Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

The application of Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) in Malaysia’s dredging industry

Author(s):

Norpadzlihatun B. Manap*, Nikolaos Voulvoulis, Norzima B. Zulkifli

Recieved Date: 2011-09-02, Accepted Date: 2012-01-07

Abstract:

Dredging is an important commercial activity that takes place for different or multiple objectives, ranging from the deepening of channels for navigation purposes to the extraction of sediments for construction material. Despite having frequent application, dredging can have significant impacts to the environment and often triggers public disputes. It is therefore crucial to establish the reasons for dredging and its environmental impacts and be able to convey them in a simplest form in order to decide on necessary actions. Using Malaysia as a case study, this study aimed to investigate the issues faced by the Malaysia’s dredging industry in order to establish which are the barriers and opportunities in managing the impacts of dredging. Face to face interview sessions with members of upper and middle management posts were held to identify issues of importance to Malaysia’s dredging stakeholders. Port administrator, manufacturing company, a representative of Government of Malaysia, dredging contractors, the environmentalist and a head of a village were interviewed in 2008. It was found that high cost, the difficulty of assessing the impacts to the environment and the lack of management tools were the main barriers to reducing the impacts of Malaysia’s dredging for most stakeholders. In addition, a set of questionnaire were distributed through an online survey. Fifty participants including marine ecologists, registered chemists, professional and chartered engineers, environmental consultants, university professors and environmental analysts responded. Analysis of the results suggests that an efficient environmental management tools and systems in practice would be necessary to strengthen the environmental legislation for dredging in Malaysia. A Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) Framework proposed for use by the Malaysia’s dredging industry is presented. Based on this framework, the possibility of using Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) as a decision support tool is discussed. 

Keywords:

Dredging, Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR), Malaysia, dredging stakeholder, cost, management, environment, Integrated Environmental Management (IEM)

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Category: Environment
Pages: 1031-1038

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :