5th International Conference on Rain Water Cistern Systems
"Rainwater Catchment for Future Generations"
Keelung, Taiwan, R.O.C. - August 1991

Section 10: Country Reports and Future Outlooks

Page 676

Rainwater Cistern System In Malaysia Reconsidered

Uzir bin Abdul Malik
University Kebangsaan Malaysia

Hamidon bin Othman
Ministry of Health Malaysia

Introduction

It has been almost a decade since an attempt was made to examine the policy and practice of rainwater cistern system (RWCS) in Malaysia. The main aim of this paper is therefore to review the development of RWCS over the past decade and consider its future prospect. This is especially in view of the massive rural water supply programme undertaken by the government particularly during the second half of the decade.

It has to be mentioned at the outset that RWCS in Malaysia is essentially a rural water supply system. There has been no attempt on the part of any agency related to water supply to introduce the system in an urban environment and: attempts by private individuals to utilize this source of supply can be said to be minimal. The urban areas has been entirely dependent on the potable system provided by the various waiver supply agencies and the folly of this over-dependence has been clearly demonstrated by the recent failure of the Malacca water supply system.

Other than private efforts which are largely uncoordinated, the only programme on RWCS in the rural area is under the purview of the Ministry of Health. However, to quite an extent it could also be said that the RWCS programme of the Ministry of Health at the State levels is largely uncoordinated, This is illustrated by the absence of any clear-;:guideline on programme implementation at the policy as well as technical level.

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