By Melati Mohd Ariff
Monday March 2, 2009
This is the final feature of a series of three on Cameron Highlands
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The water crisis that hit Cameron Highlands in the late 1990s prompted several concerned residents to form the Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH).
Against the many challenges that came its way, REACH continues to gain momentum, garnering support especially from the local residents in making its stance on the many environmental issues plaguing the highlands.
REACH president Ramakrishnan Ramasamy, 43, born and bred in Cameron Highlands, has been at the helm of this community-based body since the organisation took shape in 1998.
Still going on: A file picture of farming areas on steep slopes in Cameron Highlands.
“Our main concern is the fast pace of development that is taking place in Cameron Highlands and its future if there is no proper check and balance,” he told Bernama in an interview here recently.
Ramakrishnan strongly maintained that the highland is a legacy that is not inherited but borrowed from the future generations. Hence, its well-being need to be protected and preserved.
With many on-going sustainable programmes, REACH does not only get the much needed support and assistance from the people of Cameron Highlands but it also received helping hands from volunteers from Kuala Lumpur and as far as Singapore.
Deeply concerned with the repeated rape of the virgin jungles around Cameron Highlands, REACH with the support of Forestry Department initiated a reforestation project in 2001.
According to Ramakrishnan, the project involved 17 hectares of area in Gunung Brinchang.
A local farmer cleared the site for agricultural activities and part of it was a forest reserve of Ulu Bertam.
The forest does not only contain diverse biodiversity of flora and fauna but also forms part of the water catchment area for the Sungai Burung water treatment plant.
“So you can imagine what happened when the site was cleared. Not only the forest was cleared, both its flora and fauna were also gone and the quality of drinking water was also affected.
“We managed to convince the Department of Forestry to have a smart-partnership with us, them giving us the technical assistance and we would reforest the illegally-cleared site,” he said.
To date, REACH with the help of volunteers has managed to cover about 60 % of the said site.
Some of the local species that have been replanted including podo bukit (podocarpus neriifolia), medang (lauraceae spp), meranti bukit (meranti bukit) and merapuh daun runcing (swietenia penagiana).
Doing his part for the nature: A young volunteer helping to replant one of the local species. According to Ramakrishnan the reforestation project was initiated in 2001.
In 2004, REACH started planting symingtonia (exbucklandia) populnea at the site.
All the seedlings, according to Ramakrishnan were obtained from the nearby-forested area and other locations.
Rivers of Cameron Highlands are receiving the full brunt of the uncontrolled clearings of lands for agricultural activities particularly on steep slopes and water catchment areas as well as over-development or urban areas.
And according to Ramakrishnan, because of the deteriorating conditions of the rivers, REACH has taken onto itself to educate the people of Cameron Highlands on the importance of good river water quality. The project took off in 2005.
“First we started out by creating awareness and condition of the rivers. We began with the secondary school children and this year, we will get the primary schools to be involved as well,” he said.
Another on-going sustainable programme by REACH is the recycling project initiated in 2003.
“We started with an awareness programme that involved school children and the local community which includes housing areas and villages.
“We also went to the Orang Asli settlements,” said Ramakrisnan, adding that educational activities at schools involve bringing 5kg of recyclable materials each week.
REACH also established collection centres for all recyclable items including newspapers, aluminum cans and plastics at specific locations at Bertam Valley, Ringlet, Brinchang, Tringkap, Kuala Terla and Kampung Raja.
“We are targeting the farms this year. We visited some previously but our efforts were hampered due to shortage of staff,” he said.
According to Ramakrishnan, the farms use a lot of plastics and some have been indiscriminately dumping plastics and other wastes into the rivers.
Meanwhile, REACH would be coming out with a book on Wild Orchids of Cameron Highlands next month. The A4-size book is 205 pages thick, full colour with over 400 photographs of wild orchids, amidst the backdrop of some of the more untouched and unspoilt areas of the highlands.
“Proceeds from the sale of the RM98 book will be channeled to our conservation projects in Cameron Highlands,” said Ramakrishnan.
“The orchids are intact but their very existence is threatened by logging and also by indirectly local climate change brought about by immense clearing of lands for agricultural activities,” he added.
More information on REACH is available by either calling 012-589 8684, email reach@reach.org.my. or visit http://www.reach.org.my/). -- BERNAMA
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