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Conserving our river basin

Water, mainly freshwater, is essential for humans and all other living organisms on our planet. While we are aware and know the importance of water, we might not realise how our daily life actions, regardless of living in the city or rural area, impact water availability. Clean water is critical to all for survival. Without it, our wellbeing, health and food security are in danger, and in fact, the economic growth of our nation too may be compromised. Although water bodies are abundant on Earth, only 1% is a drinkable water source.

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Rivers are essential to us as a source of water, food, transport, eco-tourism, or even a power source. Hence, it is not surprising for towns or cities to be situated along the river. Without access to clean water, many aspects of our daily life get affected. Poor quality of water causes diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, typhoid and others. Can you imagine not being able to go to school or carry out daily activities because you do not have clean water?

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Do you know where your water comes from?

We are lucky that Malaysia receives abundant rainfall averaging 3,000mm annually, contributing to an estimated annual water resource of some 900 billion cubic metres. About 97% of our raw water supply for agricultural, domestic and industrial needs are derived from surface water sources, primarily rivers. Malaysia has 189 river basins - 89 in Peninsular Malaysia, 78 in Sabah and 22 in Sarawak. All the rivers originate and flow from the highlands. ​Our natural environment, e.g., forests, soils and wetlands, contributes to the water's healthy condition. Mangrove, for example, filters and traps sediments, metals, pollutants upstream and prevents them from entering downstream.

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However, as developments increase rapidly with the fast-growing population, it also means higher consumption of freshwater. Without proper management, sufficient water supply might not be accessible for everyone. Countries across the world have faced severe droughts, which leads to hunger, malnutrition, and even loss of lives. Water pollution is also becoming an increasingly severe problem in Malaysia - 80% of mismanaged waste on land ends up in our rivers and oceans. We are no strangers to water cuts as a result of unscheduled shutdowns of water treatment plants due to pollution incidents in our rivers which are getting more frequent especially in more recent times. This is a clear indication that the threats of pollution to our river basins and freshwater ecosystems are rising. 

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Win up to

RM 3,000

and contribute to positive changes

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What can we do as an individual or community to conserve and maintain a healthy river basin? From organising river cleanups to empowering communities to monitor water quality, there are a few initiatives that you can invest in.

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Would you like to contribute to conserving and protecting river basins in your neighbourhood? Read through the criteria and submit your ideas by 10 January 2021. Six best proposals will receive up to RM 3,000 each to run the projects.

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Terms and Condition:

1. The nomination is open to individuals under the Eco-Schools and FEC Eco Campus programmes. However, if you are not part of the programmes, please mention your school/tertiary institution.

2. You may apply for an individual, pair or a group of a maximum of four people (the principal applicant must be between 16-35 years old) category.  Self-nomination is allowed too. Please inform the nominees beforehand if you are nominating others for the project.

3. Full name and contact details are needed for the nomination to be valid. WWF-Malaysia undertakes to comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance requirements to ensure that personal data is kept accurate and secure.

4. The proposed projects must highlight the aspects of river conservation and/or the reduction of solid waste.

5. The project must include at least one or a combination of the following elements: education and awareness, community engagement and outreach, or capacity building.

6. WWF-Malaysia will immediately disqualify any proposed projects/ideas which contain illegal, political, violent, racist, sexist, controversial, or obscene content.

7. River cleanup projects must be within the three (3) main river basins in Klang Valley, which are Langat River Basin, Klang River Basin, Selangor River Basin and their tributaries. However, other types of activities outside of Klang Valley will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

8. The proposed activities may include but are not limited to river clean ups. Any conservation efforts related to river conservation and solid waste management are welcomed, be it indoor or outdoor activities.

9. Proposed ideas and contents must be original and developed by the applicants. However, the proposed project must not necessarily be new. You may also propose existing projects with NGOs or conservation efforts by communities to fit the criteria.

10. Each project proposal must target the involvement of at least 20 participants to a maximum of 100 participants. It is encouraged that participation should be balanced in terms of gender and age groups.

11. All projects must be implemented in accordance with the safety and health guidelines and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as advised by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

12. If your project is selected, the project implementation must be delivered by 10 June 2021. A summary report of the project activities must be submitted according to the template and deadline provided. WWF-Malaysia will assist you in the project execution as well.

13. Projects that can get visibility or communication highlights on any social media platform will get special acknowledgment from WWF-Malaysia.

14. All results are final based on evaluation and voting. WWF-Malaysia reserves the right to modify or cancel the nomination process or any of the arrangements, schedules, plans or other items directly or indirectly related to the Eco Champion Awards, at any time and for any reason if deemed necessary.

15. Disbursement of the project grant will be done in two stages within the 10-weeks project duration (31 March - 10 June 2021). The grant recipients for the successful projects will receive the  first half (50%) of the grant in April 2021 to initiate the project, and the remaining 50% balance will be released based on the project’s progress report in May 2021.

16. Photographs and videos may be taken during the nomination process and final event. By nominating, you acknowledge and agree that the organisers may use the picture and videos connected with communications of the Eco-Champion Award. If you disagree with this usage, please write in, and we will remove or blur the images/videos in our communication media.