Environment of Tawau

The Environmental Magazine
Published by : Dasatama Sdn. Bhd. Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia
Chief Editor : Tsen Kim Poh H/P 012-8187997 kp.tsen@gmail.com

A trilobite beetle in the leaf litter of the abandoned oil palm of the Tawau River Triangle, on the Tawau River bank

Tawau River Triangle
The abandoned plantation by the Tawau River, opposite Pasar Semarak: fifty-year-old oil palm past productive age, not replanted and handed back to the government — and eleven dated records of what is living in it now, made between 2007 and 2016.

A prawn pond at Merotai with red earth banks and the mangrove behind

Tanah Merah Mangrove Coast
The mangrove forest on the coast at Tanah Merah, Merotai Besar, now shared with oil palm, a tiger prawn farm, a bird's nest farm and two sawmills — and twenty dated records of the insects, spiders and other animals found there, made between 2006 and 2014.

Old Rubber Plantation, Ladang Table
A patch of old rubber trees about the size of a football field, left standing when the rubber plantation at Ladang Table, Merotai, was converted to oil palm — and seven dated records of the spiders and the ant found at Ladang Table, made between 2011 and 2020.

Serious plastic pollution at Tawau Waterfront, Sabah

Pollution in Tawau

Air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires; discarded PVC (plastic).
Tawau residences are suffering from rodents. The increased number of rats in the town is posing a health risk. Almost all kitchen garbage are not kept in rodent-free containers to avoid attracting the pests. Rats are taking over Tawau streets because of poor rubbish and trash management.

Forms of pollution in Tawau The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular contaminant relevant to each of them:
1	Air pollution The release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common gaseous pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight. Particulate matter, or fine dust is characterized by their micrometer size PM10 to PM2.5.
2	Light pollution Includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.
3	Littering The criminal throwing of inappropriate man-made objects, unremoved, onto public and private properties.
4	Noise pollution Which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar.
5	Soil contamination Occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE,[10] herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
6	Radioactive contamination Resulting from 20th century activities in atomic physics, such as nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research, manufacture and deployment. (See alpha emitters and actinides in the environment.)
7	Thermal pollution A a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence, such as use of water as coolant in a power plant.
8	Visual pollution Which can refer to the presence of overhead power lines, motorway billboards, scarred landforms (as from strip mining), open storage of trash, municipal solid waste or space debris.
9	Water pollution By the discharge of wastewater from commercial and industrial waste (intentionally or through spills) into surface waters; discharges of untreated domestic sewage, and chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, from treated sewage; release of waste and contaminants into surface runoff flowing to surface waters (including urban runoff and agricultural runoff, which may contain chemical fertilizers and pesticides); waste disposal and leaching into groundwater; eutrophication and littering.