| Resisting urban sprawl |
| Tuesday, 11 August 2009 16:15 |
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By Himanshu Bhatt. CONSTRAINED by scarce land on a small island and a slightly larger mainland, developers and the authorities in Penang have for long sought out new virgin spaces to build their projects. The past decade has seen vast areas of forested hills in Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi being cleared to make way for high-density development projects. Green belts in rural areas around Balik Pulau, Bukit Mertajam and Sungai Dua have also been replaced by new townships and commercial projects. Last year, in a bid to rehabilitate the state’s dwindling forests against the massive tide of development pressures, the state Forestry Department went on a drive to conserve whatever little is left of the greenery and natural tracts.According to the Penang Structure Plan, released in 2007, at least 30% of the state’s landscape is to be preserved for conservation of natural heritage. But the development trend has shown otherwise, with urbanisation encroaching into natural spaces at a rate of about 85% in the last few years. The state has four forest reserves in Teluk Bahang, Relau, Bukit Panchor and Cheruk Tok Kun with a total area of 5,139ha. Authorities are planning to gazette Pulau Jerejak as a forest reserve by the year-end. The 295ha island is being planned for preservation and controlled development for eco-tourism projects. While such status accorded may seem encouraging, the reality is that the authorities are being confronted by enormous pressures to house new projects. The situation in Penang, where small natural areas are being surrounded and compressed even further by tremendous demands for development, certainly offers a good case study of how a government and society deals with such urban sprawl pressures. Due to its industrialisation and economic importance, Penang has one of the highest population densities in the country. But it also has one of the lowest land availabilities as much of its topography is dominated by hills and coastal areas. Alarm bells were rung by NGOs and conservation groups in the 1990s, warning that the small forested areas in the state, already constricted by development pressures on all sides, were under severe threat, unless they were accorded official protection status. Less than 10% of the state’s land area today forms a critical water catchment base. Even that has been encroached upon in the past. To protect what is left, the state has had to find ways to conserve – and even revive in some areas – greenery and indigenous wildlife. The state Forestry Department has made known its intention to gazette some 600ha of coastal land as permanent forest reserve. It is making plans to accord several areas on mainland Seberang Perai and parts of Balik Pulau with natural conservation status to ensure greater protection for the state’s natural environment. One idea is to plant trees, including mangroves, in these areas. Within one single hectare, as many as 3,000 trees can be accommodated. Last year, more than 100,000 trees were planted in coastal and inland areas of Penang. Interestingly, there are novel ideas to support the greening of the state. For example, the state is considering a plan to allow countries, which want to gain "carbon credits" under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) outlined by the Kyoto Protocol, to sponsor or undertake projects in Penang. Under the CDM, industrialised countries can invest in projects to reduce pollution in developing regions, instead of undertaking such projects in their own countries. By financing a project in a foreign land, the developed country can then "buy" carbon credits from the government where the project has taken place. There have been proposals from overseas parties who plan to grow mangroves in Penang, and the state can then sell the CDM credits earned to the foreign country. Constricted by limited resources, pressured by the demands of urbanisation and equipped with few options, Penang’s attempt to have its few forests co-existing with mushrooming cities will be one of the state’s great challenges to watch in the years to come. ** Republished with permission. This article first appeared in the August 6, 2009 issue of theSun. Himanshu is newspaper's Penang bureau chief. Related articles
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I look back to the past when a drive up to Batu Ferringhi meant breathtaking views of the hills and the sea. However,on my most recent trip back, I was shocked to see how much the landscape has changed in that area. What about the safety aspects of losing the natural vegetation on the hillside? Surely, the risks of landslides onto the one road leading to Batu Ferringhi would be far greater now that the hills have been shaved bare for more tower blocks.
There has to be more control. The unfortunate thing is that we have already lost a lot of our heritage. Gurney Drive, where I grew up in my grandfather's house, for instance, is beyond recognition and so is Northam Road. All those grand houses that once stood there are either gone or ridiculously merged into the architecture of modern buildings. What a shame !