East Asia and Pacific Region, and published the outcome of the review in a World Bank HNP Discussion Paper - Environmental management for malaria control [pdf 469kb]
Rolling back malaria
WSH and the Roll Back Malaria Initiative have worked closely together during the negotiations over the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Now known as the Stockholm Convention, it provides an international, legally binding instrument for the reduction and elimination of compounds labelled as POPs. The initial list of 12 POPs covered by the Convention includes DDT, still in use by a number of countries for indoor residual spraying to reduce malaria transmission. The Stockholm Convention is currently awaiting ratification by sufficient governments for it to take effect.
In support of the process of negotiation and ratification, WSH and RBM prepared a number of documents, two of which have been published: the WHO DDT Action Plan and a guidance document on alternatives to POPs pesticides. Guidelines for Vector Control Needs Assessment still are in preparation.
System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA)
Collaboration with individual institutions belonging to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), such as IRRI, IWMI, WARDA and ISNAR resulted in 2000 in the establishment of the System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA). WSH works with SIMA on the promotion of research relevant to improved environmental management in agro-ecosystems.

SIMA’s goal is to achieve malaria reduction resulting in improved health and well-being, agricultural productivity, and poverty alleviation. It aims to achieve this goal by developing and promoting methods and tools for malaria control through improved agricultural practices and proper management and utilisation of natural resources, that will be based on scientifically documented interactions between agricultural production systems and malaria, and that will complement existing anti-malaria approaches.
The International Water Management Institute provides the Secretariat for SIMA, which is based at IWMI Regional Office for southern Africa in Pretoria, South Africa. WHO defines Environmental Management for Vector Control as the planning, organization, carrying out and monitoring of activities for the modification and/or manipulation of environmental factors or their interaction with man with a view to preventing or minimising vector propagation and reducing man-vector-pathogen contact. It may entail one of two options (or both): environmental modification (permanent infrastructural changes of a capital-intensive nature) and environmental manipulation (recurrent actions aimed at achieving temporary unfavourable conditions for vector breeding).
WHO has, for many years, worked with FAO and UNEP on the promotion of EMVC and continues to promote it as part of Integrated Vector Management. Current activities of the WHO Water, Sanitation and Health Programme include the development of a methodology to estimate the fraction of the burden of vector-borne diseases that can be attributed to components of water resources development and the promotion of good practice in water management and other environmental management approaches. WSH also provides inputs into WHO’s Malaria programme and links with the CGIAR System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA).
Since Environmental Management was the mainstay of vector-borne disease control in the pre-DDT era, several historic reviews have highlighted the potential of this approach in the reduction of reliance on pesticides. WHO/WSH will initiate the production of a CD-ROM containing such grey literature on the history of Environmental Management.
Burden of Disease work: assessing the burden, analysing the cost-effectiveness of intervention options
Including environmental management measures as health safeguards in water resources development projects requires action and investment from outside the health sector. Ministries of agriculture, energy or water resources, local authorities or private corporations need to be convinced, with solid evidence, that it is worth investing in health. And that such investments translate in greater chances of success, sustainability and, ultimately, economic return of their projects.
It is therefore crucial that the health benefits of such measures (and the costs of not including them) are translated into economic terms that can be part of a larger balance sheet of investments and returns. With a view to providing a methodology to analyse the cost-effectiveness of environmental management as compared to other vector control and disease control measures in specific settings, guidelines (PEEM 3) were developed.
WSH has now embarked on a study, commissioned from the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel, to develop a methodology of estimating the relative burden of vector-borne diseases as it is associated with components of water resources development. The four diseases covered are malaria, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and Japanese encephalitis.
Water management for vector control

Many insect vectors of the most important parasitic diseases are linked to aquatic ecosystems. Three important categories can be distinguished: natural water bodies, man-made water bodies and water bodies in the human settlement and household environment. The creation of man-made water bodies often results in hydrological changes that favour intensified vector breeding, or shifts in local vector species composition. Many are linked to project of an infrastructure development nature. The World Bank and WHO recently reviewed the situation in this respect for the East Asia and Pacific Region, and published the outcome of the review in a World Bank HNP Discussion Paper - Environmental management for malaria control [pdf 469kb]
Rolling back malaria
WSH and the Roll Back Malaria Initiative have worked closely together during the negotiations over the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Now known as the Stockholm Convention, it provides an international, legally binding instrument for the reduction and elimination of compounds labelled as POPs. The initial list of 12 POPs covered by the Convention includes DDT, still in use by a number of countries for indoor residual spraying to reduce malaria transmission. The Stockholm Convention is currently awaiting ratification by sufficient governments for it to take effect.
In support of the process of negotiation and ratification, WSH and RBM prepared a number of documents, two of which have been published: the WHO DDT Action Plan and a guidance document on alternatives to POPs pesticides. Guidelines for Vector Control Needs Assessment still are in preparation.
System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA)
Collaboration with individual institutions belonging to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), such as IRRI, IWMI, WARDA and ISNAR resulted in 2000 in the establishment of the System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA). WSH works with SIMA on the promotion of research relevant to improved environmental management in agro-ecosystems.

SIMA’s goal is to achieve malaria reduction resulting in improved health and well-being, agricultural productivity, and poverty alleviation. It aims to achieve this goal by developing and promoting methods and tools for malaria control through improved agricultural practices and proper management and utilisation of natural resources, that will be based on scientifically documented interactions between agricultural production systems and malaria, and that will complement existing anti-malaria approaches.
The International Water Management Institute provides the Secretariat for SIMA, which is based at IWMI Regional Office for southern Africa in Pretoria, South Africa.WHO defines Environmental Management for Vector Control as the planning, organization, carrying out and monitoring of activities for the modification and/or manipulation of environmental factors or their interaction with man with a view to preventing or minimising vector propagation and reducing man-vector-pathogen contact. It may entail one of two options (or both): environmental modification (permanent infrastructural changes of a capital-intensive nature) and environmental manipulation (recurrent actions aimed at achieving temporary unfavourable conditions for vector breeding).
WHO has, for many years, worked with FAO and UNEP on the promotion of EMVC and continues to promote it as part of Integrated Vector Management. Current activities of the WHO Water, Sanitation and Health Programme include the development of a methodology to estimate the fraction of the burden of vector-borne diseases that can be attributed to components of water resources development and the promotion of good practice in water management and other environmental management approaches. WSH also provides inputs into WHO’s Malaria programme and links with the CGIAR System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA).
Since Environmental Management was the mainstay of vector-borne disease control in the pre-DDT era, several historic reviews have highlighted the potential of this approach in the reduction of reliance on pesticides. WHO/WSH will initiate the production of a CD-ROM containing such grey literature on the history of Environmental Management.
Burden of Disease work: assessing the burden, analysing the cost-effectiveness of intervention options
Including environmental management measures as health safeguards in water resources development projects requires action and investment from outside the health sector. Ministries of agriculture, energy or water resources, local authorities or private corporations need to be convinced, with solid evidence, that it is worth investing in health. And that such investments translate in greater chances of success, sustainability and, ultimately, economic return of their projects.
It is therefore crucial that the health benefits of such measures (and the costs of not including them) are translated into economic terms that can be part of a larger balance sheet of investments and returns. With a view to providing a methodology to analyse the cost-effectiveness of environmental management as compared to other vector control and disease control measures in specific settings, guidelines (PEEM 3) were developed.
WSH has now embarked on a study, commissioned from the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel, to develop a methodology of estimating the relative burden of vector-borne diseases as it is associated with components of water resources development. The four diseases covered are malaria, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis and Japanese encephalitis.
Water management for vector control

Many insect vectors of the most important parasitic diseases are linked to aquatic ecosystems. Three important categories can be distinguished: natural water bodies, man-made water bodies and water bodies in the human settlement and household environment. The creation of man-made water bodies often results in hydrological changes that favour intensified vector breeding, or shifts in local vector species composition. Many are linked to project of an infrastructure development nature. The World Bank and WHO recently reviewed the situation in this respect for the East Asia and Pacific Region, and published the outcome of the review in a World Bank HNP Discussion Paper - Environmental management for malaria control [pdf 469kb]
Rolling back malaria
WSH and the Roll Back Malaria Initiative have worked closely together during the negotiations over the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Now known as the Stockholm Convention, it provides an international, legally binding instrument for the reduction and elimination of compounds labelled as POPs. The initial list of 12 POPs covered by the Convention includes DDT, still in use by a number of countries for indoor residual spraying to reduce malaria transmission. The Stockholm Convention is currently awaiting ratification by sufficient governments for it to take effect.
In support of the process of negotiation and ratification, WSH and RBM prepared a number of documents, two of which have been published: the WHO DDT Action Plan and a guidance document on alternatives to POPs pesticides. Guidelines for Vector Control Needs Assessment still are in preparation.
System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA)
Collaboration with individual institutions belonging to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), such as IRRI, IWMI, WARDA and ISNAR resulted in 2000 in the establishment of the System-wide Initiative on Malaria and Agriculture (SIMA). WSH works with SIMA on the promotion of research relevant to improved environmental management in agro-ecosystems.

SIMA’s goal is to achieve malaria reduction resulting in improved health and well-being, agricultural productivity, and poverty alleviation. It aims to achieve this goal by developing and promoting methods and tools for malaria control through improved agricultural practices and proper management and utilisation of natural resources, that will be based on scientifically documented interactions between agricultural production systems and malaria, and that will complement existing anti-malaria approaches.
The International Water Management Institute provides the Secretariat for SIMA, which is based at IWMI Regional Office for southern Africa in Pretoria, South Africa.