A Review of Environmental Factors Affecting River Water Quality in Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Rivers in Peninsular Malaysia are vital for domestic water supply, ecological health, and socio-economic development. However, river water quality has steadily declined due to a combination of natural environmental dynamics and anthropogenic pressures. Natural drivers such as monsoonal rainfall, aquifer vulnerability, and geological conditions establish the baseline quality of river systems. These are increasingly compounded by rapid urbanization, agricultural runoff, and untreated industrial discharges.