National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chairman Charles Santiago raised a pertinent point at last week’s 3rd Asia International Water Week (AIWW3) in Beijing, China – when a river stops flowing, life stops flourishing.
River protection and water conservation must be prioritised equally and perceived as two parts of the same ecosystem, ensuring sustainability and water security.
To combat pollution of Malaysian rivers, Santiago called for a national ‘zero discharge policy’, as practised by the country’s largest industrial state – Selangor.
“Industries should be mandated to recycle and reuse wastewater instead of discharging it into rivers. Any discharge into the rivers will result in a fine. This approach minimises pollution and promotes more efficient water use,” said Santiago.
“This zero discharge policy will ensure industries are accountable through stricter enforcement and financial penalties for non-compliance, ensuring long-term water security and cleaner rivers nationwide.
“Malaysia should also introduce a surcharge to promote prudent water use. The tax would emphasise water’s scarcity value and encourage conservation at every level of society.”
He said countries like China and Singapore have implemented water conservation surcharge models based on the principle of “the more you consume, the more you pay”.
Singapore’s Water Conservation Tax progressively increases with higher consumption, which promotes water recycling. Similarly, China’s Water Resource Tax imposes higher rates on industries with excessive water usage to encourage sustainable practices and conservation.
“The relentless pursuit of economic growth has transformed rivers into conduits of pollution. Like many nations, Malaysian rivers are infested with plastic, sewage, chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial pollution, including the forever chemicals PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances),” said Santiago.
Malaysia’s Water Sector Transformation 2040 (WST 2040) aims to secure water resources and position the country as a Regional Water Hub by 2040. The WST focuses on improving governance, enhancing financial sustainability, and adopting smart technologies to drive sustainable water management.
It also addresses the Water-Energy-Food Nexus and integrates climate adaptation strategies to build resilience into Malaysia’s water infrastructure.
Santiago said the United Nations reported that 80 per cent of sewage generated globally is discharged into rivers and oceans untreated, resulting in over 50 diseases.
The stakes are high in Southeast Asia, where rivers like Thailand’s Lam Mun are drying up due to excessive irrigation. The Indonesian Environment Ministry had said that 59 per cent of Indonesian rivers are polluted.
Santiago added that Malaysia must consider rainwater harvesting as an alternative water resource, the use of reclaimed water in construction, agriculture, and industrial sectors, and the reduction of non-revenue water (NRW).
“Malaysia loses a third of its treated water due to NRW, costing the nation billions, annually.
“Reducing these losses will free up water reserves and lessen the need for new treatment plants,” said Santiago.
“We must reduce water consumption as Malaysia’s average water consumption stands at 247 litres per capita per day (LCD), higher than the World Health Organisation’s recommended level of 165 LCD.”
He said education must also be a key component of public awareness campaigns.
Separately, Santiago suggested that to streamline river governance, countries should establish federal agencies to oversee river management based on a basin approach similar to Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
“The Murray-Darling Basin Agreement provides a model for how water resources can be divided across various needs – drinking, agriculture, industry, and environmental preservation – across states like New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria,” he explained.
“This basin approach integrates the management of the entire river system, ensuring a balanced distribution of water that meets human and environmental demands.
“Adopting a basin-wide management strategy is critical for any country facing competing water demands. This approach considers the river as a whole, rather than fragmented parts, promoting equitable water allocation and long-term sustainability.”
Santiago also said there is a growing global movement calling for granting rivers legal personhood, a concept gaining traction in countries like New Zealand, Canada, Colombia, and Bangladesh.
“Legal personhood provides rivers with the rights to be protected from exploitation and pollution, thus aligning with indigenous values that view rivers as living entities.
“Integrating indigenous knowledge into river management is crucial. Indigenous communities have long understood the spiritual and ecological importance of rivers.
