The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) wants the Penang government to carry out a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) study before land reclamation projects are carried out in the state.

MNS Penang branch chairperson D Kandakumar said the study would ensure that measures are put in place to prevent severe ecological problems.

"Land reclamation will bring about a severe environmental impact on surrounding areas and neighbouring states. The government must therefore take all steps to prevent serious problems," he told malaysiakini .

The MNS branch conveyed its views and demands on the matter to the state government at a recent meeting with Town and Country Planning Department officials.

MNS recommended an in-depth EIA study on the overall environmental impact to coastal areas in Penang and neighbouring states like Kedah and Perak.

"Only by knowing the overall impact can the state government determine the location and level of land reclamation that can be undertaken," said Kandakumar.

To date, the Penang government has only carried out ad-hoc territorial environmental studies on a project-by-project basis, which MNS described as "ignorant and misleading".

"Such studies only reveal the environmental impact on nearby areas. What about the whole of Penang, northern Perak and southern Kedah? A single land reclamation exercise can affect all these areas," Kandakumar said.

MNS' main concern is that the proposed reclamation project will cause massive river siltation and soil erosion, narrow the Penang channel, affect harbour activities at Penang port and degrade the fishery industry on both the island and mainland.

The MNS proposal seeks a study of the flow of sea currents in the Penang channel and to identify locations where deposits of the reclamation soil would be channelled. Currents can easily change the direction of soil deposits and destablise the depth of the water.

Buffer zone required

MNS said the government should also create a 100m buffer zone on the reclaimed land before developing new townships and industrial zones.

"The buffer zone could be anything from a public park to gazetted mangrove areas. It is crucial to provide stability to ecosystem and prevent soil erosion," said Kandakumar.

Over the past decade, a massive reclamation project has been carried out on Penang island to develop new townships and industrial zones, including a new administrative centre in Bayan Mutiara, on a 13ha reclaimed site near Bayan Baru.

A recent MNS study revealed that previous projects have caused soil erosion in residential areas along the coast and siltation of the Sungai Pinang and Sungai Kluang on the island, and Sungai Prai and Sungai Juru on the mainland.

At present Penang has 1.036ha of mangrove areas, mainly along the southwest coast, which is a far cry from the 3,243ha that existed 10 years ago. Another 376ha is a permanent mangrove reserve forest.

Apart from serving as crucial buffer zones and filtering pollution, mangroves provide herbal medicines, firewood and honey. They are also breeding grounds for various species of acquatic life.

Mangrove forests are a crucial buffer against giant waves along coastal zones. During the 2004 tsunami disaster, for example, several villages in Penang were spared severe damage because of the mangrove buffer zone.