Environmental quality deterioration and human security : the need for an integrated environmental management system

Abstract

Ever since people utilise natural resources, environmental quality started to deteriorate. One might ask, how does environmental quality deterioration affect human security? The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food that we consume is all related to the environment. Deterioration of the quality of these natural resources will affect human health and well-being and therefore becomes a threat to human security. Since 1975, environmental quality management in Malaysia is handled by the Department of Environment under the enabling Environmental Quality Act, 1974. A National Policy on the Environment has been put in place since 2002, however the implementation of the Green Strategies is still found wanting. Since the environment is vast, not much can be carried out by the Department of Environment alone. The implementation of the strategies requires an integrated environmental management system that takes into account of all stakeholders to play their parts. This paper gives a brief account of environmental quality deterioration in Malaysia and its effects on human security and suggests an alternative option in the form of an integrated environmental management system.