SCHOOL OF HOUSING BUILDING AND PLANNING

SEMESTER 1 (2022/2023)
RMK 153: PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION ECONOMICS
ASSIGNMENT 2: Environmental Sustainability Issues: Coastal Development Project

NAME MATRIC NO

TENG KAH LOK 161379

MUHAMMAD IRHAM BIN ZAINUDDIN 161044

GAUTHAM A/L SEGAR 160819

TAN QIAO HUI 160922

TEE YU YANG 162129

MUHAMAD HAAFIZH MIZWAN BIN AZIZ JA'AFAR 161373

CHIA CHIE XIAN 162377

PREPARED FOR: DR. MUNEERA ESA

SUBMISSION DUE DATE: 29 JANUARY 2022
 TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGE NUMBER

1.0 Executive summary 1

2.0 Introduction 1

3.0 Background and current status of selected case of coastal development 2-3

4.0 Discussion 4-6

4.1 The impact of coastal development to the existing ecosystem

5.0 Conclusion 7

6.0 References 8
7.0 Appendix 9-11
1.0 Executive summary

This research report is about coastal development in Port Klang, Selangor. This report
begins with the background and current status of Selangor and Port Klang such as location, the
capital city, land area, population, and economic status. Port Klang is the premier port of
Malaysia with more than 14,207 vessel arrivals. The main issues in this report are the impact
of coastal development on the existing ecosystem. Coastal development will bring various
impacts to the site. The impact of coastal development in Port Klang includes solid waste, water
pollution, habitat destruction as well as erosion, and sedimentation. The last part is about the
conclusion of this report. We found that coastal development has been around for a long time
in Malaysia due to the request of landowners in the area to construction industry players to
build buildings and most of them are accommodations for tourists who want the atmosphere
and beauty of the beach.

Figure 1.1 Port Klang Coastal Area

2.0 Introduction

Coastal development is described as changes that are caused by human activities that
change the condition and landscape within sight of the coastline for the purpose of increasing
tourism. Activities of coastal development include the establishment and building of structures
that are on or near the coast in order to provide services such as accommodation, shopping,
commerce, entertainment, and others. These structures increase the economic and social
activities that may have favourable or unfavourable consequences on the coastal environment.
It is extremely concerning since these structures are the main factor that might have a harmful
effect on the coastal and surrounding environment. Social and economic forces also bring
pressure on coastal areas. Population growth, resort development, and land development are

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all particularly huge influences along the coast. The population of people living in the coastal
areas has increased rapidly in recent years, leading to a major development of coastal areas.
Coastal areas are experiencing high growth rates, and the beach is a popular destination for
vacations. Coastal development cause change or degradation of these areas such as loss of
habitat, extinction of marine life, and destruction of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass.

3.0 Background and current status of selected case of coastal development

The chosen study area is Selangor coastal area in Port Klang. Port Klang is located in
Selangor state, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The capital city in Selangor is Shah
Alam, and its royal capital is Klang. Selangor is one of the most developed states in Malaysia
with the highest population and the lowest rate of poverty in the country. The area of Selangor’s
state is about 8,104 km and the population of Selangor in the year 2020 is about 6,994,423
Commerce and industry are the most significant contributors to the economic sector in Selangor.
However, agriculture is considered a thriving sector of Selangor’s economy. Selangor is one
of the rice producers in Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam to Malaysia.

Klang District is divided into two mukim, namely Klang Town, one of Malaysia's main
seaports, and is located 32 km southwest of Kuala Lumpur and is also the Royal Town of the
state of Selangor. The district area includes several islands: Pulau Ketam, Pulau Kelang, Pulau
Tengah, Pulau Selat Kering, Pulau Selat Gedung, Pulau Che Mat Zin, and Pulau Indah. As of
2020, the population of Klang District is 1,088,942, and covers 626.78 square km of land with
a 53.75 km coastline. It is located in the western part of Selangor. It borders the Kuala Selangor
District to the north, Petaling to the east, Kuala Langat district to the south, and Malacca Straits
to the west.

The largest port in Malaysia is Port Klang, among the top 25 container ports worldwide,
located eight kilometers southwest of Klang Town. Additionally, it is about 275 kilometers
southeast of the Port of Penang in Malaysia and 332 kilometers northwest of the Port of
Singapore. Port Klang is a part of the Klang metropolitan region, which has a population of
about 631 thousand. Port Klang is an important shipping and industrial hub of Southeast Asia,
with an estimated 11,000 ships arriving there each year. In addition to shipping and related
commercial, the coastal region of Klang is significant for human settlements, aquaculture, and
capture fisheries.

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 The Port Klang Coastal Strategy includes social, economic, and environmental issues in
Klang and Kuala Langat's coastal regions that are directly connected to the environmental
values and risks that the people in these areas perceive. Strategic responses have been
developed to address these issues, supported by various action programs. The strategy must be
implemented with the assistance of all stakeholders, including the public, industry, business,
and government.

Port Klang have port commerce, and many transactions can easily make in Port
commerce, such as transaction between Malaysia and foreign country, export, and import. Port
Klang has four container terminals that can handle 8.4 million TEUs annually. Port Klang Bulk
& Breakbulk Terminals also played an important role. Fertilizers, wheat, feed meal, and soya
beans dominated dry bulk imports in Port Klang. Palm kernel expellers dominated dry bulk
exports. Other than that, Port Klang Roll-on/ Roll-off Terminal, Port Klang Cruise Terminal,
Port Klang Rail and Intermodal Connections, Port Klang Free Commercial Zone, and Port
Klang Distribution Parks are vital facilities in growing up the commerce of Port Klang. All of
these contribute to and support Port Klang's development.

Port Klang is a minor destination for tourism. However, the nearby attraction will bring
many tourists through the port yearly because Pulau Ketam (Crab Island) is located in the
western region of peninsular Malaysia. Pulau Ketam is a beautiful island just 20 kilometers,
about a 30-minutes boat ride, from Port Klang’s Klang Jetty. Dried squid and fish paste are the
most famous foods on the island. Tourists must go through Port Klang for a 30-minute boat
ride to arrive at Crab Island.

As a result, tourists may stay in Port Klang for a while for a hotel or grocery. Port Klang
is famous for its delicious and affordable sea. Restaurants are plentiful, most along the roads
on stilts above the water. Eventually, this may thrive a local business in the port Klang. Kuala
Lumpur is near to Port Klang, just about 40 kilometers west of the national capital. Therefore,
many visitors come from Kuala Lumpur. Other than that, visitors will find the Batu Caves
about 43 kilometers northeast of Port Klang. Rock climbers can enjoy the climbing routes over
the Batu Caves area. Sports have been increasing there over the last decade.

In recent years, the Malaysian government has been working hard to attract more
investment to boom up Port Klang because it can contribute to the country's economic growth.
The local government, Port Klang Authority, cooperated with the federal government to
develop port Klang long-term. The local government advises what should improve in Port

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Klang to the Federal government, such as facility issues, accessibility issues, and
environmental pollution issues. The government must make sure there is a balance between
economic purpose and social welfare. If there is an unbalanced development, such as ignoring
the importance of the environment. Everybody surrounding them would pay a hefty price for
their ignorance.

4.0 Discussion

4.1 The impact of coastal development to the existing ecosystem

Port Klang is the premier port of Malaysia with more than 14,207 vessel arrivals. The
port does not have reception facilities for waste from ships which exposes it to the potential
threat of oil spills from port operations. Below are the impacts effected of coastal development
on the existing ecosystem.

i. Solid waste

Figure 4.1.1 Solid Waste

Port Klang was once utilised as a dumping ground. Hundreds of containers laden with
plastic debris and scrap tyres, some of which are toxic, have been delivered here and neglected
at Port Klang throughout the years. According to Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager
Capt K. Subramaniam, the port had around 800 containers of such rubbish at the height of the
situation. "We've succeeded in cleaning several of them out over the years," he continued. At
though, we also have 280 containers in Port Klang and Westport, each of which are our
terminals". Millions of Ringgit Malaysia are lost in disposal and storage costs because of
irresponsible parties using Malaysia as a dumping ground for undesired waste. However, this
results in storage charges that must be borne by Port Klang Authority (PKA) ranging around

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RM 20 million and RM 25 million. Some of the wastes were brought in by legitimate shippers
for recycling but were discarded because of owing shipping cost by local consignees.
'Customers to crack back on unlawful plastic garbage entry at ports,' according to Bernama.
"We are doing tougher checks on containers entering the nation, particularly in Port Klang,"
said Customs Director General Paddy Abdul Halim. The issue of plastic garbage was brought
to light after it was claimed that the number of containers in Port Klang was discovered to
contain illegal waste during ten operations conducted by officials. According to Energy,
Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Changes Minister Yeo Bee Yin, the 60
containers of plastic waste illegally transported into the country on May 28 would be returned
to their respective countries. She stated that ten of the 60 containers, weighing 450 metric
tonnes, included plastic garbage from China, the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, Saudi
Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Malaysia is one of the countries that import recyclable plastic
garbage, and the National Solid Waste Management Department has so far awarded permission
to 62 companies to bring in and treat plastic scraps in the country.

ii. Water pollution

Figure 4.1.2 Water Pollution at Port Klang

This investigation presents the temporal and spatial distribution of heavy metals in
water and in sediments of Port Klang, Malaysia. Water and sediment samples collected from
21 stations at 3 months were calculated to estimate the contamination status at the sampling
stations. Cluster analysis was used to classify the stations based on the contamination sources.
Results show that the concentration of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in sediment and As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr,
and Zn in water were significantly higher than the background values at which these metals are
considered hazardous. The main sources of heavy metal contamination in Port Klang were
industrial wastewater and port activities. (Sany,Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly; Salleh, Aishah;
Sulaiman, Abdul Halim; Sasekumar, A; et al.)

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iii. Habitat destruction

Figure 4.1.3 Destruction of Habitat at Port Klang

Port Klang is home to a diverse range of plant and animal communities, each of which
has its own unique ecosystem that must be protected in order to preserve the region's natural
harmony. This is significant because it is imperative that every living species be preserved and
guarded against extinction so that the environment may remain intact. In addition, at certain
times of the year, the island of Kampar serves as a resting place for birds that migrate from the
Asian continent. In addition to providing protection for a wide variety of commercial fisheries
resources such as shrimp, crab, and fish, the ecology of mangroves serves as a regulator of
flood levels, a biofilter for pollutants, and a reservoir for the storage of carbon. Therefore,
because of the destruction of this habitat, various kinds of habitats are becoming increasingly
threatened and destroyed. This is in addition to the occurrence of other natural disasters such
as floods, which also disrupt the reproduction process in these habitats, regardless of whether
the organisms living there are plants or animals. According to the findings of the research, the
loss of the mangrove environment as a result of major development would have a detrimental
impact on the fishing industry, namely in the form of a reduction in the number of fish caught.
This will add to the difficulties experienced by locals, who otherwise get benefits from the
location.

There will be a failure of ecological systems as a consequence of the development and

opening of new places as a result of activities such as area clearing and logging for development
and industrial purposes. This will threaten the breeding grounds for some forms of life, and the
habitat of some species will also be disrupted. This is just one of the effects and threats that
will result from these activities. In addition, coastal erosion will take place as a result of
disturbances and dangers posed to the mangrove swamp, which will be caused by the absence
of a support network provided by the mangrove roots in the surrounding region.

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iv. Coastal Erosion

Figure 4.1.4 Coastal Erosion

Lastly, one of the most significant negative impacts of coastal development on the existing
ecosystem is erosion of the coastline. Coastal erosion is defined as the loss of land or its
relocation along the coastline, as well as the gradual removal of silt and rocks in that area.
Because of human activities and changes in the natural environment, coastal erosion occurs.
This causes the coastal dynamic action such as wave, current, and wind to become out of
balance in the coastal process. Additionally, the gradual loss of sediments in the coastal zone
leads to the destruction process of coastline retreat and beach erosion.

Development activities that are allowed to proceed unchecked along the shore and in
inland water catchment regions are the primary cause of excessive erosion and sedimentation.
As an example of the latter, recent instances of erosion along the shore of Pulau Indah have
been caused by works in the surrounding seas for the aim of land reclamation that involves
sand dredging. Erosion processes can become active in regions if coastal development activities
take place there without adequate mitigating measures and controls. Since 1963, for instance,
the coastline between Sungai Sementa and Sungai Puloh has suffered significant erosion at a
rate of 5 to 7 metres each year. This has caused the coastline to recede by up to 120-200 metres.
Erosion causes changes in the dynamics of the coast, which can lead to the loss of land area in
certain areas of the coastline while also causing sedimentation and the accumulation of land in
other areas. The ongoing shifts in the dynamics of the coast will wreak havoc on the ecosystem
of the mangrove forest, and may finally lead to its complete demise.

The ecosystem is put at risk by the numerous consequences and threats caused by coastal
erosion. One of them is the disruption of the photosynthetic process. Because of coastal erosion,
excessive loss or displacement of land occurs in the coastal area. This, in turn, ruins the flora

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and fauna's suitable environment and disrupts the photosynthetic process. Additionally, coastal
erosion causes the shallowing of coastal seas, restricting navigation and port access. Moreover,
it impedes natural flow and drainage, resulting in flooding. In addition, it also results in the
accumulation of sediment in the port's navigational channels, which increases the expense of
dredging to deepen access ways. Finally, coastal erosion increases the price of constructing and
maintaining beach barriers or protection walls and other coastal infrastructure.

5.0 Conclusion

Based on the research we have conducted, we found that coastal development has been
around for a long time in Malaysia due to the request of landowners in the area to construction
industry players to build buildings and most of them are accommodations for tourists who want
the atmosphere and beauty of the beach. The construction of buildings in coastal areas can have
many effects whether they are positive or negative. The uneven shape of the terrain in the
coastal area should be taken seriously by the building owner before starting the construction
process. Long-term effects such as landslides caused by unstable beach sand and less suitable
for construction. In addition, we found that there is another effect that will arise if coastal
development is carried out in our chosen area, which is Port Klang, which is habitat destruction.
Port Klang is home to a handful of flora and fauna. Therefore, this coastal construction will
cause the species to lose their habitat and will experience species extinction.

In addition, the disposal of solid waste is also a factor that must be taken seriously
because Port Klang was once recorded as a dumping ground for garbage and plastic waste.
Therefore, the area is very unsuitable for agricultural activities due to the acidic soil conditions.
The effects of solid waste disposal, the stench produced is difficult to remove and these things
can be an obstacle to developers for coastal development.

There are many effects and water pollution caused by coastal development. For
example, when coastal development is carried out in Port Klang. In addition to the positive
effects that developers always think of when doing projects such as profit due to the beautiful
coastal scenery that may attract many buyers. Therefore, we conclude through our research that
coastal development has more negative effects on the surrounding conditions than good effects.

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6.0 References

Ipl.org. The Importance of Coastal Development. Retrieved from

https://www.ipl.org/essay/The-Importance-Of-Coastal-Development-
P3C4LW74SCPR

Ocean Tracks. Coastal Development. Retrieved from

https://oceantracks.org/library/human-impacts/coastal-development

PEMSEA. (August, 2003). Port Klang Coastal Strategy. Retrieved from

http://www.seaknowledgebank.net/sites/default/files/port-klang-coastal-strategy.pdf

Science Direct. (2019). Coastal Development. Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/coastal-
development

Selangorku Kekal Hijau. (September, 2011). Integrated Coastal Management in Port Klang.
Retrieved from

https://selangorhijau.wordpress.com/2011/09/11/integrated-coastal-management-in-
port-klang/

Urban Land Institute. (2007). Ten Principles for Coastal Development. Retrieved from

https://uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/Ten-Principles-for-Coastal-
Development.pdf

World Port Source. Port Klang. Retrieved from

http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/review/MYS_Port_Klang_273.php

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7.0 Appendix
7.1 TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION
DATE
10th January 2023
11th January 2023
14th January 2023
15th January 2023
20th January 2023
24th January 2023
25th January 2023
26th January 2023
29th January 2023
PROGRESS
• Choose a group leader.
• Discuss and understand the topic of the
project.
• Distribute work among the group
members.
• Introduction completed.
• Background of the case study completed.
• Discussion impact of coastal development
to the existing ecosystem.
• Impact of coastal development to the
existing ecosystem completed.
• Conclusion completed.
• Compile all the references in APA format.
• Recheck all the project before submitting.
• Report completed and submitted by the
leader.
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 7.2 TABLE OF MILISTONE

DUTIES PERSON IN CHARGE

TABLE OF CONTENT • TENG KAH LOK

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • TAN QIAO HUI

INTRODUCTION • TENG KAH LOK

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY • TEE YU YANG

CASE
DISCUSSION IMPACT OF COASTAL • CHIA CHIE XIAN
DEVELOPMENT TO EXISTING • GAUTHAM A/L SEGAR
ECOSYSTEM • MUHAMMAD IRHAM BIN ZAINUDDIN
CONCLUSION • MUHAMAD HAAFIZH MIZWAN BIN
AZIZ JA'AFAR
REFERENCES • TAN QIAO HUI

APPENDIX • TEE YU YANG

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7.3 EVIDENCE OF DISCUSSION

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