Sains Malaysiana 51(5)(2022): 1587-1598

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5105-26

Effect of COVID-19 Movement Control Order Policy on Water Quality Changes in Sungai Langat, Selangor, Malaysia within Distinct Land Use Areas

(Kesan Dasar Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan COVID-19 terhadap Perubahan Kualiti Air di Sungai Langat, Selangor, Malaysia dalam Kawasan Guna Tanah Berbeza)

MUHAMMAD RENDANA¹, WAN MOHD RAZI IDRIS^2,4,* & SAHIBIN ABD RAHIM³

¹Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya 30662 Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia

²Department of Earth Sciences and Environmental, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Environmental Science Program, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

⁴Center for Water Research and Analysis, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 17 December 2021/Accepted: 16 March 2022

Abstract

For the first time in the 21^st century, many nations have been forced to conduct a lockdown that restricts their industrial, transportation, and social activities to avoid the extensive COVID-19 spread. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the status of water quality that was measured by suspended particulate matter (SPM) in Sungai Langat, Selangor, Malaysia using the remote sensing technique. The study was concerned with rivers located in distinct land-use areas such as high-density urban, low-density urban, and agricultural areas. The study period included before and after movement control order (MCO) periods that occurred in February 2020 and February 2021, respectively. The SPM levels in each period were calculated using the remote sensing technique through Landsat-8 OLI images then they were analyzed using statistical analysis. The results of the remote sensing technique showed the highest decrease of SPM levels during the MCO period was observed in Sungai Langat within a high-density urban area (34.1%). Then, the SPM levels in all Sungai Langat raised significantly after the MCO period with the highest change at 31.6%. Rainfall and erosion factors had a significant impact on the SPM level through natural processes but the COVID-19 restriction had a direct impact on the SPM level due to the restriction of industrial and social activities. The suspended activities have made the lower emission compared with before the COVID-19 period in 2019.

Keywords: COVID-19; lockdown remote sensing; river quality; soil loss

Abstrak

Buat pertama kalinya dalam abad ke-21, banyak negara telah terpaksa melakukan penutupan yang menyekat aktiviti perindustrian, pengangkutan dan aktiviti sosial untuk mengelakkan penularan COVID-19 secara meluas. Oleh itu, kajian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis status kualiti air yang diukur dengan bahan zarahan terampai (SPM) di Sungai Langat, Selangor, Malaysia menggunakan teknik penderiaan jauh. Penyelidikan ini dijalankan di sungai yang terletak di kawasan guna tanah yang berbeza seperti kawasan bandar berkepadatan tinggi, bandar berkepadatan rendah dan kawasan pertanian. Tempoh kajian ialah sebelum dan selepas tempoh perintah kawalan pergerakan (MCO) pada Februari 2020 dan Februari 2021. Kepekatan SPM dalam setiap tempoh tersebut dianalisis menggunakan teknik penderiaan jauh melalui imej Landsat-8 OLI kemudian dianalisis menggunakan analisis statistik. Hasil kajian menunjukkan penurunan tertinggi kepekatan SPM dalam tempoh MCO ditemukan di Sungai Langat dalam kawasan bandar berkepadatan tinggi (34.1%). Kemudian, kepekatan SPM di keseluruhan Sungai Langat meningkat dengan signifikan selepas tempoh MCO dengan perubahan tertinggi iaitu 31.6%. Faktor jumlah hujan dan hakisan tanih memberi kesan yang besar kepada kepekatan SPM dalam sungai melalui proses semula, tetapi aktiviti MCO di kawasan kajian telah memberi kesan langsung kepada kepekatan SPM disebabkan oleh sekatan aktiviti perindustrian dan sosial. Aktiviti yang dihentikan telah menjadikan pelepasan bahan buangan yang lebih rendah berbanding sebelum tempoh COVID-19 pada tahun 2019.

Kata kunci: COVID-19; hakisan tanih; kualiti sungai; penderiaan jauh

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^*Corresponding author; email: razi@ukm.edu.my