Malaysia

Natural Resources and the Environment: Towards Sustainable Development

Natural resources and environment

Malaysia's rapid economic development in the two decades since independence has brought
benefits to the nation as a whole. However, it has also produced problems in relation to the
natural resources and the environment, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia. The urgency with
which economic, social and political objectives have to be achieved through development has
greatly taxed the nation's natural resources, such as land, forests and water, whilst the
discharge of wastes of various kinds has resulted in the degradation of rivers, the seas and air
extensive in the world.
Malaysia is the world’s leading tin producer and an important producer of other nonenergy
minerals including bauxite, coal, copper, gold, and iron. However, mining has declined in its
contribution to the economy and labor force. From 1980 to 2005, the percentage of the labor
force employed in mining and quarrying fell from 1.6 percent to an estimated 0.4 percent, and
as a percentage of gross domestic product mining and quarrying declined from 10.1 percent to
6.7 percent
Tin in Malaysia
Malaysia used to the world's largest producer of tin, producing 40 percent of the world’s total
production. Much of the ore was obtained through dredging and gravel pumping in northwest
Malaysia
Tin is a metal used primarily in cans and electrical construction. The main producers of tin are
Brazil, Bolivia, China, Indonesia and Malaysia. The demand for tin has declined since other
metals have been used for cans. In the old days tin was panned like gold by Malaysian women.
Malaysia’s urban environment has been regarded as the smallest polluted areas in Asia. But the
aim of achieving as an industrial country by the year 2020 and the related rapid economic
development have began to increase industrial pollution and the degradation of urban
surroundings. Reduction of air, water and industrial wastes pollution has turn to be more
severe in Malaysia in recent years.
The distressfulness and the long term damaging effect of environmental pollution cannot be
over emphasised. If left to prevail, it can contribute to destructive consequences on our
wellbeing and economy. This will lead to increase in health and social costs. It has been
observed that throughout the last century numerous countries have distinctly presented
remarkable levels of economic performance but it is essential to examine the cost related with
such success.