Assignment 1:

Discuss the application of incinerator in Malaysia. Does the application beneficial to our country?
Justify.

There are many application of incinerator such as reducing waste volume and might also recover
energy. Due to the various constraints such as limited landfill sites, immature recycling and biological
treatment infrastructures, incineration will become one of the best practical choices in treating
municipal solid wastes. The amount of municipal solid waste generated in the country is increasing at a
significant rate especially in large cities like Kuala Lumpur and the increasing awareness among the
general public of environmental issues.

Since the government of Malaysia launched an incinerator for solid waste in the early 90s, it has
become a controversial issue. Selection of landfill sites has become increasingly difficult because the
public is highly concerned about environmental issues, such as the nuisance of odour, the emission of
greenhouse gases, the contamination of groundwater, explosion risks and generally, unsightly
appearance of sites. The Malaysian Government has recommended the use of incineration in the
Seventh Malaysia Plan and has since been promoting its use (NST. 10 October 1999). The high cost of
imported incineration systems is a major hindering factor (NST, 9 January 1998) and has prompted
public outcries (NSTP, 25 May 1999). Apart from that, due to the different characteristic of wastes and
weather patterns in Malaysia compared to other developed countries like Japan and Europe, imported
technology might not be suitable for the Malaysian condition but this has given rise to studies to
develop incineration technology that is more suitable for municipal solid waste in Malaysia.

Lastly, in Malaysia, incineration is not widely used, as it is still considered as an expensive means
of waste disposal. It is the intention of the Malaysia government to study in depth the current scenario
on the usage of incinerators and the public sensitivity towards the incineration process. Waste
generation in Malaysia is increasing at an alarming rate, thus requiring a prompt solution to the
problem. The most practical solution appears to be incineration technology followed by landfill.
Assignment 2:

The unsustainable nature of agricultural and rural waste results in environment pollution and may
ultimately lead to complete depletion of the natural resources. Thus, the sustainability of agricultural
and rural waste management is very important for most developing countries. Discuss

Governments all over the world have focused upon sustainable rural development in an
organized way. Rural locations, in particular, need more economic development in order to match urban
centric development. Poverty in rural areas has remained by and large, the main focal point of
governments and development agencies. Sustainable rural development is the most effective way to
eliminate this curse. To improve the standard of living, governments have allocated more financial
muscle for the rural areas. Constant efforts are being taken to ensure development of infrastructure in
such areas. Also, environment friendly growth stimulators have been provided to rural populations.

To maintain sustainable rural development, several regional development agencies, national

governments, international development organizations and NGOs are putting in their best efforts. The
things which have been focused upon include:

 advisory services to farmers and forest holders,

 creating awareness about economic values of forests,
 modernization of agricultural tools and equipment,
 introduction of new process, products and technologies, and
 emphasis upon infrastructure development.

New methods have also been encouraged for farming in barren lands. Most of the farming land
remains unused during no-crop season in underdeveloped countries. To improve that, cyclical
production of different crops is encouraged so that land does not remain unused. Farmers are also being
supported by launching numerous agro-environment schemes. Income generation and equal growth are
likely resultants of such initiatives. These initiatives are being taken in not only developing countries but
in developed countries as well. In the next century, agricultural education institutions in developing
countries will need to address not only immediate production needs, but also long-term food security,
sustainable agriculture and rural development needs. This will require moving from a single-disciplinary
approach to an interdisciplinary, systems approach which incorporates a wide range of new topics,
including gender, environmental and population issues. A major challenge will be the transformation of
agricultural education institutions into dynamic promoters of change within their environments. This will
require that they abandon long-established traditions of academic isolation and become active
contributors to sustainable agricultural and rural development through innovative teaching, research
and extension.

To sum up, agricultural universities, colleges and schools face major challenges in the 21st
century. Meeting these challenges will require new educational strategies, innovative leadership and
institutional reforms that take into account the current trends and factors that influence agricultural and
rural development.