SYNOPSIS

Our Malaysian cities are growing bigger in spatial and population terms. The total population in Malaysia in 2010 was 28.6 million, and is currently 32.7 million, with over 75% being categorised as urban population. Adding to this, many cities in Malaysia face additional pressures from the impacts of rising sea levels and extreme weather events, bringing with them the risk of flooding or periods of water stress. During water stressed periods, temperatures may rise even further in the cities, due to the urban heat island effect. The rapid pace of development over the decades has also brought about degradation of many of the country’s river systems. Our rivers are being silted up, river water quality has deteriorated, potable water shortages are more frequent, and the incidences of floods have become relatively common.

Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) has direct interactions with all water infrastructures, water demand management, alternative water resources, disaster risk management, water pollution and governance. The goals of IUWM are to ensure access to water and sanitation infrastructure and services; manage rainwater, wastewater, stormwater drainage, and runoff pollution; and reduce the risk of water-related hazards, including floods, droughts, and landslides. IUWM opens an avenue to managing urban water in a manner that is deemed more sustainable. This Talk sets out a wide range of strategies paving the way to implement integrated urban water management (IUWM) in cities


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Ir. C. Kamalesen graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia in Civil Engineering, in 2000, and obtained a distinction for his MSc in Environmental Science (Integrated Water Resources Management) from Open University Malaysia in 2007. He has over 20 years’ experience in water resources management, flood management, urban and transport infrastructure drainage, and agriculture irrigation and drainage.

Ir. C. Kamalesen is currently a Technical Director at AECOM Perunding Sdn Bhd. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Malaysia and an ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia where he is also registered as ASEAN Engineer, APEC Engineer and International Professional Engineer. He is also registered as Qualified Person with the National Water Services Commission of Malaysia (SPAN). Ir. Kamalesen plays an active role in the Institution of Engineers through the Water Resources Technical Division where he is currently the Chairman. He is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Malaysian Capacity Development Network in Sustainable Water Resources Management (MyCDNet)