Wastage a pressing issue faced in Brunei
Ying Chia and Leo Kasim
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Minister of Development YB Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi delivering his keynote address during the National Environment Conference 2012 held at The Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel & Country Club. Picture: BT/ Yusri Adanan
DETERIORATION of our environment remains an issue for the nation, based on what is generated (waste) to the environment by consumers on a per capita basis.
However, the Minister of Development stressed that there are ways and practices to overcome the pressing issue.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman, during his opening address at the fifth edition of the National Environment Conference yesterday.
“On the surface of it, the current state of our environment appears to indicate sustainability, but on a per capita basis, what we generate to the environment presents a different reality,” said Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi during his opening speech at the Grand Hall, The Empire Hotel and Country Club.
He disclosed what he referred to as “pretty alarming” figures which show Brunei’s energy consumption per capita surpassing developed countries like Japan, France and Germany, by at least 1,300 kilowatts per hour per person.
The Sultanate also shoots ahead in solid waste generation with 1.4kg of solid waste per person per day, compared to the 1kg or less per person per day of ASEAN countries he said.
Brunei also makes about 15.5 tonnes per capita per year in carbon dioxide emissions, compared to a mere 9.1 metric tonnes in the UK and 7.1 metric tonnes generated by Malaysia; the nation also consumes twice the amount of water as Malaysia and three times that of Singapore, at a staggering 450 litres of water per person per day, according to the minister.
With the Vision 2035 goals for higher standards of living and per capita income to be within the top 10 countries worldwide he said, “This demands that attention be given to developing parts of the country into an economic oasis which can translate into a physical progress in parts of the country, into vibrant areas for foreign direct investment.”
He also heeded that careful attention be paid to the appropriate balance between economic growth, effective environmental protection and social progress.
In his speech, Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi also outlined numerous initiatives that the Ministry of Development is currently working on such as increasing promotion of water conservation through an education and awareness campaign, that includes “promoting the uses of water saving devices and water efficient fittings in public buildings”.
Future houses under the National Housing Scheme will also be fitted with dual cistern, low volume toilets, as well as encouraging owners of new commercial buildings to use these water-efficient sanitary fittings.
Environmental projects under the ministry also include the Green Building initiative which he said has begun preliminary works, with the establishment of a working committee and a “Green Roadmap” that will eventually lead to a National Green Building Certification Scheme.
A similar scheme in Singapore will be used as the basis for this he said.
“We are currently collecting data to get a baseline of the green initiatives. The data collection will take two to five years to be completed.”
The minister also highlighted the areas of waste and land management, where a material recovery facility for used tyres in Bukit Udal, Tutong, is being worked on with a local entrepreneur and said efforts to better coordinate and manage the waste collection industry through improved service and increased coverage, is being explored.
“This is an industry that may need to be restructured and better regulated in the near future because a poor service provider can actually do more harm than good if they dump their collection indiscriminately.”
He also said that Brunei currently does not have appropriate facilities and sufficient skilled manpower for the eco-friendly disposal of hazardous waste and that a feasibility study for the ‘Development of Treatment and Disposal of Hazardous Wastes Centre’ was currently being done.
The conference is organised annually by Asia Inc Forum, with this year’s theme focusing on the conservation of natural resources for a sustainable future.
The Brunei Times
Source: http://www.bt.com.bn/news-national/2012/06/21/wastage-pressing-issue-faced-brunei