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Malaysia Water Resources and Freshwater Ecosystems Factsheet

Malaysia Water Resources and Freshwater Ecosystems Factsheet

Sarawak River from a longboat steered by a native tribesman. @ C.Michael Hogan Sarawak River from a longboat steered by a native tribesman. @ C.Michael Hogan
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: C Michael Hogan

Introduction

Malaysia, situated in southeast Asia, consists of two regions: Peninsular Malaysia in the west, lying between Thailand and Singapore, and the states of Sabah and Sarawak located in the east on the island of Borneo. The two regions are separated by the South China Sea. The total land area of the country is 328,550 km². Malaysia is a federal country, divided into 13 states plus the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan Island..

The World Resources Institute is an environmental think tank that conducts research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives. Its mission is to move human society to protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for current and future generations. In this endeavour, it has created EarthTrends, an online collection of information regarding the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world. Committed to the principle that accurate information drives responsible decisions by governments and individuals.

Factsheet

                                                                                     MALAYSIA   ASIA (excl. Middle East)  

 INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES (IRWR), 1977-2001 (km3

   
      Surface water produced internally   566  10,985
      Groundwater recharge   64  2,472
      Overlap (shared by groundwater and surface water)   50  2,136
      Total internal renewable water resources (surface water + groundwater - overlap)   580  11,321
      Per capita IRWR, 2001 (cubic meters)   25,178  3,241

  Natural Renewable Water Resources (includes flows from other countries)

   
       Total, 1977-2001 (km3  580   X
       Per capita, 2002 (m3 per person)   25,178   X
       Annual river flows:    
            From other countries (km3)  X   X
            To other countries (km3)  X   X

 WATER WITHDRAWALS

   
       Year of withdrawal data 1995    
            Total withdrawals (km3  12.7   X
            Withdrawals per capita (m3/person)   636   X
            Withdrawals as a percentage of actual renewable water resources   2.5%   X
      Withdrawals by sector (as a percent of total) {a}    
            Agriculture   77%   X
            Industry   13%   X
            Domestic   11%   X

DESALINATION (various years)

   
 Desalinated water production (m3  0   X

 FRESHWATER FISH SPECIES, 1990s

   
 Total number of species   449   X
 Number of threatened species   14   X

 FRESHWATER SEAFOOD PRODUCTION

   
      Freshwater fish catch {b}    
           1990 (metric tons)   12,995  3,783,743
           2000 (metric tons)   22,636  5,959,055
      Freshwater aquaculture production    
           1987 (metric tons)   2,738  5,029,515
           1997 (metric tons)   20,303  15,469,848

References and Further Reading

 

Citation

World Resources Institute, Mark McGinley (Lead Author);C Michael Hogan (Topic Editor) "Malaysia Water Resources and Freshwater Ecosystems Factsheet". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth October 12, 2009; Last revised Date August 30, 2011; Retrieved May 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Malaysia-_Water_Resources_and_Freshwater_Ecosystems_Factsheet_(ERI)>

The Authors

World Resources Institute The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people's lives. Our mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Because people are inspired by ideas, empowered by knowledge, and moved to change by greater understanding, WRI provides—and helps other institutions pro ... (Full Bio)

Mark McGinleyMark McGinley is an Associate Professor in the Honors College and Department of Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University. He has conducted research in the evolutionary, behavioral, and community ecology of animals and plants. Dr. McGinley’s recent scholarly interests focus on educating the general public about scientific (particularly environmental) issues. He is currently working closely with students in an interdisciplinary degree program, Natural History and Humanities, which combine ... (Full Bio)

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