C7_Nor A`aini Othman.indd

Towards Low Carbon City
the Experience of Ipoh City Council, Malaysia
Ms. Nor A’aini OTHMAN
Nor A’aini Othman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Town
and Regional Planning at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Perak, Seri
Iskandar Campus. She is holding the post of Programme Coordinator
for Diploma in Town and Regional Planning Programme at UiTM
Perak since January 2008. She is also an Internal Auditor for UiTM
Perak since 2007. Previously, she was Programme Coordinator for
Certificate in Town and Regional Planning Programme and a Strategic
Planning Assistant Coordinator. Graduated with Master of Science in
Tropical Forest Resource Management (2000) from Universiti Putra
Malaysia and Bachelor of Science in Town and Regional Planning
from the Lowa State University, USA (1987), she had served Ipoh
City Council as a Town Planner for almost 5 years and worked in a
Planning Consultant’s firm for almost 2 years. Her involvement in
research and consultancy include Local Plan Studies, UiTM Training
Centre Development and Limestone Hillside Development. She has
presented various seminars and conferences papers regarding the
built environment and is currently in the process of publishing a book
titled ‘Planning Perspective’ with her colleagues.
Ms. Kamarul’ain KAMAL
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Town and Regional Planning,
Faculty of Architecture Planning and Surveying,
Universiti Teknologi Mara Perak (UiTM)
Kamarul’ain Kamal is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Town
and Regional Planning at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Perak, Seri
Iskandar Campus. Currently, she is the Strategic Planning Coordinator
of UiTM Perak. Previously she was Programme Coordinator of the
Department of Town and Regional Planning at UiTM Perak and a
Town Planner with a private consultant. She graduated with Master
of Environmental Planning (1999) from Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Advance Diploma in Town and Regional Planning (1989) and
Diploma in Town and Regional Planning (1987) from UiTM Malaysia.
Her research and consultancy experiences include Structure and
Local Plan Studies, District Growth Centre Studies, UiTM Training
Centre Development and Limestone Hillside Development. She has
presented numerous seminars and conferences papers concerning
the built environment and is currently in the process of publishing a
book titled ‘Planning Perspective’ with her colleagues.
AUTHOR
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Town and Regional Planning,
Faculty of Architecture Planning and Surveying,
Universiti Teknologi Mara Perak (UiTM)
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Towards Low Carbon City
the Experience of Ipoh City Council, Malaysia
Ms. Nor A’aini OTHMAN and Ms. Kamarul’ain KAMAL
Senior Lecturer, Department of Town and Regional Planning,
Faculty of Architecture Planning and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perak (UiTM)
Air pollution is a common phenomenon in city areas. Among the major sources of pollution
are power and heat generation, the burning of solid wastes, industrial processes, and,
especially, transportation. Carbon is a major air pollutant. Contributed mostly by the increase
in motor vehicles, all cities have a carbon debt. Over the last three decades, significant findings
regarding global warming highlighted the need to curb carbon emissions. Failure in controlling
the carbon emission to the city atmosphere will endanger the city population. Cities around
the world are doing their best to overcome the carbon problem. Keeping carbon levels within
reasonable limits is an intricate set of checks and balances. Ipoh City has also plays its part
in being a low carbon city. Ipoh City Council, as the responsible local authority, has drawn up
several policies in order to reduce the problem. Believing that keeping the green areas around
the city can reduce the carbon problem and enhance the city atmosphere, the City Council has
made this as one of its policies in its Structure Plan (Amendment) 1998-2020. Open spaces,
recreational areas, and buffer zones in city areas that filled with trees play a major part in
carbon sequestration and storage and thereby stressing their role in reducing the drastic effects
of global warming. Taking advantage of its natural landscape, Ipoh City Council preserves most
of the limestone hills that exist in and around the city. In addition to the existing open spaces
and recreational areas in the city, the lime stone hills that are covered with greenery can further
reduce the carbon level.
Keywords: air pollution, carbon, green area
1. Introduction
Most cities around the world suffer from air pollution problems. Some cities face severe
air pollution problems while other cities of similar population sizes are much cleaner. Rapid
urbanization is the main factor contributing to the problem. Power and heat generation, the
burning of solid wastes, industrial processes, and, especially, transportation have been identified
as the main sources of pollution (Kahn, 2000 and Shoca 2007).
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particle matter, or biological materials that cause
harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms or damages the natural environment,
into the atmosphere. An air pollutant is known as a substance in the air that can cause harm to
humans and the environment.
Carbon is one of the major pollutants in the atmosphere. It is also one of the gases that are
responsible for the increase in the Earth’s temperature. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse
gas emitted from combustion. Industrialization and deforestation are the main sources of CO2.
Once thought to be product of perfect combustion, currently carbon dioxide is responsible for
57% of the global warming trend (Shoca, 2007).
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Carbon monoxide (CO), on the other hand, is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, and highly
toxic gas that is formed when carbon in fuel is not burnt completely. Motor vehicles contribute
56% of all carbon emission in the United States (US EPA, 2008). In densely populated cities
where the increase in population usually followed by the increase in motor vehicles, the increase
in CO is very much expected.
2. Urbanization and Carbon Problems in Cities
Urbanization has a direct linkage to carbon emission. Currently, half of the world’s population
lives in cities and the rate of urbanization especially in developing countries are expanding
rapidly. In 1950, less than 30% of the world’s population lived in cities. This number grew
to 47% in the year 2000 (2.8 billion people), and it is expected to grow to 60% by the year
2025. Developed nations have a higher percentage of urban residents than less developed
countries. However, urbanization is occurring rapidly in many less developed countries, and
it is expected that most urban growth will occur in less developed countries during the next
decades (University of Michigan, 2002).
According to Shinji Kaneko (2008), in developing countries, 40 % of the populations are
living in cities and the percentage will increase to 52% by 2020. The average annual growth
rates of urban population in 1910’s were 3.0% in East Asia and the Pacific, and 3.2% in South
Asia. As cities become more urbanized, they attract more population from rural areas. This
increases the demand for other necessities especially energy. Industrialization grows rapidly
to meet the demand of the population and consequently increases carbon emission. Motor
vehicles operating around the world today also contribute significantly to the amount of carbon
released by human. Studies on several Asian mega cities by Shinji have proven that the bigger
the city the more carbon will be emitted to the atmosphere.
It is important to understand the global urbanization trends and its implications on carbon
emissions. No doubt that urbanization and human activities are the main carbon contributors to
cities’ atmosphere. However, this carbon emission and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere
can be controlled through certain measures.
3. The Effects of Trees on Carbon Pollution
Pollution can reduce the quality of life in cities. The World Health Organization states that
2.4 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution, with 1.5 million
of these deaths attributable to indoor air pollution (Wikipedia, 2009). All people seek to have a
long, healthy and happy life. Air pollution is a threat to all three of these goals. Air pollution raises
mortality rates, raises medical bills, make cities’ outdoors environment less pleasant, and lowers
quality of life. Therefore, air pollution needs to be controlled for the benefit of the urbanites.
Trees play an important role in cleaning the air and making the city environment a healthier
place to live in. Trees sequester many pollutants from the atmosphere, including nitrogen
dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), and particle matter
of ten microns or less (PM10) (American Forest, 2009). Trees use CO2 in the atmosphere
as one of the ingredients to produce their own food. As a result they release oxygen (O2) for
human to breathe. Each acre of trees is able to produce enough oxygen for 18 people every
day. Trees not only consume CO2 but also remove gaseous pollutants by absorbing them
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through the pores in the leaf surface. Particle pollutants such as dust, ash, and pollen, that can
damage lungs, are trapped and filtered by leaves, stems and twigs, and washed to the ground
by rainfall (Maryland DNR, 2009). Study has also proven that forty trees remove 80 pounds
of air pollutants annually and one million trees can save $20 million in air pollution clean up
(Rubbersidewalks, 2009). Another study from Chicago estimated that trees in that city annually
removed 15 metric tons of carbon monoxide, 84 tons of sulfur dioxide, 89 tons of nitrogen
dioxide, 191 tons of ozone, and 212 tons of small particles. The estimated value of removing
this pollution was $1 million for trees in the city itself and $9.2 million for the entire Chicago area
(Nowak in Rubbersidewalks, 2009).
4. Carbon Pollution Reduction Efforts
Carbon pollution is changing the world’s climate, resulting in extreme weather, higher
temperatures, more droughts, and rising sea levels. Responsibility for prevention and control
of carbon pollution involves local, state and federal levels of government, private industry and
individual citizen. There are various policies, strategies and initiatives that can be carried out
in trying to reduce the problem of air pollution in the cities. Land use planning which involves
zoning is one way to regulate the matter.
Local governments, the responsible bodies in managing cities, play an important role in
reducing indoor and outdoor air pollution and the impacts of climate change by educating
communities about air quality issues and participating in air quality improvement policies,
programs or initiatives in buildings they own and/or manage, transportation and energy
programs, and land use decisions. Local governments are in a pivotal position to help mitigate
the impacts of climate change because they have the capacity to inform, educate and influence
the activities of people in their community.
Various efforts have been carried out by local governments around the world in mitigating air
pollution problems. The Australian Government, for instance, is implementing a comprehensive
strategy in combating climate change. By embarking on the so called ‘Carbon Pollution
Reduction Scheme’, Australia will join other developed nations in the fight to reduce carbon
pollution (Australian Government, 2008).
5. The Experience of Ipoh City Council
Ipoh, the capital city of Perak nestled in the heart of Kinta Valley. Functioning as the
administrative centre of the Perak State Government, Ipoh once was famous for its tin mining
activities. With a population of 500,000 strong, coupled with a low population growth rate of
only 0.83 percent (Ipoh Structure Plan, 1998), this city is not as busy as the other capital cities
in Peninsular Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown, or Johor Baharu.
As for now, this city can be considered as an ideal city to live in because most of the urban
problems such as flash flood, traffic congestion, air and noise pollution which have been a
burden to the cities mentioned earlier are still not here yet. However, Ipoh City Council as the
responsible Local Authority (better known as MBI) has been taking the appropriate measures
in trying to curb the problems. In order to ensure the future development of Ipoh is sustainable
and the level of pollution is low, Ipoh City Council in the Ipoh Structure Plan (Amendment) 19982020 has outlined several policies as follows:
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5.1 Green as One of the Core Vision
It has been mentioned earlier that urban areas that we see as the source of problems
also contain the cure to the problems. As for Ipoh, since it still enjoys peaceful and slow pace
of urban development, there is time to better plan the city in order to ensure that the future
generation can also enjoy the same environment. In doing so, the Council in its Structure Plan
(Amendment), 1998 – 2020 has chosen green as one of the four core visions in achieving the
goal to be a tranquil city.
Green has been chosen as one of the core visions besides cosmopolitan, dynamic, and
efficient, in creating a comfortable, healthy, environmental-friendly, and clean city. According to
Ipoh Structure Plan, Ipoh Landscape Master Plan is being developed in an effort to achieve this
vision. The Master Plan emphasizes and strengthens the importance of green vision which will
also include beautification, conservation, and recreation in planning the city. The green vision
also will include the provision of environmental-friendly utilities and infrastructure especially in
sewage and solid waste treatment.
5.2 Keep and Upgrade All Public Open Spaces
Ipoh City Council in its effort towards low carbon city has decided to keep and add to the
green areas in the city. Believing that trees are living machine to clean the air, several policies
have been outlined in the Ipoh Structure Plan (Amendment) in trying to keep the existing green
areas. One of the policies is to keep and upgrade all the public open spaces. At the moment,
the statistic for opens spaces in Ipoh is as follows:
TYPES
UNIT
HIERARCHY
SIZE (HECTARES)
Sport Complex
1
Regional
60
Open Space
5
Urban Parks
30.7
Open Space
397
Neighborhood Parks
190
Table 4.1: Existing open spaces in Ipoh.
The main issue in the provision of public open space is the need to keep all existing parks
and recreational areas in the city. This land use is vital in making sure that there is some
balance in the city development. Besides providing the city dwellers the recreational areas that
they need, this policy will also ensure that there are some green lung in the city to help purify
the air and at the same time soften the built environment.
5.3 Development of Natural Assets: Limestone Hills and Caves,
Ex-mining Ponds, and Rivers into Recreational Areas
In addition to the above policy, the Council also decided to develop all natural assets such as
limestone caves and hills, ex-mining ponds, and rivers as recreational areas. Ipoh is blessed
with the natural gift of limestone hills. These karsts outcrops extended 20 km north and also
20 km south of Ipoh (Wikipedea, 2007). Due to karsts formation, a lot of limestone caves have
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been formed. As of now, Ipoh already has several limestone caves that have been developed
into temples and shrines.
Photo 4.1: Cave temples
Photo 4.2: Limestone hills in Ipoh
The limestone towers that are prominent in the Ipoh skyline are very unique natural landscapes
that cannot be found in other cities in Malaysia. These limestone hills are very rich in flora and
fauna (Ritchie, 2004). The strategic location of these hills in and around the city helps soften the
hard landscape and at the same time beautify and purify the city environment.
Photo 4.3: Limestone hills help green the city
Photo 4.4: Limestone hills as backdrop
There are approximately 20 limestone hills in various sizes in Ipoh. These limestone hills
have high commercial values as a natural source for cement aggregate, and lime for construction
industry. Because of their potential values, they are vulnerable to quarrying activities which will
degrade the city environment. On top of that, the left over hills after quarrying activities look ugly
and spoil the city landscape. In order to prevent that, limestone hill with heritage values will be
conserved and only designated hills can be developed into recreational areas.
Some of the limestone hills already been developed into recreational areas. Gunung Lang,
for example, is the latest public urban park that has been developed in Ipoh. Located only
5 km from Ipoh city centre, Gunung Lang recreational park was opened to the public on the
5th October 2000. Bounded by majestic limestone hills and lakes, this 116 hectares area has
been turned into recreational area by the Ipoh City Council with the cooperation of the Tourism
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Ministry in 1999. The development was carried out in two phases using RM8.5 million grants
under the Seventh Malaysia Plan by the National Landscape Department.
Photo 4.5: Gunung Lang urban park
The other limestone hill that has been developed into recreational area is Lost World water
theme park in Gunung Datuk, Tambun. Though this is a privately owned recreational park, the
development take advantage of the natural asset with minimal cutting of the hill.
Photo 4.6: Lost Word water theme park
Besides limestone hills, Ipoh also has quite a number of rivers flowing through the city.
Among the rivers are Sungai Selai, Sungai Tambun, Sungai Tapah, Sungai Pari, Sungai Pinji,
and Sungai Kinta. The river reserves can be developed into green causeway and linear park
which later can be connected to the existing parks in the city. Sungai Kinta, for example, being
the biggest and longest river in the city flowing right in the middle of the city and divided the city
into two parts known as Pekan Lama and Pekan Baru. The river reserve has been developed
partly but not comprehensively. Among the facilities that have been provided along the river is
the pedestrian walkway and benches. Some parts of the reserve have been planted with trees
that give shade to the area. However, some other parts still need improvement.
5.4 Conservation of Forest and Highlands
Ipoh is bounded by the Kledang-Saiong range and forest reserve to the west and Kinta
forest reserve that formed part of the main range to the east. The proximity of these ranges and
forest reserves to the city demands a stern policy to prevent the spill over from encroaching
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into the forests. Therefore, the Council suggests the forest reserves and the Kledang-Saiong
and Kinta ranges to be conserved. In addition to that, the development on hills and highlands
will be controlled accordingly.
The present of forest reserves and ranges on the east and west of the city function as a
green belt that limits the city growth. At the same time they also function as a natural air cooler
that helps cool the hot air of the city environment. This policy is important to overcome the
problem of ‘urban footprint’. Urban development should be contained within the city limit. The
lure of green areas on the outskirt can be overcome by encouraging brown field development
in the city.
The limestone hills, as have been mentioned earlier, that have heritage values will also be
conserved. Quarrying activities in the city vicinity will no longer be allowed. This is vital to the
city environment. The existence of quarry in the city will pollute the air and jeopardized the
health of the city dwellers. Realizing such impacts, planned developments have been outlined
for all the limestone hills in Ipoh. The following table reflects the proposed developments for the
areas:
No.
Proposed Specific Development
1.
2.
Regional Recreation Park
Cave and Geology Research Park
3.
Natural Species Research Park
4.
5.
Archeology and Historical Park
Urban Park
Location
Gunung Rapat
Gunung Kanthan
Gunung Datuk
Gunung Tambun
Gunung Lanno
Gunung Terendum
Gunung Panjang
Gunung Lang
Table 4.2 : Proposed specific development
Source : Ipoh structure plan (Amendment), 1998 – 2020
Conclusion
The pressure of development, no doubt, has resulted in lower air quality in the city areas.
The complex situation of urban environment requires a delicate but comprehensive approach in
ensuring a healthy environment to live in. However, people are already doing a great deal at a
local level to make urban locations more habitable and environmentally-friendly. Environmental
planning and management in urban areas should not be the sole responsibilities of the local
planning authorities and other governmental agencies, but also the general public. Urban
areas, on the other hand, can learn from each other and use positive experiences for their own
benefit.
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References
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Low Pollution Future. www.climatechange.gov.au/whitepaper/summary/index.html. (16/3/2009. 9.45 pm).
Ipoh City Council, (1998). Ipoh Draft Structure Plan (Amendment) 1998 – 2020.
Kahn, M.E. (2000). Air Pollution in Cities. http://mek1966.googlepages.com/Air6.pdf (13/3/2009 10.54)
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service (Maryland DNR). Trees Reduce Air Pollution.
www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/publications/urban2.html. (15/3/2009 11.40 pm)
Ritchie, (2004). Majestic Outcrops. New Straits Times. (25/1/07)
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Shinji Kaneko, (2008). Urban Transformation and Carbon Footprint of Mega-Cities in Japan and China.
www.searca.org/web/adss/2008/handouts/SS_Kaneko_04Dec2008.pdf
Shoca, T. (2007). Air Pollution Causes. www.healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.htm
University of Michigan, (2002). Urbanization and Global Change.
www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/urban_gc. (18/3/2009, 12.00 am)
U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2008). Carbon Monoxide: How Carbon Monoxide Affect the Way
We Live. www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/co/index.html. (13/3/2009, 12.32am)
Wikipedia, (2009). Air Pollution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution
Wikipedea, (2007). Ipoh. http://en.wikipeda.org/wiki/Ipoh. (6/6/07)
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