By: Dr. Rohasliney Hashim
HULU SELANGOR, Jan 20 – The Faculty of Environmental Studies (FPAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has organised a Peat Swamp Forest Ecosystem Conservation Community Project through environmental management knowledge sharing with the residents in the area of Raja Musa Forest Reserve, Selangor.
The project leader, Dr. Rohasliney Hashim, said the programme is intended to assist local community to plan conservation and preservation mechanism of peat swamp forest ecosystem to improve the quality of peat swamp forest.
"FPAS, UPM collaborates with Pertubuhan Sahabat Hutan Gambut Selangor Utara (SHGSU) and Hulu Selangor Forestry Department (JHDHU) to implement this project in which the project is sponsored by the community grant scheme – Knowledge Transfer Grant Scheme (KTGS) from the University Community Transformation Centre, UPM," she said.
She also said through this programme, it is hoped the members of SHGSU would put into practice the environmental quality monitoring technique and management method to ensure they become the eyes and ears to JHDHU in conserving the peat swamp ecosystem.
Among the lecturers from FPAS, UPM who produced the conservation method module and prevention of peat swamp forest ecosystem are Dr. Rohasliney Hashim, Dr. Nazatul Syadia Zainordin, Dr. Abdul Muhaimin Aminuddin and Dr. Zufarzaana Zulkiflee.
The community project also involved second year and third year students of Bachelor of Environmental Management. With the student involvement, they would be able to expand the environmental management knowledge they have learned in FPAS indirectly.
The project covers the introduction of environmental monitoring tool appliances, research techniques related to environmental monitoring and methods to do analysis correctly.
In this way, the community would be able to determine the environmental health level at their surroundings.
SHGSU acts as a credible resource person to carry out the environmental quality monitoring due to their location and that they are closer to the peat swamp ecosystem.
Their involvement in the environmental quality monitoring will give them a sense of ownership to the nearby community. Apart from that, monitoring of peat swamp forest reserve can be done at all times to ensure its sustainability. – UPM
