Funder: Institute Darul Ridzuan (IDR)

Partners: Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Perak and Kinta, Lembaga Air Perak, Malaysian Public Works Department (PWD), Perak Forestry Department, Jabatan Kebajikan Orang Asal (JKOA) and Orang Asli community.

Project aims / objectives:
• Providing baseline data and proper understanding of the Upper Kinta Catchment
• Conducting rapid assessment on existing river basin condition and current environment issues
• Justifying the need to conserve the existing natural resources of the Upper Kinta Valley
• Assessing the current local community livelihood practices
• Building capacity of the local communities to assess current the situation, monitor changes and alert relevant authority

Methods
1. Key Stakeholders Consultation
2. Forest & Natural Resources Mapping
• Using satellite images, topography maps & local plans
3. Community Mapping
• Focuses on the Orang Asli community in the upper basin and vicinity of Sultan Azlan Shah Dam
4. Pollution Mapping & Water Quality Monitoring
• Focuses on erosion/land clearance in upper basin and around settlements
5. Preliminary Report
• On Upper Kinta Valley’s natural resources, issues and propose to develop a management plan

Follow up programme
• Addressing current upstream erosion and slope failure (PWD).
• Introducing revegetation/soil bio-engineering for highway/other eroded slopes to reduce future erosion/slope failure risk (PWD, FD, Community)
• Rehabilitating Sungai Penoh to reduce sediment movement and enhance biodiversity (DID, JKR, FD, LAP)
• Establish catchment forest as conservation, ecotourism zone (FD, LAP, Local community, Tourism, Ecoteer).
• Enhancing sediment detention removal at dam (LAP).
• Improving livelihood, community welfare and environmental quality at Orang Asli settlements and agriculture areas (below/above dam) (LAP, JaKOA).
• Patrolling to monitor land clearing and degradation (LAP, FD, JKR, Local Community).