Introduction

Cameron highland is one of highland resort which is popular in Peninsular Malaysia. It is located

at southwest Pahang where this particular place is founded by government surveyors name William

Cameron around 1885.

During doing an expedition in Banjaran Titiwangsa / Main Range area, William

Cameron reported that he found a sloping plateau. Mountains that cover this plateau

seem low if measured from the terrain elevation where the height is expected

around 1372.5m to 1403m from the sea level. (Admin of Official web of Cameron

highland.,2013)

The total population in Cameron highland is quite in large number. According to 2010 population

and housing census, the total population in Cameron highland is 34510 where it comes from few

places and villages which are from Ringlet, Tanah rata, and other places where the total population

from this places is 2728, 11213 and 20569 respectively. (,2010)

Cameron highland rich of natural heritage such as flora and fauna. Many places are built

there as tourist spot such as Taman Agro Technology Mardi (TATM), Gunung Lumut, Hutan Lipur

Parit Fall, Tea garden, strawberry garden and etc. Even though, there is a problem that always occur

which is soil erosion. According to research, there are 83 areas that identified that have risk to face

soil erosion either in large or small scale in road city in Perak where 73 area is from Cameron

highland and it located along the road of Jalan Tapah Cameron highland extent about 45km.

(Abllah,2013)

Malaysia is a country that has highland topography such as in Cameron highland. According

to Arshad, he said that Malaysia soil is easy to erode. It is because most places in Malaysia have soil

texture that has high content of sand (2011). Most places in Cameron highland also have been used

for agriculture and tillage where it can increase the risk of soil erosion. Soil erosion in Cameron

highland becomes worse to people there. Here I would like to talk about the factors, effects and

actions toward this problem.

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Body content

There are many factors that caused soil erosion in Cameron highland. By looking from the

large view, it can be seen that Cameron highland is a place where many anthropogenic activities

occur. From research by Arshad Khan done in one of the places that occur soil erosion in Cameron

highland, he said that there is activities of clearing of hill and logging in there.(2010) . Clearing of hill

in total will remove the protection of the soil surface from detached by precipitation where it will

facilitate soil structure and aggregate to breaking down. It will cause the soil texture easily to bring

by water runoff. Activities of planting and tillage also occur due to the special characteristics of

this soil where this land are arable land where it is very suit to agriculture purpose. All of these

activities are actually influencing soil erosion

Others factor that may caused soil erosion in Cameron highland are improper management of

forest where forests in Cameron highland are not controlled and lacked of supervise where will

effect the increasing of deforestation. Deforestation is a human activity that removes plant in a large

area of forest where it can give negative impact to the climate, soil, and habitat of living things.

Some places in Cameron highland eroded because of the felling of trees in total for infrastructure.

There is speculation where government clear the land near the village for housing

development by (LBS) Bina Group Berhad where it may contribute to the soil erosion

problems. (Idris, 2011)

Forest or large plant has ability to absorb water while plants root also one of the medium to hold the

soil stability. When plants are removed, it will reduce the activity of water cycles in the soil where

water will not be absorbed properly. This condition will increase the antecedent soil water content

and finally it will decrease the pore spaces and cause increasing of run off and soil erosion.

Soil erosion is one the problem that give bad impact to human and environment. One of the

effects caused by erosion in Cameron highland was mortality or death. Most of soil erosion that

occurs in Cameron highland will cause mortality. It is because, most victim are covered by eroded

soil when erosion occur. If the total amount of mortality is measured from the first of erosion

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tragedy to the latest erosion in Cameron highland, it may achieve hundred or thousand numbers of

peoples.

First soil erosion that occurs in Malaysia is 11 May 1961 in Ringlet Cameron

highland. This tragedy involves of around 700 people and 2 bulldozers come to

help. 30 victims were saved and 16 peoples are dead. (JKR,2009)

Soil erosion also can cause water pollution. Mostly soil erosion occurs in Cameron highland

are close to the residential area. Soil erosion effects soil degradation and pollute the lake, sea, and

river where nutrient and chemical from cultivation land are leached out. This erosion makes worse

to people there by contaminating the water sources and complicating them to get clean water to

survive.

Lastly, soil erosion also cause the loosing income and increasing of cost. People will loss in

term of income when farming areas that are used by farmer become eroded. Soil erosion also

increases the cost in term of repairing the damages such as repairing house, repairing eroded soil,

and food aid. Repairing activities usually needed the large amount of money. According to Hang

soon, from 2011, government provides more than rm35 million for management cost in area of

highland or risk slope and location of soil erosion in Perak and Cameron highland. (Abllah,2013)

Due to these problems, action from government and others related parties are very

important to conserve the soil. One of the action taken by government to solve these problems is by

introducing the Pelan Induk Cerun Negara (Nation Slope Master Plan-NSMP)-2009-2023.

NSMP was introduce to provide detail element of comprehensive and effective

nation policy, strategy and action plan for reducing risk from landslide on slope

nationwide for 2009-2023. It also provide an assessment of the status needs and

associated cost for a national landslide hazard mitigation strategic program

including activities at the nation, state and local level, in both the public and

private sector. (Prevention Web,2009)

The launching of is to reduce the risk of soil erosion and loss affected by erosion which include

mortality, injury, damage of properties and etc.

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Other than that, alternative actions also need to be taken to reduce soil erosion in Cameron

highland. Terracing is one of the best ways to reduce soil erosion. Cameron highland is one of places

that has good climate condition and arable land for agricultural. Due to this factor, many cultivation

and tillage activities occur there such as planting of vegetable, flowers, and fruits are affected. By

practicing terracing, it can reduce slope length where it will reduce the risk soil erosion by reducing

the speed of water runoff.

Besides, practicing of cover crop system also can reduce soil erosion. Cover crops help to

retain the soil, lessen erosion, and decrease the impact of precipitation on the soil by slowing the

runoff of water

Cover crops are crops grown during the off-season. Cover crops, usually legumes

or cool-season grasses, are used to provide the needed protection against

erosion. (Gardiner, 2009)

Cover crop system also provides organic matter, nitrogen, improves air and water movement in the

soil as well as improving the water infiltration in the soil. Types of cover crops that planted are

different according to the slope length and soil types.

For examples is land near the government building area in Damansara where it

not heavy and suitable to plant with not heavy and height plant so it not eroded

by heavy rain. He adds that land in the hill slope easy to erode so the plant that

suitable to grow is grass where it should be planted systematically. (Anual,2010)

Conclusion

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Soil erosion in Cameron highland is highly caused by people activities. They clear the plants

on the land for their own purpose and benefit without thinking about the bad effects of this erosion

to environment and other people. They practically only think about profits that they will earn when

clearing the land but. Soil erosion surely will cause negative impacts to human and environment

where it will increase the mortality, water pollution and increase cost and reduce income. If these

problems are ignored, it will cause this problem become gigantic and growing loss. It not only makes

peoples uncomfortable and feel secureless living there but it also burdens many importance parties.

Due to this problems, involvement from all related parties especially government and communities

that live in one roof are very important. They should take serious action and be more responsible to

this problem. They should put more effort to solve this problem and to prevent soil erosion to occur

again. If this problem can be avoided, cost for repairing damage can be used for other beneficial

purpose such as developing our country where it can give more benefit to the society in our country

and the most important is peoples who live in the Cameron highland will live more peaceful without

worrying about their safety.

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References

Khan.A. 2011. Tanah Runtuh Cameron Highland. Harakahdaily. 18 November 2013. http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/letter/4903-tanah-runtuh-gangguan-manusia-atau-bencana-alam.

Idris.M. 2013. Tanah Runtuh; Gangguan Manusia Atau Bencana Alam. Harakahdaily. 19 November 2013. http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/letter/4903-tanah-runtuh-gangguan-manusia-atau-bencana-alam

Abllah.N. 2013. 83 Lokasi Cerun Berbahaya. Berita Nasional.20 November 2013. http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/83lokasicerunberbahaya/Article

Public Work Department. 2009. Malaysia:Nationnal Slope Master Plan 2009-2023,Prevention web. 15 November 2013. http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/policies/v.php?id=11813.

Anual.MN. 2010. hakisan tanah:satu masaalah yang semakin membimbangkan. alam sekitar tanggungjawab bersama. 15 November 2013.http://ohalamsekitar.blogspot.com/2010/08/hakisan-tanah.html.

Admin. 2013. Sejarah Cameron highland. Official web of Cameron highland. 15 november 2013. http://pdtchighlands.pahang.gov.my/index.php/2012-09-04-08-40-50/latar-belakang/sejarah-cameron-highlands

JKR. 2009. Pelan Induk Cerun Negara 2009-2023 Bahagian 2: Gambaran keseluruhan kejadian tanah runtuh di Malaysia. 16 November 2013. http://slopes.jkr.gov.my/Documentation/NSMP/Part2.pdf.

Gardiner.D.T, Miller.R.W. 2009. Soil In Our Environment: Water Erosion Control.PEARSON.20 November 2013.

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