Putrajaya, Nov 12 – Environmental forensics is expected to be a most important tool in delivering environmental justice, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said Tuesday.
To prove culpability for environmental crimes and extract adequate compensation for the environmental damages incurred, he said an environmental crime investigation team needed to deliberate and find evidence on the type of crimes committed and by whom.
He said environmental forensics could also support the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crimes.
“We hope environmental forensics can bring together the data required in order to have a successful prosecution in environmental offences, including pollution of water bodies, illegal dumping of hazardous wastes, noise production, black smoke from motor vehicles and contravention of licensing permits.
“Specifically, we expect that environmental forensics can play an important role in identifying sources of any pollution and demonstrating the harm that it has caused, or may be caused at a future date,” he said when opening the first International Conference on Environmental Forensics (iEnforce) 2013 here Tuesday.
Also present were Trinidad and Tobago Environment and Water Resources Minister Ganga Singh, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Vice-Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Fauzi Ramlan, UPM Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, Prof Madya Dr Ramdzani Abdullah, iEnforce 2013 chairman Prof Madya Dr Ahmad Zaharin Aris.
Themed ‘Form Sources to Solutions’, iEnforce 2013 is organised by Environmental Forensics Research Centre (Enforce), Faculty of Environmental Studies, UPM.
More than 160 participants, including from the United States, Australia, Europe, Middle East, India, Nigeria, China and South Korea attended the two-day conference. More than 100 research papers will be presented in the two-day conference.
On iEnforce 2013, Palanivel said the knowledge to be presented in the conference could certainly support the ministry in improving the management of natural resources and environment.
“We hope this conference can also provide a forum for scientists, together with legal and administrative experts, on how to use scientific investigation techniques to address environmental pollution of air, water, soil and biota.
“The work of environmental forensics experts can be used by us to take offenders to a court of law for arbitration, for public debate or some other formal process of seeking retribution or remediation for their offences,” he said.
He added that the forum should also serve as a means of evaluating the progress of the country’s capacity and capability, as well as consolidation and exchange of information related to environmental forensics.
On the Cameron Highlands’s mud slide incident, Palanivel said he would present a RM100,000 cheque tomorrow to rebuild the heavily damaged SJK (C) Lembah Bertam in Ringlet.
“The aid is from my foundation,” he said, adding that Majlis Keselamatan Negara was expected to distribute cash aid to the affected villagers.
He said, either this week or the next, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim would release the money.
– Bernama
