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SDG 6 : Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” focuses on achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation services with sustainable management. The goals are to solve the lack of water, enhance water quality, and promote hygiene practices.
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UNIMAS recognizes the vital importance of ensuring access to safe and affordable drinking water, adequate sanitation, and proper hygiene for all. Through research, education, and community engagement, we actively promote water conservation, water quality improvement, and sustainable sanitation practices. Outside the campus, UNIMAS extends its commitment by engaging in community outreach and educational programs to raise awareness about the critical importance of clean water and sanitation. 

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Water Usage and Care

water usage and care process treat waste water

We prioritize responsibility for the environment by implementing efficient wastewater treatment processes that ensure UNIMAS water discharge meets high environmental standards. One of the approach is for research to be translated into practices. Among the efforts that have been done in UNIMAS are :

27 March 2023, Monday

Technical visit to Sebangan Water Treatment Plant.
The visit was joined by UWC and students of Civil Engineering, UNIMAS. Thank you to Mr Roy and Mr Ladi (JBALB Samarahan) for receiving the delegates from UWC to the treatment plant. The treatmant plant supplied and discharged about 0.65MLD for the close neighbourhood and local community. The visit has benefited the students on the process involved in treating water and appreciating the role of water treatment plants in ensuring public health.

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31 July 2023
UWC members were involved in a visit to Jabatan Bekalan Air Luar Bandar (JBALB)’s Sarawak Alternative Water Supply, (SAWAS) project located at Lubok Kura, Tambirat, Kota Samarahan. The visit was joined by JBALB team and MUT representative. From Jetty Kg Tanjung Apong, the team took a boat to cross Sungai Sabang before reaching Lubok Kura. Interestingly, this SAWAS project features rainwater harvesting canopy which was designed to direct the collected rainfall to a huge 150k gallon stainless steel tank. The water is then treated and supplied to the villagers. We had a feast served by the villagers! They are happy with the fully functioning system in place and that has eased their daily lives, narrowing the gap between rural and urban areas. We are truly a community-driven university.

Water reuse

Water reuse policy

Understanding the importance of having a comprehensive policy in place to maximize water reuse across the campus, reducing water wastage and promoting sustainability; UNIMAS has put in place the need to establish a water reuse policy in Initiatives and Directions for SDG 6 in the UNIMAS Sustainability 2021 -2025 Masterplan.

Among other water policies that are adopted and use in UNIMAS are 

Technical Standard For Use Of Reclaimed Water

Dasar Sumber Air Negara

 

Plant Landscape Minimize Water Use

Landscape at the university led to the planting of trees or plants that do not require the use of water and care. Mimusops elengi as the dominant species planted and they complied with the urban forest health status guideline, whereby a diverse tree population might slow or prevent the spread of insects or diseases, and in the event that such pests should become established, the impact on a diverse tree population may be less severe In Borneo there is a lot of rainfall and this also helps to revive existing crop.





Water in the community

Water management educational opportunities
UNIMAS has been actively engage with local communities in creating the awareness on good water management through faculties and centres such as UNIMAS Water Center (UWC) Faculty of Engineering. UNIMAS Water Center (UWC) provides expertise to develop and upgrade water infrastructure service facilities, research activities related to treated water management and consultancy services. Apart from that, UWC also undertakes programmes related to water management awareness to the community.

Among other activities that have been implemented by UNIMAS in 2022 was the River Cleanup Activity with Community of Kampung Apar Singai, Bau under the USR programme. (Refer here for report on programme)

UNIMAS also offer educational programme related to effective water management practices such as Master in Environmental Science (Land Use And Water Resource Management) under the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology (FRST). 

Water Management Educational Material under the Faculty of Engineering, UNIMAS

Courses related to water management 

Among the courses that introduces water management as part of its curriculum are :
  • Master in Environmental Science (Land Use and Water Resource Management)
  • Master in Environmental Management (Development Planning)

    The Faculty of Resource Science and Technology (FRST) and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH) jointly offer a capacity building academic programme for the promotion of sustainable land use and natural resource management in Malaysia (SLUSE-M). This programme confers either a Master in Environmental Management (Development Planning) or Master in Environmental Science (Land Use and Water Resource Management). Master in Environmental Management (Development Planning) or MEMD is offered by FSSH while FRST offers Master in Environmental Science (Land Use and Water Resource Management) or MELW.

    The programme is modeled on and implemented in parallel to a similar programme initiated by a Danish consortium of universities (SLUSE-D). SLUSE-M applies natural and social scientific theories and methodologies in developing interdisciplinary approaches to understand the problems and finding solutions related to sustainable use of natural resources. This capacity building initiative is realized through the improvement and integration of education, training and research involving students and academic staff of UNIMAS, in collaboration with other local and foreign universities and agencies.

    SLUSE-M programme offers three main components as follows:
  1. Joint SLUSE module;
  2. Joint Experiential module; and
  3. Core module which would stream students into two possible majors of either MEMD or MELW