KKKH 4284: PERANCANGAN BANDAR LESTARI

TASK 5

LOCAL AGENDA 21
Question:
You are given a task by the mayor of your hometown to evaluate and give suggestion on how
to plan the town in accordance with Local Agenda 21. Write a brief report on your evaluation
and suggestion.
Answer:
Local Agenda 21 is a local-government-led, community-wide, and participatory effort
to establish a comprehensive action strategy for environmental protection, economic prosperity
and community well-being in the local jurisdiction or area. This requires the integration of
planning and action across economic, social and environmental spheres. Key elements are full
community participation, assessment of current conditions, target setting for achieving specific
goals, monitoring and reporting. The Local Agenda 21 needs cooperation of many parties. It
includes society, private sector and local authorities. So each party has their basic own role.
These are some of the elements:
1) Managing and improving the local authority's own environmental performance
a) Evaluations

The involvement of multiple agencies and departments in urban management had

made it difficult to coordinate many actions and in turn affects the effectiveness.

The various roles that are expected of these local authorities to attain a liveable city
with a high quality of living had put pressure on those authorities to acquire a strong
organisation. The pressure is left more intensely by small and medium sized local
authorities that lack finance, manpower, skills and equipment in providing the
expected services.

b) Suggestions

The challenges that been facing require the respective parties be more focused in
undertaking each and every responsibility in urban development.

Good urban administration and management need to take into consideration the
capability of each local authority as each local authority has differs in terms of
manpower, skills and financial capacity to provide good service for its population.

KKKH 4284: PERANCANGAN BANDAR LESTARI

TASK 5

2) Integrating sustainable development aims into the local authority's policies and activities
a) Elevations

The sustainable development are less in these area.

The large number of private vehicle ownership puts pressure on the capacity of the
existing road network. The inefficient public transportation resulted in the tendency
for the urban population to optimize for private vehicles instead of the public
transport. In the long term, this will have negative impact on the competitiveness
and the attraction of those cities to draw local and foreign investors.

Rapid urban development has contributed to the degradation of environmental

quality especially the quality of water, air and noise. Many rivers which are major
sources of water have undergone degradation in water quality due to the pollution
from domestic waste, industrial effluents, suspended particulates from soil erosion
and heavy metal pollution from factories. Air pollution has also increased due to
emission from motor vehicles, industrial development and use of nonenvironmental friendly products. Moreover, increased human activity and high
population density have also generated noise pollution in urban areas.

b) Suggestions

The development of an urban system needs to be based on clear system of hierarchy

so that the provision and distribution of facilities and infrastructure will be more
efficient, thus, preventing wastage of national resources.

Urban development needs to be carried specified area to ensure urban sprawl is

avoided. Towards this end, land use development should be based on the adopted
development plan and comply with all policies, programmes and action plans
proposed by the respective plans.

Urban development should be implemented in accordance with the principles of

smart growth with emphasis on redeveloping suitable areas especially in urban
centres and brown field areas for recreational purpose and conserving
environmentally sensitive areas.

KKKH 4284: PERANCANGAN BANDAR LESTARI

TASK 5

3) Awareness raising and education

a) Suggestions

Good access to high quality public, social and cultural facilities will contribute a
great deal to the improvement of the quality of life of the resident. The government
can provide good governance by recruiting the participation of residents in the
improvement of their living environment.

The public participation should assist in achieving sustainable development in

optimal utilisation of available resources environment, should be promoted and
enhanced.

The public should also be encouraged to adopt the 3R concept of Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle. Such programmes can be organised at a neighbourhood level. The
policies that have been formulated and guidelines to be drafted, shall form the basis
for a comprehensive framework to guide, control and manage new development
and improvement works.

4) Consulting and involving the general public

a) Elevation

This element has been implemented through the area. They may include
residents/tenants associations, youth club, senior citizen group, sports club,
activity/hobby societies, and environment / conservation organization.

b) Suggestions

All parties should be more innovative, transparent and efficient in promoting and
working urban development in terms of quality, healthy, competitive and
progressive.

The concept of eco-partnership, which places emphasis on the concerted efforts of

various stakeholders such as private enterprises, various government agencies and
community based and non-governmental organisations to carry out study activities
aimed at increasing public awareness on sustainable environment, should be
promoted and enhanced.

KKKH 4284: PERANCANGAN BANDAR LESTARI

TASK 5

5) Partnerships

Partnerships should have concrete value addition to the implementation process and
should be new that is, not merely reflect existing arrangements.

Partnerships should bear in mind the economic, social and environmental

dimensions of sustainable development in their design and implementation.

Partnerships should be based on predictable and sustained resources for their

implementation, include mobilizing new resources and result in transfer of
technology.

6) Measuring monitoring and reporting on progress towards sustainability.

Those who choose to register their partnership should provide transparent,

participatory and credible information and reporting, focussing on their contribution
to the implementation of goals, objectives and targets of Local Agenda 21.

The policies that have been formulated and guidelines to be drafted, shall form the
basis for a comprehensive framework to guide, control and manage new
development and improvement works.

NUR IMANI BINTI YUSOFF CHEAH (A135792)