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In recenl years' there has been some serious re-thinking among both developed and
developing countries m the directions and pace of future development efforLs. In nnny ways,
this hes been prompted by new perceptions of the need to harmonize economic development
goals and policies with those of environmental proiection and improvement to ensure a better
quality of life for Lhe people. The prospect of near depletion of resources has accelerated
this process.
It has now become clear that the problems of environmental proLection are inseparable
from the problems of economic development. They are in fact two sides of the same coin,
two aspects of the same goal, one reinforcing and underpinning the other. It is then just a
matter of prudent management to approach environmental protection as a dimension of
economic development. We desire neither an immaculate and pristine environment for ils own
sake, nor all-out economic development at the other extreme which exlracts a heavy price in
terms of a degraded environment,
In the past, there has been a tendency to equaLe development with the more narrowly
conceived objective of economic growth as measured by the rise in gross national product or
by physical indicators alone. It is usually recognized today that high rates of economic
growth' necessary and desirable as they are, do not by themselves guerantee the easing of
urgent social and human problems. Indeed in many countries hiqh growth rstes ere
accompanied by increasing unemployment, rising disparities in incomes between groups and
between regions, and the deterioration of social and cullural quality of life. A new emphasis
is thus coming to be placed on the atteinment of social and cultural goals as part of the
development process. The recognition of environmental issues in developing countries is an
aspect of this widening of Bhe development concept. It is part of a nnre integrated or unified
approach to development objectives. This is timely in the Malaysian context as we are now
on the threshold of the Fourth Malaysia Plan, and as we depend partieularly on natural
resources for the generation of economic activities.
The economic growth, progress and well-being of a nation depend largely on adequete
resource availability as well as the systematic developnrent and use of these resources, both
renewable and non renewable, However, even renewable resources are limited to the capacity
of the whole ecological system. Thus there are, in a sense, limits to growth.
Much will depend on the prudent management of these resources and the extent to
which extrection and distribution impacts on the environment, which in turn af f ects
productivity. The capacity of the environment to generate essential renewable resources must
be maintained, restoned or improved. Otherwise, negati ve side-effects m the environrnent will
reduce the pay-off from the hoped-for developnrent to significantly less than the qtimum.
While Malaysia, compared to most developing countries, has seemingly abundant
resourcesr these have experienced rapid growth in the rales of exploilation, producing various
environnpntal probbms.
Strateov for environmental manaoement
In view of the interaction that exists between nesource development and environrnental
quality, environrnental management is understood to rnean prudent or qtimal use,
maintenenee and enhancement of both the quality of our natural resources.
Since the prospects for an abundant supply of natural resources are weak in the long
run, and technologicel innovations are inadequate, diserete and unpredictable, the developing
countries have to take a serious look at their resource limitations, especially renewable
Fesources, snd tailor their development efforts accordingly. TNs does not imply sacrificing
development itself. What it does imply, though, is thaL Lhe patterns of resource development
and regource use have to be restructured through resource management policies which are
integrated, innovative and imaginstive, and focus m employment and efficiently organized
productive activities while treating environment as an important parameter. Essentially
resource management should aim at:
(i) Minimizing westes in the process of resoutce developnnnt, and utilization of wastes
that are produced.
(ii) Developing eppropriate technology for the management and control of wasLes.