Felda Taib Andak, picked as the first low carbon village in Malaysia, is set to be a model of sustainability in the effort to tackle weather changes and empower the economy of local residents.
The programme which was placed under the supervision of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) will conduct at least 12 low carbon activities, including a 3R programme (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), production of compost from food wastes and the cultivation of honey bamboo.
UTM vice Chancellor Professor Ir Dr Wahid Omar said, other than encouraging the practice of the concept of sustainability in the communities, it could also generate side income for Felda settlers.
“For example, we expect to produce 50 tonnes of compost a year which will bring in RM100,000,” he told reporters after launching the low carbon programme at Felda Taib Andak, here, today.
In addition, he said RM50,000 could be saved a year in fees to contractors to dispose of the garbage.
Wahid said income could also be generated via a recycling programme by reselling recycled items.
In November alone, 3,581 kilogramme of items for recycling were collected, he noted.
He said the low carbon village programme at the village was important as it was seen as one of the benchmarks for the government in instilling the sustainable concept among Malaysians.
“We target a big impact to be seen in five years. If successful, there is a possibility that the concept will be introduced in other Felda areas,” he added.
The programme, which started in 2009, also involved planting organic crops, air pollution control, rainwater recycling, open burning free zones and energy-saving projects at mosques.
Commenting on the planting of bamboo, he said every hectare could absorb 5.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
As such, contributions were very much needed for a large scale planting of bamboo which planned in April next year, in conjunction with Earth Day.
Other than UTM, the project also saw the involvement of numerous quarters, including the University Community Transformation Centre, Malaysian Education Department, Kyoto University, Okayama University and the National Institute of Environmental Science of Japan.
The programme was introduced following the launch of the Malaysia Iskandar Low Carbon Action Plan by Prime Minister Najib Razak last year.
