ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
This study explores the intertwining of sustainability and education in fostering a society capable of preserving ecological resources, with a focus on the environmental impacts of coastal land reclamation on local communities. In Malaysia, particularly on Penang Island, land reclamation has surged over the past two decades to support commercial, industrial, residential, and tourism development. While these projects enhance urban capacity, they raise significant environmental concerns, particularly regarding marine ecosystems and local livelihoods. This research investigates the sustainable implications of land reclamation on Robina Beach in Penang, emphasizing its effects on the local fishing community. Through structured questionnaires targeting fishermen, segmented into demographics, professional background, and a Likert scale for nuanced responses, along with discussions with the Head of the Fishery Association in Bagan Ajam, Pulau Pinang, the study captures the community's experiences and concerns regarding reclamation projects. Findings reveal that all respondents recognize the negative environmental impact of reclamation, which threatens marine life breeding grounds and disrupts their livelihoods. While fishermen do not oppose development, they urge the state government to consider all aspects of reclamation to prevent adverse outcomes. The study advocates integrating sustainability into reclamation practices to safeguard environmental integrity and protect the livelihoods of affected communities.
Al-Madany, I. M., Abdalla, M. A., & Abdu, A. S. (1991). Coastal zone management in Bahrain: an analysis of social, economic and environmental impacts of dredging and reclamation. Journal of environmental management, 32(4), 335-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4797(05)80070-2
Dermawan, A. (2021). NGO, Umno object to proposed reclamation from Bagan Ajam to Telok Air Tawar [NSTTV]. Retrieved from the article New Straits Times.
Feola, A., Lisi, I., Salmeri, A., Venti, F., Pedroncini, A., Gabellini, M., & Romano, E. (2016). Platform of integrated tools to support environmental studies and management of dredging activities. Journal of environmental management, 166, 357-373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.10.022
Kaparawi, A. R., & Latif, I. Z. A. (1996). Overview of coastal reclamation projects in Malaysia. Report prepared by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia, Malaysia.
Mok, O. (2021). Penang Umno submits objections to proposed RM2b reclamation project in Seberang Perai. Malaysia News: Yahoo.
Mostafa, Y. E. (2012). Environmental impacts of dredging and land reclamation at Abu Qir Bay, Egypt. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 3(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2011.12.004
Musaiger, A. O. (1988). The situation of fisheries in Bahrain.
National Science Foundation (NSF) (2012). Ecosystem Effects of Biodiversity Loss Rival Climate Change and Pollution.
Pincetti, L. (2023). Sustainable coastal development: a comparative analysis of environmental impacts between floating platforms and dredging (Doctoral dissertation, Politecnico di Torino).
Ramly, S. (2008). Impact on the coastal areas of the Tanjung Tokong Land.
Sandirasegaran, K., & Manap, N. (2016). Impacts of dredging and reclamation projects. Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering), 78(3), 139-143. https://doi.org/10.11113/jt.v78.9506
Sekaran, R. (2019). Reclamation projects: Fishermen hand over memorandum to Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri. Retrieved from the article The Star.
Stauber, J. L., Chariton, A., & Apte, S. (2016). Global change. In Marine ecotoxicology (pp. 273-313). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803371-5.00010-2
The Sun Daily (TSD), (2018). Gerakan Penang slams land deal linked to undersea tunnel project. Sun Media Corporation.
The Sun Daily (TSD), (2021). Penang Opposition Leader objects to proposed RM2 billion land reclamation project.
Tu, M. C., & Huang, Y. C. (2023). Impact of Land Reclamation on Coastal Water in a Semi-Enclosed Bay. Remote Sensing, 15(2), 510. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15020510
Wang, X., Chen, W., Zhang, L., Jin, D., Lu, C. (2010). Estimating the ecosystem service losses from proposed land reclamation projects: A case study in Xiamen. Ecological Economics Volume 69, Issue 12, Pages 2549-2556.
Jaafar, J., Rahim, N. A. A., & Othman, Z. (2024). “Educating for a Sustainable Future: Navigating the Impacts of Land Reclamation on Fishing Communities”. Case Study: Pantai Robina, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(4), 479–488.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode