Soil pollution can be harmful to human health, contaminate water sources, damage buildings and require huge expense to restore, said Permanent Secretary (Planning, Land Use and Environment) at the Ministry of Development Dr Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abdul Razak yesterday.
“In Brunei Darussalam, with the enforcement of the Environmental Protection and Management Act, Chapter 240, environmental pollution, including soil pollution, can be avoided or at least controlled to a safe level, through the requirements imposed on industries and developers, such as the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment and preparation of Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans,” she added.
She said this during a technical forum on managing contaminated land was held at the Authority for Building Control and Construction Industry (ABCi) Indera Pahlawan Hall.
The one-day forum featured a number of presentations and a panel session discussing matters on contaminated land, including regulations, management and assessments, from representatives of government agencies and companies involved in heavy industry.
Meanwhile, General Manager of Dowtec (B) Sdn Bhd Bykri bin Bujang, in a keynote presentation, highlighted that land and groundwater are valuable resources.
He noted that land impacted by human activities from former and current use such as agriculture, industry, mining and waste disposal prevents its intended beneficial use, resulting in depressed land economic value and potential impacts on human health and biodiversity and water quality.
Around 100 participants attended the forum organised by Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) in conjunction with World Environment Day 2024 celebration. The forum was themed, ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’. – Lyna Mohamad
