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Natural Resources refer to the sustainable utilization of major natural resources, such as land, water and minerals. Water is a precondition for human, animal and plant life, as well as a necessary resource for the economy. Over the last several decades, surface water and groundwater resources are increasingly under pressure for a number of reasons such as increasing demand for food, increasing urbanization and industrialization. Groundwater resources are the only reliable source of clean water in many parts of the world. Very often, the sustainable use of groundwater is limited by both water quality and quantity. The quality is mainly affected by untreated industrial and urban waste disposal, agrochemicals and mobilization of geogenic contaminants.
It is essential to learn how to better manage this important resource to make sure the exploitation is not detrimental. Thus, study on the surface water and groundwater interactions; determine source(s) and rate of recharge; trace the natural sources, movement of contaminants; and investigate groundwater dynamics need to be conducted. Environmental isotope tracers have the ability to do that because of their unique ‘fingerprinting’ of sources that are often preserved within the subsurface, and the radioactive natural isotopes that provide a time scale of subsurface flow. Integration of isotope techniques with conventional techniques such hydrological and geological technique gives excellent and conclusive results.
List of research topic related to the water and natural resources management:
- Technology for water management – water supply and quality, channeling system, water loss, leakage from storage system, dispersion and flow rates, water balance, water masses and their origin;
- Evaluation of erosion and sedimentation process in hydrological system (eg. reservoirs, onshore and lakes) - soil moisture movement through the unsaturated zones,
- Characterization of land based pollution to aquatic coastal using stable isotope tracer.
- Erosion & sedimentation rate using Pb-210 technique
- Ground water resources,
- Test bed for groundwater studies
- Submarine groundwater discharge
- Sedimentation (tracing and analyzing), erosion & sedimentation rate in hydrological system (e.g. reservoirs, onshore and lakes)
- Dispersion and flow rates, interconnection of water bodies, water balance,
- Characterizing water masses and their origin, water supply assessment, leakage from storage system, soil moisture movement through the unsaturated zones,
- Monitoring of stable isotope in precipitation
- Monitoring of water quality for water supply
- Water conveyance in close conduit and open channel systems
- Pollution sources, pathways and impacts to groundwater system (forensic study
- Uranium resources
- Natural and man-made structures stability
- Groundwater behaviour
- Pathways and impacts of Pollution sources to groundwater system
List of research project:
- Study on Fate and Transport of Pollutant in Sungai Linggi Using Radiotracer Techniques (PQRD) - Project Leader: Jeremy Andy Dominic,
- Kadar Enapan Dengan Kaedah Nuklear Dalam Kolam Takungan Empangan Batu, JPS - Project Leader: Dr Wan Zakaria Wan Md Tahir
- Kajian Hidrologi Isotop di Kawasan Paya Indah Wetlands (PIW) - Project Leader/Members: Dr Wan Zakaria Wan Md Tahir
- Assessment of trends in freshwater quality using environmental isotopes and chemical techniques for improved resource management in Langkawi Island, Malaysia- Project Leader: Dr Mohd Tadza bin Abd Rahman
- Uranium and thorium resources in Malaysia (NM-R&D-11-23) - Project Leader: Dr Mohd Azmi Ismail
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