INNOVATION - Agensi Inovasi Malaysia all out to commercialise good ideas - MALAYISIA

 

By WONG LI ZA
star2@thestar.com.my

Promising: Serotech CEO Sharifah Nur Rahimah Syed Alias with Assoc Prof Dr Ahmed Mahir Mokhtar Mohamed Bakri at a contract farmer’s farm in Selangor. The CiliBangi project has generated good response from investors.

 

Innovation Business Opportunities, an initiative by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia, is all out to commercialise good ideas to generate new wealth.
A GOOD idea remains just that – a mere idea – if it does not take shape.

Throughout history, thousands of brilliant inventions worldwide have gone unnoticed due to lack of buy-in from relevant parties and financial support.

However, these creations could potentially have generated much income or benefited society, or in short, been transformed from being an invention to an innovation.

Bridging the gap between invention and commerce is an initiative facilitated by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) called Innovation Business Opportunities (IBO).

AIM is a statutory body set up by the Government via the AIM Act 2010 with the primary purpose of being the driving force behind Malaysia’s push towards establishing an “innovation economy” and the country’s aspiration of achieving high-income nation status.

Launched in April this year, IBO offers intellectual properties owned by universities, and public research and development organisations in Malaysia, to the private sector for them to be taken up and commercialised.

“Innovation Business Opportunities is one of the initiatives undertaken by AIM to ensure ideas are taken through from creation to commercialisation,” said Faizal Hasan, assistant vice-president (IBO) with AIM.

“Under IBO, innovations from public universities and research institutes are documented, analysed and offered to the rakyat for bidding. The idea is to provide these government-funded innovations as opportunities for the rakyat to create new wealth,” he said.

What a harvest! Cilibangi, a top quality chilli, being dried at Rumah Tumbuhan, UKM.
 

He added that in tandem with the positive feedback received, AIM has widened the scope of the innovations to include those from the private sector.

Phase Two of the IBO was launched recently by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who also announced the progress from Phase One.

Of the 42 IBOs offered in Phase One, 33 had the potential to generate revenue totalling RM1.58bil over three years, 15 had been taken up by industry partners for commercialisation, while 18 others were in different stages of negotiations.

These 18 projects have the potential of adding another RM748mil to the nation’s Gross National Income (GNI), while the total revenue potential for the 15 projects is estimated at RM832mil.

Under Phase Two, 50 new technologies and products, which are open for transparent and competitive bidding, have the potential of generating RM560mil after three years of operation.

When this article went to print, at least nine projects had received bidders.
They include, with projected third year revenue in parentheses, the LesTani: Biofungicide for Control of BSR Disease of Oil Palm (RM45.6mil); Production of Bioethanol from Palm Oil Waste (RM17.72mil); MyCOACH Software for Sports Motion Coaching System that analyses human motion on video without using any additional physical marker or special tight fitting clothing (RM360,000); Commercial Sweetener, a project that aims to produce Sorbitol, a natural sweetener used in health foods and sugar-free products, from sawdust (RM6.4mil); the AquaTCS fish tank filter (RM2.7mil); and the Sundait Board Game, a Borneo-based educational and entertaining board game that incorporates Kadazan-Dusun riddles (RM290,400).

Another two projects with high potential revenue are the Wengtonia: Detoxificant for Drug Addiction, a health supplement with antioxidant and anti-microbial properties for detoxification purposes (RM36.7mil), and Natural Colourant for Cosmetics, derived from orchid pigment (RM117mil).

Wengtonia’s main ingredient is derived from a local plant called daun putat (Barringtonia racemosa), traditionally consumed as a salad and found largely in rural areas.

Natural colourants in biomaterials are stabilised in the form of macrobeads through environmentfriendly biotechnological processes.
 

It took researchers Aweng Eh Rak and Dr Lee Seong Wei, senior lecturers at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), three years to develop the supplement.

Wengtonia has powerful antioxidant properties which enhance the immune system and encourage anti-microbial activities against various species of pathogens.

“It is suitable for both new drug users and also hardcore addicts, but the latter may have to take higher dosages,” said Lee, adding that UMK has started planting the daun putat.

“Depending on the dosage applied, basically it will take a week before the detoxification effect shows. Theoretically, Wengtonia may also help patients on long-term medications reduce their dependency on their medication due to the high antioxidant content in the plant,” he said, adding that they hope to set up their own company and commercialise the product.

Wengtonia costs US$100 (RM310) for 500 pills.

Aiming to tap into the billion-dollar colour cosmetics market is the natural colourant IBO spearheaded by Prof Dr Lee Pat Moi, former researcher at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam.

Currently founder and CEO of PML ChemBioTech Sdn Bhd based at FRIM-MTDC Technology Centre in Kepong, Selangor, Prof Lee’s project plans to commercialise natural and functional floral colourants for food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

“The purpose is to enable the general public to consume colourful, yet safe food products and use appealing and safe cosmetic products,” said Prof Lee.

The spectrum of colourants are violet, blue, green, yellow, orange and red, obtainable from a single species of orchid flowers such as dendrobium or cattleya, red hibiscus and clitoria ternatea. The red, blue and violet colourants possess antioxidant properties and other health benefits as well.

Daun putat (Barringtonia racemosa), the main ingredient in Wengtonia, a health supplement for detoxification purposes.

Prof Lee said that natural red colourants obtained from other natural resources are usually not stable when exposed to air, light and heat.

“We have stabilised our natural red colourants in biomaterials in the form of macro-beads. micro-beads and nano particles through mild and environment-friendly biotechnological processes.

“They are brightly coloured and the biomaterials used for stabilisation also have anti-microbial and antioxidant properties. In addition, they are biodegradable and safe to be consumed,” she emphasised, adding that the natural colourants are more stable than other natural colourants by two- to three-fold at temperatures of less than 45°C.

Prof Lee added that she and her team have also developed formulations for blue and violet lipsticks which contain blue and violet floral extracts respectively.

“When the blue lipstick is applied to lips, the colour changes from blue to red. Similarly, the colour of the lips changes from violet to red upon using the violet lipstick,” she said, adding that the lipsticks also have moisturising effect.

To date, the company has filed seven patents in Malaysia and the natural colourants have also won several international awards, including two Geneva Gold Medal Awards (Switzerland), the Eureka Special Gold Medal Award (Brussel) and Biotech Asia Gold Medal Award.

“Our plan is to further strengthen our research and development to produce natural product-based aesthetic healthcare and therapeutical bioproducts to add aesthetical value as well as contribute to the quality of life,” she shared.

One of the IBOs from Phase One which has generated good response from investors is the CiliBangi project, which has the potential to generate a revenue of RM44.5mil in three years.

CiliBangi is a top quality chilli that is virus-resistant, high yielding and easily harvested. The chilli was first cultivated by the late Professor K.M. Graham in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1978. The work was continued by Assoc Prof Dr Ahmed Mahir Mokhtar Mohamed Bakri in 1987.

After 15 generations, Cilibangi-1 and -2 varieties were developed and introduced in 1995. Cilibangi-3 and Cilibangi-4 were cultivated after 20 generations and launched in 1998.

In 2010, another new variety combining the previous traits of Cilibangi was developed and named Crunchious, a trademarked premium hybrid which has a longer life-span.

“Crunchious is the brand given to two varieties of Cilibangi which have two heat levels – hot and mild. This brand is positioned for the international market. An international company has shown interest in planting Cilibangi in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and are negotiating on the licensing agreement which will be signed soon,” revealed Serotech Sdn Bhd CEO Sharifah Nur Rahimah Syed Alias.

Serotech is a subsidiary of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), set up through its commercial arm, UKM Technology Sdn Bhd. It is tasked to handle the production and distribution of Cilibangi to the market.

“Cilibangi’s synchronised flowering and fruiting makes it easy for farmers to plan large-scale staggered planting to produce a continuous supply of chilli throughout the year. This unique characteristic of Cilibangi has attracted investors,” explained Sharifah.

Since April 2012, over 10,000 seedlings have been sold to contract farmers, both directly and via outsourcing.

“We are evaluating a buy-back programme from them. At the moment, we are helping them find the market for the chillies. So far, it is going very well,” said Sharifah.

“Farmers have shown a lot of interest in planting Cilibangi. However, we have to ensure only quality farmers and entrepreneurs are selected to ensure the success of our Cilibangi Planting Programme,” she said.

Currently, the company’s target market for the fresh chillies is end-product industries like chilli sauce and sambal-related producers, which constitute the largest percentage (40%) of the Malaysian chilli market segment.

“We are planning to enter the hypermarkets once we’ve started our large-scale planting programme. Other than fresh chillies, we’re also planning to produce our own Cilibangi powder and paste.
“We’re confident of achieving our target revenue. We expect next year to be a very productive year with many big projects coming in,” added Sharifah.

■ For more info, visit innovation.my or cilibangi.com or facebook.com/Cilibangi

LIFESTYLE - Reaching out to the needy - MALAYSIA

 

 

 

Every one of us can impact another person’s life – if we are willing and available.

THE husband and wife team of Jeffrey Tan, 72, and Lee Ah Nee, 69, are retired civil servants. Since last year, they have been spending their Saturdays helping autistic children to bake pastries.

“We volunteered because we have the time and energy to help. God has blessed us and it’s a joy to give back to these children,” says Tan. “I’m lucky to have a supportive wife, otherwise I would not be able to sustain this for long.”

He explains that it was difficult to understand the children’s needs at first. “By showing respect and love, and gaining their trust, we reached out to them eventually,” says Tan.

“We understand the problems these children are facing and we try to bond with them as a family. Different children have different needs. We have to know them better to be able to help them. Some need one-to-one attention,” adds Lee.

The couple enjoy their volunteer work at Calvary Victory Centre (CVC), a special education centre with over 100 autistic children and 25 teachers at Sutera Utama, on the outskirts of Johor Baru. They help out weekly at CVC, and are happy that they get to meet many people and utilise their time well.

Joy in serving: Expat wife Katherine Robinson is a volunteer teacher for underprivileged children at Calvary Welfare Centre in Johor Baru. ‘(The children) were teaching me how to still be happy despite having hard lives,’ she says.

According to Wong Chee Kin, chairman of the CVC administrative committee, a CVC Delights cafeteria was set up last year to help the children train in life skills and also serve as a sheltered employment centre. The cafeteria is open to the public and also offers catering services.

CVC opens its doors to students of all races and religions. Eight years ago, Hazeem Md Yusoof joined CVC as its first Malay student.

His sister Yuhana Md Yusoof, 34, gave up her teaching job to look after him and help out at the cafeteria. Their mother, Hasipah Abu, is a cook at the cafeteria which only serves halal food.

“Before coming to CVC, my brother found it hard to manage himself,” says Yuhana. “After eight years here, he has improved a lot. He has also helped to attract more Malay and Indian students to CVC.” Yuhana now supports herself by giving private tuition at night.

On Saturday mornings, Tan and Lee will be at the cafeteria, helping the children prepare pastries. In the afternoon, they accompany the kids to Sutera Mall, where CVC has been given a free stall to sell their pastries.

Tham Kok Weng, 65, finds it rewarding to help kids with Down syndrome.

There are nice chicken pies, curry puffs, pineapple tarts, pai tee (pastry cups filled with cooked radish), and blueberry cheese tarts which are hugely popular with the public.

Tan enjoys his stint at the mall and is just too happy to raise public awareness about autism by talking to those who visit their stall.

“There are only a few volunteers here; we need more caring hearts. We are already old and do not know how long we can serve here,” says Lee.

Give and receive

Jessie Teh, 35, used to think that she would only get involved in volunteer work upon her retirement. “But I’m glad I’ve done it now. It is never too early to start,” smiles this financial consultant.

Teh wanted to volunteer after reading a verse in the Bible: “As we freely receive (from God), so we freely give (back to society)” but she did not know where to start.

“So I asked God to lead the way. Soon enough, somebody asked me whether I wanted to help out with Down syndrome kids,” recalls Teh, who serves as treasurer, administrator and tutor at Calvary Miracle Centre (CMC).

“Through my volunteer work, I’ve learnt to be more patient and contented. I used to have high expectations of life, yet I see the children are so happy despite leading such simple lives.”

Yuhana Md Yusoof (left) volunteers at the Calvary Victory Centre for autistic children, where her brother Hazeem Md Yusoof has been for eight years. Their mother Hasipah Abu (right) is a cook at the CVC Delights cafeteria.

Teh used to coach her own children in their studies, but after she started volunteering at CMC, she found that her children could study well on their own.

“This is a blessing from God,” says Teh. Tham Kok Weng, 65, loves working with children, so when this retired motor workshop operator was asked to help out at CMC, he jumped at the chance.

Tham’s talent as a handyman is put to good use at the centre. He does all sorts of tasks, from painting the walls and fixing electric lights to making wooden frames for weaving mats. Every day, he sends four children from Kota Masai, about 80km away, to CMC and back.

Tham has been teaching children in Sunday School since he was 19.

“It’s very important to build up children when they are young. I make friends with children easily, I’m happy to see that the effort I put in has produced results in hundreds of children,” shares Tham.

One of his former Sunday School students used to create a ruckus in class, Tham recalls. “But when he grew up, he became a pastor and visited my church. He told everyone that he was in my Sunday School class and how he had grown to serve God. It is things like this that keeps me going.

Financial consultant Jessie Teh used to think that she would only get involved in volunteer work upon her retirement. ‘But I’m glad I’ve done it now. It is never too early to start,’ she says.

“Some parents do not know what to do with Down syndrome kids and just leave them in one corner of the house. They may take months to learn simple things, for example, how to use the toilet. Some children struggle to walk up and down the stairs.

One girl walked backwards to go up the stairs. As volunteers, we see results and changes in the children.” Just as he has touched the lives of others, so his life has been touched.

Tham’s wife needed an eye operation at one time, but they were short of funds. “Then one student I had taught years ago, who is now very successful in life, offered to pay for the operation in Singapore which cost RM13,000.”

Needy kids

When Katherine Robinson arrived in Johor Baru two years ago to accompany her husband, she found that expat wives were not allowed to work. “Instead of spending my time shopping, I wanted to do something meaningful,” says Robinson.

So she volunteered to teach English, Maths and Science to underprivileged children at Calvary Welfare Centre (CWC).

“Even though the children attend school, there is no one to help them with their homework,” she explains. “When they fall behind in school, they become discouraged and give up on their studies. I’m delighted when I see children who are discouraged, becoming happy and eager to learn. It makes all the difference in their lives.”

Robinson has since returned to Canberra, Australia, to serve as a social worker. “It was very hard to say goodbye after teaching them for two years. So this year, when I have two weeks of holiday, I came back to teach them. Learning is often a two-way process, The children have taught me how to be happy despite having a hard life,” Robinson adds.

Laura Amos (right) volunteered to teach underprivileged kids because she wanted to do something meaningful with her spare time.

Another volunteer at CWC, Laura Amos, found that she had extra time on her hands when she was transferred to Johor Baru, from Malacca, a year ago. Amos, who teaches at SK Taman Sutera, wanted to do something meaningful for the children.

“The richer kids can go for private tuition but the poorer kids have no one to help them. That’s where I come in. I’m an ambitious, results-oriented teacher and I want them to pass their UPSR.

“The kids need to feel loved and cared for. When someone comes to help them, they feel excited. When they see me at the (government) school, they will ask me, ‘Are you coming today’?” relates Amos.

“As a teacher, I want to sow good seeds in the lives of these children and I hope they will do well in their studies. My parents gave me a good education and instilled strong family values in me.

“I got a government scholarship to do my degree. In fact, my whole education was free and I believe it is God’s blessing. Now it’s my turn to bless others. Life begins when you start to give,” adds Amos.

Agnes Chow, the assistant manager of CWC, explains that children with problematic backgrounds find it hard to concentrate. “In school, there are 40 to 50 students in one class and teachers cannot give individual attention to every child. So the weaker students may fall behind.”

She recalls how one Chinese school was reluctant to take in students from CWC because of their poor results. Besides, they had no money to donate. “Luckily for us, some teachers from the school helped to get some of our kids into the school,” says Chow.

Chow, a housewife, had volunteered for nine years at CWC before she joined the team full-time as its assistant manager.

“The expenses in terms of food, rental and salaries for CWC’s 23 homes amount to about RM200,000 a month. Sometimes I crack my head wondering how to get the money but God is great and the funds come in somehow,” adds Chow.

SHELL ECO-MARATHON ASIA - MALAYSIA

Eco-race: Pakistanis on right track, fall short of finish line

Teams line up on July 6, for the flag-off ceremony at the Sepang International F1 Circuit in Malaysia. – Photo by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

The Shell Eco-Marathon Asia reached a climax of activity on its final two days as student teams and their cars were finally flagged off on the track and began to drive their cars around the circuit to try and achieve the best mileage.

Now in its third year, the competition challenges Asia’s brightest young minds to create innovative vehicles of the future that push the boundaries of fuel-efficiency and energy conservation.

By the time the competition ended on July 7, the record for longest distance on one litre of fuel had been broken by Thai team Luk Jao Mae Khlong Prapa, who topped their own 2011 performance with a remarkable mileage of 2,903 kilometres on just one litre of ethanol.

The team achieved a 30 per cent improvement over their previous record by making several changes to their 2011 car design, that included a change of engine, air-fuel ratio, and driving strategy.

This year’s competition also attracted more students than the last two years since the Asian wing of the Eco-Marathon has been held – with 119 teams participating from all over the continent and a total crowd of over 1,500 students and visitors.

One of the UrbanConcept cars drives in the pit-lane before entering the main F1 track (on the right), as the other team-members watch. A section of the F1 track at the Sepang circuit was prepared for the competition. – Photo by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

There were a total of 31 awards handed out at the close of the ceremony for first and second prizes in different categories, as well as for off-track achievements such as team spirit and eco-design awards. You can see the full awards from all the teams here.

Pakistani teams were not able to get any awards this year, and many technical problems combined with tough competition in the tracks left them short of winning results.

In spite of Pakistan’s lack of prizes, this was probably the best year for them overall, as it saw most teams competing successfully until the last stages of the competition, tackling problems that occurred in the pits as well as on the track.

The NUST PNEC team prepares their UrbanConcept car – named Bolt – for the opening flag-off ceremony, in which they represented Pakistan. – Photo by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

In the last two competitions, Pakistani teams had found it difficult to pass the safety tests in order to reach the track and set a valid distance on the score-card. This year most of them passed their tests, and five of them went on to complete their laps and set a distance on the score-card of the competition. These teams came from different universities and represented different parts of the country, such as Pak Octane, a team from Hitec University in Taxila, who had a Galosline Prototype car and got a result of 119 Km/l after their successful run.

The team-members from Hitec University pose outside the pit with their prototype car and a Pakistan flag after completing their successful run. – Photo by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

Not all the teams were able to do successful runs however: Team Hammerhead, from GIK were one of the best teams from Pakistan, however compounded trouble with valves, brakes and other areas resulted in an interrupted final run, which to the team’s disappointment, was initially going well.

“It was the last run we could have done because time was running out, we had a great mileage until we had problems with the engine and had to stop” said Shams Mawji, their team leader.

The major issues that Pakistani teams faced with their cars were not unique to their contingent; however their lack of resources sometimes held them behind.

“The other teams come prepared with all the spare parts from their countries, they bring extra engines, and brakes and such.” Said Nauman Ahmed, a Shell Team mentor “The Pakistani teams cannot afford that, and then when a part fails or something needs to be replaced, they don’t even know where and how they can procure these parts in Malaysia.”

These problems, combined with the lack of overall financial or structural backing that these teams had, resulted in some hard-working teams falling just short of targets because of problems teams were not equipped to solve.

“You see the problem is, we have sponsors, however they tend to come into the picture a bit late,” says Abid Ibrahim, GM External Affairs at Shell, “in other countries the sponsors come in right in the beginning and they are able to fund all the research and expensive equipment that the teams need to develop their car.”

The resulting problem is cyclical, the sponsors are deterred by the lack of success that Pakistani teams have at the competition, but success is tough without a strong and consistent sponsorship from teams.

Many of the team-members are final year students, and they are entering the competition for the last time. “We want to go back and set up a society that helps the future teams build on our success and learn from our problems” says Hammerhead team-leader Mawji, who pointed out that their whole car was built in GIKI.

Team-members from Hammerhead work together on their prototype car in the pit on the flag-off day of the competition. – Photo by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

Mentorship and patronage from universities is also slightly weak, a problem that some of our teams share with the Indians, “Our biggest problem is that we don’t have any senior guidance” say the team-members of Team Lakshya from Chandigargh, “If you look around at these teams, they have faculty members and really experienced professionals accompanying the teams during the competition, we don’t have that and we feel the pressure. Perhaps this should be made compulsory.”

Team Lakshya, like other Pakistani and Indian teams, did not win any awards this time. They won an award for Perseverance in the Face of Adversity in 2009, and a design award for their Stealth style vehicle as well. This time, they were the first Indian team to do a valid run in the competition.

Members of Team Lakshya from India pose with their Shell Mentor, Nauman Ahmed (left) while working on their car in the pit. – Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

For the subcontinent teams however, the warmest moment perhaps occurred after the vibrant awards ceremony, where the Indians joined the Pakistani teams for a photo-session that turned into a joint celebration of each other’s hard work and nationality. In a rare moment of harmonious celebration the contingent of teams could be seen together arm-in-arm, taking group photos and shouting “Pakistan Zindabad! Hindustan Zindabad!” for each other’s countries.

All the teams from Pakistan and India hold up their country flags while they cheer and celebrate their efforts at the end of the competition. – Photo by Nadir Siddiqui/Dawn.com

Judging from the growing enthusiasm, and more experienced teams, hopefully we will see more success for both countries in future competitions.

SOCIETY - MALAYSIA

Thanking teachers

OVER 40,000 roses and special thank you notes were delivered to secondary school teachers throughout Malaysia in conjunction with Teachers Day.
The initiative was driven by INTI International University and Colleges (INTI) as an acknowledgement to the nation’s dedicated educators for their contribution to students and to society as a whole.
Many teachers were pleasantly surprised by the gesture and were grateful that their hard work were recognised.

Happy teachers of SMK USJ 13 posing with their roses. The flowers were a token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

INTI’s initiative also included a Teachers’ Convention that saw INTI’s academics and close to 300 teachers from secondary schools in the Klang Valley, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan and Malacca sharing the latest teaching and learning methodologies, and updates on classroom technologies.
The convention aimed to bolster the good work performed by teachers and was officiated by Education deputy director-general (Teacher Development Professionalism) Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof.
Prominent speakers included the Laureate Malaysia chief executive officer Amit Sevak, Global Higher Education Consultants executive chairman and chief consultant, and national chief scout commissioner Kol Prof Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar, and INTI International University deputy vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid.
The speakers delivered insightful messages on the importance of education and a teacher’s role in transforming lives, understanding and enabling youth, as well as building a culture of creativity for sustainability of excellence.
Two other similar conventions will be held in Penang and Johor on June 16 and 23 respectively.
“This is the first time INTI has organised such a large scale initiative nationwide as part of our corporate social responsibility to honour teachers, the unsung heroes of society who contribute so much to the nation’s development,” said Prof Ibrahim who also thanked the teachers for their dedication.

ENVIRONMENT - MALAYSIA

Tuesday June 5, 2012

Ailing Earth

On World Environment Day today, we look at what’s troubling the planet.

BIGFOOT
OVER the past five decades, the size of man’s footprint on Earth has more than doubled. Humanity is now using nature’s services 52% faster than what the planet can renew, according to the latest calculations by Global Footprint Network.
The group, which had introduced the “ecological footprint” in 1990 as a way to measure human pressure on the planet, says humanity has been in “ecological overshoot” since the 1970s, gobbling up the planet’s resources faster than they can be replenished.

Today, we use the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. This means it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate what we use in a year. It is projected that if current population and consumption trends continue, we will need two Earths to support us by the 2030s. But we only have one.
A burgeoning population and high consumption rates are inflating our feet size. Man’s ecological footprint (the land required to produce the world’s resources and absorb its waste) is 2.7 global hectares (gha) per person but Earth’s bio-capacity (productive land and water) is only 1.8gha per person. (Based on 2008 figures, the most recent year for which data is available.) This results in an ecological overshoot of 50%. We are living beyond our ecological means. As the overshoot expands, the risk of ecological instability becomes greater.
Malaysians have big feet – 3.9gha per person. This is way larger than the global average. Compared with the nation’s bio-capacity of 2.5gha per person, we have an ecological overshoot of 55%. If everyone in the world consumed like Malaysians, we would need 2.2 planets to sustain ourselves. Ranked at 46, we are in the upper one-third of the list of 150 nations.
The 10 countries with the largest ecological footprints are Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, the United States, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Netherlands and Ireland. If everyone in the world lived like the average resident of Qatar, we would need 6.5 planets to regenerate our resources and absorb the carbon dioxide emissions. If everyone lived like the Americans, we would need the resources of four planets.
Carbon is the largest driver behind man’s growing feet. Carbon emissions related to fossil fuel consumption account for more than half the global ecological footprint, at 54%. Land used for food production is another major factor in humanity’s increasing footprint.

DYING OUT

THE WWF Living Planet Index tracks the population trends of 2,688 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish from around the globe.
The latest index shows a decline of 28% between 1970 and 2008. This trend is seen across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, but is greatest for freshwater species, whose populations show an average 37% decline. The drop in biodiversity has been more much serious in tropical regions (60%) than in temperate regions.

EMPTIED SEAS

A NEARLY five-fold increase in global marine fish catch, from 19 million tonnes in 1950 to 87 million tonnes in 2005, has left many fisheries over-exploited.
Targeted fishing of top predators has changed whole ecological communities, with increasing abundance of smaller marine animals at lower trophic levels. This, in turn, has an impact on the growth of algae and coral health.
Subsidies for fishing are contributing to the rapid depletion of many fish species and are preventing efforts to save and restore global fisheries. As much as 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries and loss of coastal habitats.

PARCHED LANDS

WATER scarcity affects every continent and more than 40% of the global population. There is sufficient fresh water but due to bad economics and poor infrastructure, millions die each year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene. Many river basins experience water scarcity and are over-drained, hampering critical ecosystem functions. Some 2.7 billion people suffer water shortage for at least one month a year.

FEED THE WORLD
Our soils, freshwater, oceans, forests and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded, therparchedeby threatening the capacity of the planet to provide nutritious food for all.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation says one in seven people suffer from malnourishment. About one-third of the world food production for human consumption - some 1.3 billion tonnes - are lost and wasted each year.
We have to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food if we are to nourish today’s 925 million hungry and the additional two billion people expected by 2050.

The FAO calls for food consumption and production systems to “achieve more with less,” and says it is necessary to shift to nutritious diets with a smaller environmental footprint, as well as reduce food losses and waste.
Some 500 million small farms worldwide, most still rain-fed, provide up to 80% of the food consumed in much of the developing world. Investing in these smallholders is an important way to increase food security.

SWELTERING HEAT
THE past few decades have been warmer than any other comparable period for the last 400 years. Limiting the global average warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels will require hefty emission cuts of over 80%. If that does not happen, most parts of the world will see a temperature hike of above 2°C annually by 2040.

Carbon dioxide levels would have increased even more were it not for the fact that about one-quarter of the gas is being absorbed by grasslands and forests, and another quarter by oceans.
Energy is the dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for around 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

WARMING OCEANS
THE world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind.
Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Careful management of this essential resource is a key feature of a sustainable future.

Oceans absorb about one-quarter of the carbon dioxide produced by humans. The result: ocean acidity has increased by 30% since the Industrial Revolution. At the same time, oceans have absorbed 80% to 90% of the heating from rising greenhouse gas concentrations over the last half-century, driving up ocean temperatures.
The rising temperatures of both the atmosphere and oceans are altering worldwide weather patterns, including humidity, precipitation, atmospheric circulation and storm attributes.

HUMAN HABITAT
CITIES play a vital role in the social and economic development of countries. Strong urban economies are essential for generating the resources needed for public and private investments in infrastructure, education and health, improved living conditions and poverty alleviation.

However, cities the world over are plagued by numerous problems such as congestion, inadequate housing, declining infrastructure, pollution, poverty and water shortages.
The world’s cities occupy just 2% of the planet, but account for 60% to 80% of energy consumption. Human settlements have got to be made environmentally sustainable to ensure our future.
■ Sources: United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Global Footprint Network, Living Planet Index Report 2012