Category: News

Published: Monday, 25 June 2018 11:34

From the 16th to the 18th of May 2018, EcoKnights was invited to conduct a waste assessment survey on two islands, Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi located on the east coast of Johor. We were invited by the Community Understanding and Management of Dugong and Seagrass Resources in Johor, Malaysia (MY3) project. During our visit to the islands it was unfortunate to see that there weren’t any proper waste management facilities on both islands and that the local communities resorted to creating their own landfills or throwing food waste into the oceans.

We conducted several informal interviews with the villagers of Kampung Teluk Bakau, Kampung Tanjung Balang and Kampung Pasir Panjang as well as a few resorts – Rimba Resort, Seri Pacifica Resort, Twin Beach Resort and TaD Resort, that are based on the two islands. It was encouraging to find that the people on the island are open towards more sustainable alternatives to manage their food and solid waste. Even with their lack of facilities on the islands, some of the resorts and villagers are taking their own initiative to start their own composting activities with the resources that they have.

It can be observed that the island lifestyle is different from that of mainland and urban areas, hence a different approach is necessary to suit the island communities’ needs and lifestyle. We hope that further engagements with the community on both islands will allow more opportunities for potential collaborations or practices in better waste management to reduce the amount of waste that is mismanaged.