SYNOPSIS

Water is considered a vital resource for global sustainability and economic growth. Nevertheless, global climate change, rapid urbanisation, and environmental degradation are accelerating the depletion of clean water resources at an alarming pace in the twenty-first century. In response, Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWHS) emerge as a promising alternative water source.

Malaysia, endowed with high annual rainfall and substantial domestic water consumption stands poised to leverage rainwater harvesting for both potable and non-potable uses. Yet, the efficacy of harvested rainwater hinges on meeting acceptable water quality standards. The quality of harvested and stored rainwater can be influenced by topography, weather, and sources of pollution. Therefore, treatment and regular monitoring are required as poor water quality can impose health risks due to the existence of chemical, physical and microbiological contaminants. With the RWHS treatment system, the harvested rainwater can be converted into clean water as an alternative water supply for various domestic applications.

The stakeholder workshop will focus on the development of sustainability assessment framework, upskilling the stakeholders, and preparing a policy paper to elevate the safety of rainwater harvesting for non-potable and portable uses. With the cost-effective, sustainable, and socially acceptable application of RWHS, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate Actions), can be achieved with the benefits gained from the environmental, economic and social aspects.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

1) Ir Dr Chang Chun Kiat  (USM)

Ir Dr Chang Chun Kiat completed his first degree in Bachelor of Engineering with Honors (Civil Engineering) in 2002 from Universiti Sains Malaysia and later pursued my postgraduate studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia and received my MSc degree in River and Urban Drainage Management in 2006 and currently i worked as a Research Officer cum stormwater engineer at River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC) since June 2002. His main research interests are sediment transport in river, integrated river basin management and urban drainage management. He has experience in research and consultancy projects such as drainage improvement and flood mitigation projects, sediment transport modeling study, as well as application of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and Bio-Ecological Drainage System (BIOECODS) - The pilot SUDs project for the country. He also serves as technical committee and invited speakers for local and international conferences, seminar and training courses, as well as reviewer for international scientific journals.


2) Ir Dr Leo Choe Peng (USM)

Ir Dr Leo Choe Peng (USM) is an associate professor in School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She worked on membrane science and technology for more than 10 years, focusing on carbon capture and water recovery. She published more than 100 ISI-indexed journal papers and attained H-index of 35. As a professional engineer, she has site experience in water reuse and carbon capture. Her participation is important to ensure the proposed work can be implemented with full techno-economic potential and minimum carbon footprint.  She  was selected as the finalist of the Young Scientist Award by the American Chemical Society before being awarded Women in Science by Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam. As a prominent researcher, she represented Malaysia to highlight the challenges and strategies in Water-Energy Nexus during her participation in international workshops and conferences under the sponsorship of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the American Chemical Society, Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, NAM S&T Centre, and more. Her inventions won 8 medals in exposition and competition, showing her great passion for creating real solutions from fundamental knowledge. Her work appears to be highly regarded by peers, especially in engineering society. She served on the working committee to draft the Penang Green Policy.


3) Dr. Ang Wei Lun (UKM)

Dr. Ang Wei Lun from UKM has a great interest in the engineering field, especially academic and research disciplines which provide me with the chance to learn about the latest developments and broaden his knowledge in that field. Becoming a researcher enables him to explore the challenges encountered by humankind and try to contribute to solving those problems. Water scarcity, being a global issue that threatens the sustainability of human well-being and the environment, has aroused my interest in water treatment and desalination processes. He is particularly passionate in membrane technologies and keenly interested in developing my career in the field of membrane desalination processes. Apart from the experiences gained via the lab works, he also attended numerous workshops and seminars to further enhance and update himself with the sharing from reputable experts in this field. He is always looking for an opportunity to boost his skills and knowledge in desalination processes so that he can play a role in developing a better and sustainable water treatment process.


NOTE:
•   Registration fees: Free of Charge
•   Limited to 70 participants only