Kompendium Perangkaan Alam Sekitar (KPAS), Malaysia, 2021

 

Alam semulajadi mendapat nafas baharu semasa PKP dilaksanakan

Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM) menerbitkan Kompendium Perangkaan Alam Sekitar, Malaysia 2021 yang memaparkan statistik alam sekitar meliputi enam (6) komponen iaitu Keadaan & Kualiti Alam Sekitar; Sumber Alam Sekitar & Kegunaannya; Sisa; Kejadian Ekstrem & Bencana; Penempatan Penduduk & Kesihatan Persekitaran; dan Penglibatan, Pengurusan & Perlindungan Alam Sekitar. Penyusunan statistik ini adalah berdasarkan Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES), United Nations 2013.

Pada tahun 2020 dunia dilanda COVID-19 dan pada 11 Mac 2020,  Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) telah mengisytiharkan pandemik apabila lebih daripada 118,000 kes penyakit koronavirus di lebih 110 negara serta wilayah di seluruh dunia dan angka ini terus meningkat.  Menjelang akhir 2020, laporan WHO menyatakan sebanyak 83,638,175 kes COVID-19 dan 1,911,715 kematian direkodkan seluruh dunia. Malaysia juga tidak terkecuali dan kesan pandemik COVID -19 boleh dilihat dari aspek ekonomi dan sosial. Pada 2020, Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar Malaysia menguncup kepada 5.6 peratus sejak 2010. Sementara itu, aliran bersih Pelaburan Langsung Asing juga jatuh sebanyak 54.8 peratus kepada RM14.64 bilion (2019: RM32.36 bilion) dan jumlah perdagangan berkurangan sebanyak RM60 bilion kepada RM1.78 trilion. Pengangguran pula meningkat ke paras tertinggi sejak 1992 mencatat 4.5 peratus. Tindakan utama kerajaan dalam usaha membendung penularan wabak COVID -19 ialah dengan melaksanakan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) bermakna penutupan sepenuhnya aktiviti perniagaan kecuali perniagaan perlu serta kawalan pergerakan dan perjalanan rentas negeri tidak dibenarkan. Tambahan pula, sekolah dan pusat pengajian tinggi juga ditutup. Manakala di bawah Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Bersyarat (PKPB) dan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Pemulihan (PKPP), kerajaan secara beransur-ansur telah membuka aktiviti perniagaan serta menggalakkan kerja dari rumah dan Pengajaran & Pembelajaran Di Rumah  diperkenalkan untuk pendidikan. Prosedur Operasi Standard (SOP) diperkenalkan untuk menghapuskan penularan COVID-19 telah menjadi norma baharu bagi penduduk. Pandemik COVID-19 memberi kesan ke atas alam sekitar, aktiviti perniagaan dan pergerakan manusia  dan ini membawa kepada penambahbaikan beberapa indikator alam sekitar.

Sepanjang pelaksanaan PKP, negara telah merekodkan lebih jumlah hari bagi kualiti udara berstatus “baik” dan “sederhana” bagi tahun 2020.  Stesen Kapit mencatatkan  jumlah hari tertinggi bagi kualiti udara berstatus “baik” iaitu dengan 359 hari pada 2020 berbanding 263 hari yang direkodkan pada tahun sebelumnya. Bacaan Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) menunjukkan penurunan paras pencemar udara, khususnya di bandar-bandar utama seperti Pasir Gudang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam serta Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Penurunan ini adalah disebabkan pengurangan aktiviti dan pengurangan pelepasan bahan pencemar ke udara seperti perlepasan asap kenderaan bermotor, pelepasan asap cerobong industri dan aktiviti pembakaran terbuka.

Bahan pencemar udara seperti habuk halus  (PM10 dan PM2.5), Ozon aras tanah (O3), Karbon Monoksida (CO) dan Sulfur Dioksida (SO2) menunjukkan trend menurun semasa pelaksanaan PKP dan PKPB. Walau bagaimanapun, bahan pencemar udara ini meningkat semasa PKPP kerana lebih banyak perniagaan dibenarkan beroperasi dan kurang sekatan ke atas pergerakan. Secara ringkasnya, dari Mac hingga Disember 2020, PM10 berjulat antara 17.11 hingga 22.81 mikro gram meter padu berbanding 19.09 hingga 64.11 mikro gram meter padu pada 2019. Manakala bacaan CO ialah 0.473 hingga 0.620 bahagian setiap juta (Mac-Disember 2020) berbanding 0.565 hingga 0.888 bahagian setiap juta dalam tempoh yang sama tahun sebelumnya.

PKP juga telah memberi kesan kepada kualiti air sungai pada tahun 2020. Hasil pemantauan oleh Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) terhadap 144 lembangan sungai, menunjukkan 104 atau 72.2 peratus lembangan sungai berada dalam kategori bersih berbanding 85 lembangan yang dicatatkan pada 2019. Tambahan pula, 33 sungai dikategori sederhana tercemar (2019: 49 lembangan sungai) dan tujuh (7) dalam kategori tercemar (2019: 10 lembangan sungai).

Sebaliknya, kuantiti sisa klinikal yang dijana pada 2020 meningkat 18.1 peratus atau 39.9 ribu tan metrik berbanding 33.8 ribu tan metrik pada 2019. Peningkatan ini disebabkan penggunaan peralatan perlindungan diri (PPE) dan peralatan ujian COVID-19 dalam pengendalian pesakit COVID-19 di kemudahan kesihatan dan pusat kuarantin. Tiga negeri mencatatkan jumlah sisa klinikal tertinggi iaitu Selangor (9.7 ribu tan metrik), Sarawak (4.1 ribu tan metrik) dan W.P. Kuala Lumpur (4.1 ribu tan metrik). Tambahan pula, kuantiti sisa terjadual yang dijana oleh industri merekodkan 7,185.2 ribu tan metrik pada 2020, meningkat 79.0 peratus berbanding 4,013.2 ribu tan metrik seperti mana yang dilaporkan pada 2019. Ini disumbangkan oleh industri loji janakuasa dan loji rawatan air yang dikategorikan sebagai perkhidmatan perlu. Bagi mengikut negeri pula, Selangor menyumbang jumlah buangan terjadual tertinggi iaitu 28.5 peratus diikuti Johor (16.8%) dan Negeri Sembilan (16.2%).

Norma baharu seperti bekerja dari rumah, program Pengajaran & Pembelajaran Di Rumah dan perintah pergerakan terhad yang menempatkan orang ramai di kediaman mereka telah memberi kesan kepada penggunaan air. Penggunaan air bermeter bagi sektor domestik menunjukkan peningkatan sebanyak 5.2 peratus pada 2020. Walau bagaimanapun, sektor bukan domestik menurun sebanyak 8.0 peratus pada 2020 berbanding 2019 berikutan perniagaan terjejas akibat PKP seperti waktu perniagaan yang singkat dan beberapa perniagaan telah ditutup sepenuhnya semasa PKP pertama.

Mother nature takes a break during MCO implementation

Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has published the Compendium of Environment Statistics, Malaysia 2021 that presents environmental statistics on six (6) components namely Environmental Conditions & Quality; Environmental Resources & Their Use; Residuals; Extreme Events & Disasters; Human Settlements & Environmental Health; and Environmental Protection, Management & Engagement. The compilation of these statistics is based on the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES), United Nations, 2013.

The world was affected by COVID-19 in 2020 and on 11th March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a pandemic as more than 118,000 cases of the coronavirus illness in over 110 countries and territories around the world and these figures continues to rise. By the end of 2020, WHO reported a total of 83,638,175 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,911,715 deaths were recorded worldwide. Malaysia was not spared and the COVID-19 pandemic consequence can be observed from economic and social aspects. In 2020, the Malaysia Gross Domestic Product contracted to 5.6 per cent since 2010. Meanwhile, the net flows Foreign Direct Investment contracted by 54.8 per cent to RM14.64 billion (2019:RM32.36 billion) and total trade reduced by RM60 billion to RM1.78 trillion. The unemployment rose to the highest level since 1992 to record 4.5 per cent. The main action taken by the government in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic was to implement the Movement Control Order (MCO) which means total lock down of business activities except essential business as well as restriction of movement and interstate travelling was not allowed. Furthermore, schools and colleges were also closed. Meanwhile under Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), government as gradually opened business activities and encouraged work from home and Home based Teaching & Learning was introduced for education. The Standard Operation Producers (SOP) was introduced to eliminate the spread of COVID-19 become a new norm for the population.  The COVID-19 pandemic effected environment, business activities and human movement and this led an improvement in a few environmental indicators. 

Throughout the implementation of MCO, the country has recorded more days of "good" and "moderate" air quality status for 2020. Kapit station recorded the highest with 359 days of air quality “good" status in 2020 as compared to 263 days recorded in the previous year. Air Pollution Index (API) readings showed a decrease in air pollutant levels, especially in major cities such as Pasir Gudang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The decline is due to the reduction of activities and less emission of pollutants into the air such as motor vehicle smoke emissions, industrial chimney smoke emissions and open burning activities.

Air pollutant substance such as Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), Ground level Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) showed a declining trend during the implementation of MCO and CMCO. However, this air pollutant substance increased during RMCO as more business is allowed to operate and less restriction on the movement. In the nutshell, from March to December 2020, PM10 range between 17.11 to 22.81 micro gram cubic meters as compared to 19.09 to 64.11 micro gram cubic meters in 2019. Meanwhile, CO reading was 0.473 to 0.620 parts per million (March-December 2020) as compared to 0.565 to 0.888 parts per million in same period previous year.

MCO also affected river water quality in 2020. Based to the results of the monitoring of 144 river basins by the Department of Environment (DOE), it showed that 104 or 72.2 per cent river basins were in the clean category as compared to 85 recorded in 2019. Furthermore, 33 river basins were classified as moderately polluted (2019: 49 river basins) and seven (7) in contaminated category (2019:10 river basins).

On the other hand, the quantity of clinical waste generated in 2020 rose 18.1 per cent or 39.9 thousand metric tonnes as compared to 33.8 thousand metric tonnes in 2019. This increase was attributed to the used of personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 test equipment in handling of COVID -19 patients in health facilities and quarantine centers. Three states recorded the highest amount of clinical waste, namely Selangor (9.7 thousand metric tonnes), Sarawak (4.1 thousand metric tonnes) and W.P. Kuala Lumpur (4.1 thousand metric tonnes). In addition, quantity of scheduled waste generated by industries recorded 7,185.2 thousand metric tonnes in 2020, an increase of 79.0 per cent compared to 4,013.2 thousand metric tonnes reported in 2019. This was contributed by power plant and water treatment plant industries which is categorised as essential services. In terms of states, Selangor contributed the highest amount of scheduled waste at 28.5 per cent followed by Johor (16.8%) and Negeri Sembilan (16.2%).

The new norms such as working from home, Home based Teaching & Learning program and limited movement control order which contained people at their residents have affected the consumption of water. The metered water consumption for the domestic sector showed an increase of 5.2 per cent in 2020. However, the non-domestic sector decreased by 8.0 per cent in 2020 as compared to 2019 as businesses were affected by the MCO in terms of limited business hours and some business was totally closed during the first MCO.