GIS-based Non-point Sources of Pollution Simulation in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Authors: M. Eisakhani, A. Pauzi, O. Karim, A. Malakahmad, S.R. Mohamed Kutty, M. H. Isa

Abstract:

Cameron Highlands is a mountainous area subjected to torrential tropical showers. It extracts 5.8 million liters of water per day for drinking supply from its rivers at several intake points. The water quality of rivers in Cameron Highlands, however, has deteriorated significantly due to land clearing for agriculture, excessive usage of pesticides and fertilizers as well as construction activities in rapidly developing urban areas. On the other hand, these pollution sources known as non-point pollution sources are diverse and hard to identify and therefore they are difficult to estimate. Hence, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) was used to provide an extensive approach to evaluate landuse and other mapping characteristics to explain the spatial distribution of non-point sources of contamination in Cameron Highlands. The method to assess pollution sources has been developed by using Cameron Highlands Master Plan (2006-2010) for integrating GIS, databases, as well as pollution loads in the area of study. The results show highest annual runoff is created by forest, 3.56 × 108 m3/yr followed by urban development, 1.46 × 108 m3/yr. Furthermore, urban development causes highest BOD load (1.31 × 106 kgBOD/yr) while agricultural activities and forest contribute the highest annual loads for phosphorus (6.91 × 104 kgP/yr) and nitrogen (2.50 × 105 kgN/yr), respectively. Therefore, best management practices (BMPs) are suggested to be applied to reduce pollution level in the area.

Keywords: Cameron Highlands, Land use, Non-point Sources of Pollution

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1328948

References:

[1] A. Van der Ent, and C. Termeer, "Study on river water quality of the Upper Bertam catchment", Saxion University, Deventer, Institute of Spatial Planning and Environmental Science, 2005.
[2] A. Hashim, and G.M. Rahaman, "Soil erosion and water pollution in Cameron Highlands: conservation strategies", Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), 2005.
[3] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Volunteer Stream Monitoring: A Methods Manual, Office of Water, 1997.
[4] A. Malakahmad, M. Eisakhani, and S. Kutty, "GIS based point and nonpoint sources of pollution identification in Cameron Highlands", in Proc. 1st Annu. International Conf. on Construction and Building Technology, Kuala Lumpur, 2008, pp. 213-221.
[5] V. Notovny, and G. Chesters, "Handbook of Nonpoint Pollution Sources and Management", Litton Educational Publishing Inc., New York, USA,1981.
[6] E. Naranjo, Denmark Institute of Geography, Lithuania and Klapeida University, Lithuania. Runoff of Nutrients from Minija River Basin. VKI, H├©rsholm, Denmark, 1994.
[7] Adroit Consulting Engineers, "A study on pollution prevention and water quality improvement program of rivers in Cameron Highlands", National Seminar, HANDOUTS, Government of Malaysia, 2005.
[8] H. Mogens, "L40 Pollution Source Assessments" , Department of Sanitary Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark, 1994.
[9] D.M. Robertson, D.J. Graczyk, P.J. Garrison, W. Lizhu, L. Gina, and R. Bannerman, "Nutrient Concentrations and Their Relationships to the Biotic Integrity of Wadeable Streams in Wisconsin". US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1722, 2006.
[10] W. Hilsenhoff, "An Improved Biotic Index of Organic Stream Pollution" The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 20. No. 1. 1987, Pages 31-39.
[11] W. Saunders, and D. Maidment, "A GIS Assessment of Nonpoint Source Pollution in the San Antonio-Nueces Coastal Basin", Center for Research in Water Resources, The University of Texas at Austin. Austin, Texas, 1996.
[12] R. Hanadi, N. Charles, and B. Phillip, "Getting to the Nonpoint Source with GIS", Civil Engineering, Vol. 63, No. 6, 1993, pp. 44-46.
[13] V. T. Chow, D. Maidment, and L. Mays, "Applied Hydrology", McGraw- Hill Book Co. Singapore, 1988, pp. 97-103.
[14] J. Benaman, N. Armstrong, and D. Maidment, "Modeling of dissolved oxygen in the Houston Ship Channel using WASP5 and Geographic Information Systems", Center for Research in Water Resources, The University of Texas at Austin. Austin, Texas, 1996
[15] http://www.met.gov.my/english/publication/mwb07.html