INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON WETLANDS AND SUSTAINABILITY 2007

WETLANDS FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF NEW TROPICAL

TOWN OF SERI ISKANDAR

Nasiman Sapari and Teh Hee Min

Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Petronas
nasiman@petronas.com.my

Abstract

Seri Iskandar is a new township with a large area of wetlands originated from
swamps and mining lakes. This paper examines two potential wetland areas to be
developed into engineered wetlands for recreational purposes and flood control. One
of the wetlands, a swampy area in the middle of the town, is an ideal location for a
public recreational wetland. The other wetland is a mining lake currently being
developed as part of the landscape around the mosque of the Universiti Teknologi
Petronas. The size of the catchments for the swamp and the mining lake areas are
124 ha and 39.5 ha, respectively. Measurements and calculations were done for
both areas in terms of their low-flow and high-flow characteristics, water retention
capacities, and the aerial size of the water bodies. The peak flows for 100 years
average recurrence interval (ARI) of both catchments are estimated to be about 7.3
m3/s and 4.5 m3/s, respectively. The engineered wetlands, allowing water fluctuation
of 1 m height and 5 to 10 percent area under intermittent flooding, would reduce up
to 65% of the peak flow immediately downstream of the wetlands. As a result, the
potential of flooding due to increase of runoff from the development of the town can
be reduced. Recommendations are also given in this paper on the selection of flora
to be planted for the recreational wetlands.

Key words: