Spatial inequalities in Malaysia’s non-revenue water rates issues, challenges and management strategies

In Malaysia, high non-revenue water (NRW) rate is amongst the country’s top water issues. NRW rates of all states in the country vary greatly, with the rates ranging from 18.2 to 62.4 per cent. This huge spatial variation is due to variations in management efficiency of the water operator, amount of funding for NRW reduction programme and level of public awareness. This paper aims to examine the effect of the spatial inequality on NRW management in Malaysia’s states by comparing NRW rates between states with different area sizes. The study is mainly based on literature review and secondary data. The results show that states with smaller surface areas recorded lower NRW rates but the smallest state was found to record the highest NRW rate. Factors such as service’s coverage area, population density, water supply network density, dispersal of the city area, and location of the water users, and type of water users also have significant impacts on NRW management. For example, high water supply network density, poor water resources availability and high demand in Penang have forced the state’s water operator to increase its efficiency in NRW management. In contrast, low water demand, low population density, and less commercial area in Perlis are found to be the reasons of high NRW rate in the state. In conclusion, spatial factors can impact NRW as smaller states can better manage NRW due to the smaller water service areas covered. However, states cannot use size of service area and spatial variations as excuses for high NRW as the study found that adequate funding, proper planning, effective management, efficient service, and proactive strategies of water operator are more important factors that can have significant impacts on the NRW rates

A Comparative Study Of Issues And Challenges In Reducing Non Revenue Water Rates In Pulau Pinang And Perlis, Malaysia

Di Malaysia, ketidakupayaan negeri-negeri dalam pengurangan kadar Air Tidak Berhasil (NRW) telah memberi kesan negatif terhadap negara dalam pengurusan air. Tujuan kajian adalah untuk mengenal pasti isu-isu dan cabaran yang dihadapi oleh pembekal perkhidmatan air (PPA) di Malaysia dalam pengurangan kadar NRW di negeri masing-masing. Satu penyelesaian yang mempertimbangkan pelbagai faktor-faktor dalam pengurangan NRW telah dicipata dalam kajian ini. Kaedah campuran yang mengabungkan kaedah kualitatif dan kaedah kuantitatif telah digunakan dalam kajian ini. Kedua-dua faktor dalaman dan luaran yang mempengaruhi prestasi PPA dalam proses pengurangan NRW telah dikaji dengan membandingkan pengurusan NRW di Pulau Pinang (kadar NRW yang terendah) dan Perlis (kadar NRW yang tertinggi) melalui temubual kualitatif dan pemerhatian. Persepsi orang awam dan penglibatan mereka dalam pengurangan NRW juga dikaji melalui soal selidik. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa kehilangan fizikal (real loss) dan kehilangan komersil (apparent loss) merupakan dua elemen utama yang menyebabkan kadar NRW tinggi di banyak negeri di Malaysia. Minat unit pengurusan, sumber manusia, kemampuan kewangan, dan kapasiti teknikal sesuatu PPA dalam pengurangan NRW telah dikenali sebagai faktor-faktor dalaman yang mempengaruhi sesuatu PPA dalam mengurangkan NRW. In Malaysia, the states’ inability to curb Non-Revenue Water (NRW) losses has negatively impacted the country’s progress in reducing NRW rates. This research attempts to identify the issues and challenges faced by Malaysia’s water service providers (WSPs) in reducing NRW rates in different states in order to contribute towards developing a comprehensive solution for NRW reduction. A mixed methodology combining both qualitative and quantitative methodologies is adopted to provide a comprehensive analysis. In this study, both internal and external factors influencing a WSP’s performance in NRW management were studied by comparing NRW reduction in Pulau Pinang (lowest NRW rate) and Perlis (highest NRW rate) via qualitative interview and field observation. Public perception of and involvement in NRW reduction was also studied via quantitative questionnaire survey. Results show that real and apparent losses were the two major elements contributing high NRW rates in many states. The level of interest of the management unit, human resources, financial capacity, and technical capacity of a WSP were found to be the internal factors influencing a WSP’s progress in reducing NRW

Understanding Public Perception of and Participation in Non-Revenue Water Management in Malaysia to Support Urban Water Policy

In contextualising the serious water loss, inefficient resource utilization, and ineffective water utility management in Malaysia, the objective of this study is to understand the public’s perception of non-revenue water (NRW) management in order to provide policy inputs, and to determine ways to improve public participation in NRW reduction. Findings reveal that there is currently only meagre public participation in NRW management in Malaysia, with a majority of the respondents demonstrating a lack of knowledge and awareness on NRW; over-dependence on water utility and government agencies in reducing NRW rates; and failure to submit a report when a leaking pipe is noticed. Educating the public on the importance of reducing NRW and promoting public interests and concerns around water tariffs, is essential to improve NRWreductions in Malaysia. Community-led strategies to better engage the public in addressing NRW-related issues have to be enhanced. To this end, concrete policy implications derived from the findings of the study are outlined

Enterovirus type 71 2A protease functions as a transcriptional activator in yeast

Enterovirus type 71 (EV71) 2A protease exhibited strong transcriptional activity in yeast cells. The transcriptional activity of 2A protease was independent of its protease activity. EV71 2A protease retained its transcriptional activity after truncation of 40 amino acids at the N-terminus but lost this activity after truncation of 60 amino acids at the N-terminus or deletion of 20 amino acids at the C-terminus. Thus, the acidic domain at the C-terminus of this protein is essential for its transcriptional activity. Indeed, deletion of amino acids from 146 to 149 (EAME) in this acidic domain lost the transcriptional activity of EV71 2A protein though still retained its protease activity. EV71 2A protease was detected both in the cytoplasm and nucleus using confocal microscopy analysis. Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease also exhibited transcriptional activity in yeast cells. As expected, an acidic domain in the C-terminus of Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease was also identified. Truncation of this acidic domain resulted in the loss of transcriptional activity. Interestingly, this acidic region of poliovirus 2A protease is critical for viral RNA replication. The transcriptional activity of the EV71 or Coxsackie virus B3 2A protease should play a role in viral replication and/or pathogenesis

A Critical Evaluation of River Management Models in Malaysia

Rivers are important natural resources of a country as they provide a wide range of ecosystem services. However, the problem is that rivers in Malaysia are badly degraded due to mismanagement, neglect, pollution and abuse. River management in Malaysia is largely based on the government-centric top-down model which is sectoral-based. This model is ineffective as it has no private sector, NGO and public engagement and support. This paper aims to examine various types of river management models to identify the ones that can be effective in Malaysia. The methodology used a mixture of literature review of existing river management models, secondary data on published journal papers, reports and books on river management. Results of selected river management conferences are also studied, examined and findings synthesized. Primary data is also compiled with selected in-depth qualitative interviews with key government officers, managers of private companies, NGO officers and village heads. Results show that the government (various levels) is traditionally the responsible party in managing rivers, but increasingly, the public, NGOs, businesses and other stakeholders are actively involved. Results also show that holistic river management with active engagement of all stakeholders is necessary. In Malaysia, rivers are found to be intricately intertwined with all aspects of development. It was concluded that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is an effective river management model in Malaysia as it conserves the river and its environment, and brings together all parties for building their capacities in river management towards achieving many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms