Improving MSW landfilling system of developing countries: An assessment of current conditions and situations in Kedah, Malaysia

This article is about finding key structural and institutional adjustments that,if undertaken, would allow for realisation of continuous improvements to any municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilling system. Our analysis of the MSW landfilling systems of the developed nations had shown that every modern MSW landfilling system is comprised at least four major components that are interconnected. These four components are rules and regulations, environmental protection measures consisting of procedures, engineering, and technology, organisation and personnel arrangement, and revenues and costs. With the objective of finding what changes are necessary so as to cause improvement to the Kedah’s landfilling system, data on all four components were collected. The data gathering methods that were employed included a self-administered questionnaire, field observations, and structured interviews.Our assessment of the landfilling system of Kedah yielded the following results: the majority of landfill facilities in Kedah consisted of crude open dumping operations and the contributory factors to this situation include; facility operations were not overseen by higher level of governmental bodies; badly or improperly site, design, and construction criteria; facility management by either untrained or unskilled managers; and lack funds. The structural and institutional adjustments that we think should be undertaken include development of clearer laws and re-assignment of oversight responsibilities,adoption of appropriate landfilling practices and technology, creation of landfill worker training programmes, and the development of new financing devices to pay for higher costs associated with safer landfilling technology and management. Not until all of these four adjustments have been simultaneously 18 IJMS 14 (2), 17-33 (2007)considered, any attempts to cause improvements to the Kedah’s MSW landfilling systems will only just be a temporary solution

Innovative technologies for industrial wastes

This article is intended to provide several case studies of successful waste management of a few selected industries in their attempts to become “environmental-conscious” firms. In particular, this article examines the innovative waste-reduction and waste reuse processes undertaken by certain firms in the following industries - asphalt cement and concrete, ferrous metals, Portland cement and concrete, and some other that on the face of it somewhat isolated innovative technologies. For each case, the driver, the waste management technology or processes involved, as well as the associated economic benefits of the adjustments was highlighted. It is hoped that the findings of this article will provide the motivation or continue to motivate engineers and scientists to further explore processes that will help towards better management of industrial wastes

Improving MSW Landfilling System of Developing Countries: An Assessment of Current Conditions and Situations in Kedah, Malaysia

This article is about finding key structural and institutional adjustments that, if undertaken, would allow for realisation of continuous improvements to any municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilling system. Our analysis of the MSW landfilling systems of the developed nations had shown that every modern MSW landfilling system is comprised at least four major components that are interconnected. These four components are rules and regulations, environmental protection measures consisting of procedures, engineering, and technology, organisation and personnel arrangement, and revenues and costs. With the objective of finding what changes are necessary so as to cause improvement to the Kedah’s landfilling system, data on all four components were collected. The data gathering methods that were employed included a self-administered questionnaire, field observations, and structured interviews. Our assessment of the landfilling system of Kedah yielded the following results: the majority of landfill facilities in Kedah consisted of crude open dumping operations and the contributory factors to this situation include; facility operations were not overseen by higher level of governmental bodies; badly or improperly site, design, and construction criteria; facility management by either untrained or unskilled managers; and lack funds. The structural and institutional adjustments that we think should be undertaken include development of clearer laws and re-assignment of oversight responsibilities, adoption of appropriate landfilling practices and technology, creation of landfill worker training programmes, and the development of new financing devices to pay for higher costs associated with safer landfilling technology and management. Not until all of these four adjustments have been simultaneously considered, any attempts to cause improvements to the Kedah’s MSW landfilling systems will only just be a temporary solution.

Nilai kualiti air minuman di Daerah Kubang Pasu pendekatan gelagat mengelak risiko

Kajian ini mengukur kesanggupan untuk membayar oleh pengguna untuk mendapatkan air minuman yang bersih.Dengan memfokuskan kepada penduduk di Daerah Kubang Pasu, Kedah, nilai kesanggupan membayar diukur dengan menggunakan teknik “gelagat pengelak risiko”.Hasil kajian mendapati perbelanjaan mengelak bagi responden di Kubang Pasu, Kedah dianggarkan pada RM74.52/sebulan (memasak air dengan elektrik) dan RM161.83/sebulan (memasak air dengan gas).Kedua-dua kos ini mengambil kira kos masa yang terpaksa digunakan untuk aktiviti ini.Perbelanjaan mengelak melalui pembelian air yang dibotolkan ialah RM41.98/sebulan.Bagi yang menggunakan penapis air, secara puratanya kos yang dikeluarkan bagi pertama kali pembeliannya ialah RM998

An analysis of the United States demand for Malaysian palm oil

Jika dibandingkan dengan sumber minyak dan lemak utama yang lain, minyak sawit mempunyai potensi yang cerah di Amerika Syarikat (AS) kerana penawarannya yang lebih stabil dan harganya yang selalunya lebih rendah. Anggaran yang dibuat menunjukkan bahawa jumlah minyak sawit yang diimpot oleh AS mempunyai hubungan yang signifikan nisbah harga minyak soya kepada minyak sawit.Implikasi kajian ini adalah pertama, Malaysia harus memberi- perhatian khusus kepada polisi-polisi pertanian yang bakal diamalkan oleh Kerajaan AS dan kedua, mengawal dan memastikan harga minyak sawit terus berada di tahap yang "competitive"

Innovative Technologies for Industrial Wastes

This article is intended to provide several case studies of successful waste management of a few selected industries in their attempts to become “environmental-conscious” firms. In particular, this article examines the innovative waste-reduction and waste reuse processes undertaken by certain firms in the following industries - asphalt cement and concrete, ferrous metals, Portland cement and concrete, and some other that on the face of it somewhat isolated innovative technologies. For each case, the driver, the waste management technology or processes involved, as well as the associated economic benefits of the adjustments was highlighted. It is hoped that the findings of this article will provide the motivation or continue to motivate engineers and scientists to further explore processes that will help towards better management of industrial wastes.

Testing the theoretical proposition of exchange market pressure: The Nigerian experience

In this paper, monetary model of Exchange Market Pressure (EMP) is applied to Nigerian economy over the period 1970 to 2010.In support of the EMP propositions, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) results reveal that domestic credit has stable significant negative relationship with exchange market pressure.The findings also provide evidence that Nigerian monetary authorities absorbed most of the exchange market pressure by adjusting the foreign reserves.The overall results indicate that the Nigeria’s experience provides another good example to test the theoretical propositions of the Girton-Roper monetary model of exchange market pressure