14.3.3 : Maintain ecosystems and their biodiversity (direct work)
In June 2024, UTM, via its Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Water Security (IPASA), joined MHB, the Pasir Gudang City Council and local community stakeholders to formalise a Memorandum of Agreement for the “MHB River Rehabilitation Programme” focused on Sungai Buluh in Pasir Gudang, Johor. The initiative is part of a three-year strategic roadmap by MHB targeting four core initiatives: stakeholder awareness & education, river revitalisation, greening & decarbonisation, and capacity building & training.
By bringing together academic research capacity at UTM and industry commitment at MHB, the programme supports direct ecosystem restoration and biodiversity support in a river corridor under environmental stress. With Pasir Gudang’s industrial and urban pressures, the rehabilitation of the river acts as biodiversity-habitat restoration, pollution reduction and ecosystem service protection. The signing of the MoA and launch event signal a transition from passive concern to structured, collaborative action — research-driven monitoring, revitalisation works and inclusive community engagement.
The programme’s multi-pronged approach is highly consistent with maintaining and extending ecosystems: it prioritises greening (which may include riparian re-vegetation), decarbonisation (which cuts stressors on the aquatic ecosystem), and stakeholder capacity building (so local actors can better protect the river’s biodiversity). Because the river’s condition is integrally tied to aquatic fauna and flora and downstream marine links, this direct work helps preserve biodiversity across freshwater to coastal zones. The partnership sets up an ongoing regime of research, monitoring and intervention: UTM’s role provides data and technical input; MHB’s commitment provides funding and industry application; the community connection ensures local biodiversity and ecosystem outcomes are viewed at scale.
This alignment meets key criteria under the Sustainability Impact Ratings methodology for “direct work on ecosystems and biodiversity” — demonstrating a university-industry collaboration with measurable intervention, ecosystem oriented framing, and a threatened ecosystem context. The initiative moves beyond awareness alone: it embodies tangible restoration efforts and ecosystem protection, and enables biodiversity-sensitive ecosystem management. By institutionalising a three-year roadmap and including greening and decarbonisation alongside river revitalisation, the programme conveys a systemic trajectory for ecosystem enhancement and biodiversity extension.
In summary, UTM’s strategic partnership with MHB in the MHB River Rehabilitation Programme demonstrates how higher education institutions can engage directly with industry to maintain and extend ecosystems and biodiversity in a threatened river system. It is a robust exemplar of direct ecosystem-based action, bridging research, industrial capacity and community stakes for long-term ecosystem resilience and biodiversity conservation.
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