The Legislative and Governance Framework of Wastewater in Malaysia

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Objective – As we approach the halfway point since the adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), our progress in achieving the objectives remains unsatisfactory. One of which pertains to the sixth SDG that envisions access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene as the most fundamental requirement for human health and well-being. Methodology – Per the 2022 SDG report, the global water stress level stayed at an acceptable 18.6% in 2019, but regional disparities exist. Unless progress quadruples, billions will lack access to potable drinking water and sanitation by 2030 due to rapid population increase, urbanization, and rising water demands from the agricultural and industrial sectors. As the effective management of wastewater plays a crucial role in ensuring sustained access to clean water, Malaysia has implemented a series of national policies, legislations, and institutional arrangements to achieve an integrated wastewater legislative and governance framework. Findings – It is critical that good practices for regulating wastewater treatment and management are analysed to address the gaps that exist that may hamper the promotion of effective and responsible wastewater management for sustainable water resources. This research is a review of Malaysia’s existing wastewater governance and legislative framework. Novelty – It is found that Malaysia’s history with wastewater has seen much development to its current status, which enables increased coverage of access to clean water and basic sanitation. Nevertheless, existing problems in the wastewater industry prevent further expansion into niche areas such as wastewater reclamation. Type of Paper: Review JEL Classification: H1, Q25. Keywords: wastewater; legislative; sustainability; Malaysia; water security; wastewater management; wastewater reclamation. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Mahyudin, M.N.H.B.M; Kamaruddin, H; Hassan, M.S. (2023). The Legislative and Governance Framework of Wastewater in Malaysia, J. Bus. Econ. Review, 8(3), 69–75. https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2023.8.3(1)