KUALA LUMPUR, 7 November 2015 – GAB Foundation, in partnership with Global Environment Centre, the National Landscape Department and the Department of Drainage and Irrigation Malaysia, is continuing its river rehabilitation and conservation project through the launch of the Sungai Penchala Open Classroom in Bukit Kiara. The Open Classroom will serve as a hands-on natural river educational site that will support the local community on river care activities especially on how to monitor and protect our rivers’ water quality. The launch also symbolises the expansion of the W.A.T.E.R (Working Actively Through Education & Rehabilitation) Project in Selangor to Sungai Penchala, which is 20 times bigger than the Project’s first initiative at Sungei Way.
The event which was held at Bukit Kiara saw 30 community members exploring the natural source of the Sungai Penchala river through activities such as identifying the ‘first’ drop of Sungai Penchala, listening to the sound of the stream, and learning how to conduct bio monitoring tests. The W.A.T.E.R Project aims to change the mind-sets of the communities along Sungai Penchala to take full ownership of the river and its surroundings.
“Clean water is an essential part of our daily lives and with the success of the Selangor W.A.T.E.R Project at Sungei Way, it was very important for us to expand the reach of the Project. Our hope is that through the Sungai Penchala Open Classroom, the residents and the communities will have a place where they can continue to ensure the preservation of our water source for future generations,” said Renuka Indrarajah, a trustee to the GAB Foundation.
The launch was officiated by Encik Ahmad Syaharuddin, Director, Federal Park Division, who said, “Bukit Kiara is one of the very few water sources that is still pristine, with good bio indicators species, yet easily accessible. This Open Classroom at Bukit Kiara is the perfect setting to train the local community and residents because of its position as a source of Sungai Penchala and a symbol for Malaysians to witness Class I water quality.”
When the W.A.T.E.R Project was established in 2007, the Sungei Way river was classified as Class IV-V water quality index. The river was heavily polluted and no living organism could survive under such conditions. It took GAB Foundation, Global Environment Centre, government agencies and the local community three years to rehabilitate the river and improve the water quality of the river to Class III, making it suitable for living organisms.
Since its inception, the W.A.T.E.R. Project has educated and engaged over 16,000 people to preserve key water sources around the country, including Selangor, Penang and Perak. The initiative has also helped to raise awareness of the importance of river protection through training programmes and workshops, and the launch of a first-ever Handbook on River Management, as well as activities in the form of an annual River Carnival, the National River Forum and three dedicated River Care Education Centres.
