Description of Division
In line with the emphasis placed by the country in developing and managing the water resources sustainably and caring for the environment, the Division of Water Resources and Environmental Systems (WRES) of the Civil Engineering Faculty, Universiti Teknologi MARA has assumed significant role and responsibility since its establishment. The instruction and research by this division address the development and application of the mathematical concepts, scientific principles, economic theories and impact assessments to the management and planning of water resources and environmental systems.
The division has put concerted efforts in developing new knowledge in the frontier of science through active participation and partnering in researches, intra and inter-disciplinary, locally and abroad. In the future the division hopes to hopes to have research collaboration with new partners. A mutual agreement with future partners will foresee a more outstanding and excellent contribution to the field of water resources and environmental engineering. At present, the faculty members in this division have been very active in conducting funded research projects from several research grants agencies including MOSTI (e-science fund), MOHE (FRGS), UiTM Internal Fund, CIDB, NAHRIM and the local industries. The achievement and recognition received by the leading experts of the division have greatly marked the division’s achievement in the international arena. Currently, the division is supported by 34 faculty members in various field of expertise headed by Dr. Marfiah Ab. Wahid. Their undivided commitment and serious effort in pursuing a remarkable level of achievement will promise an outstanding future in academic excellence.
The laboratories under the division of Water Resources and Enviromental Systems are Hydrology, Environmental (1) and (II), Environmental (Research), Fluid Mechanic, and Hydraulic Laboratories. All laboratories are fully equipped with advanced teaching and research equipment. These include a wave basin, open channel flumes, water hammer and surge tank, rainfall simulators, hydrology apparatus, model sedimentation apparatus, pneumatic membrane casting, ion and gas chromatograph, autoclave, shaker bath, fume bath, and water quality apparatus and equipment.
The software available to carry out numerical modeling and simulation studies includes ARC-GIS, Infoworks River Simulation (RS), Water Supply (WS) and Collection System (CS).
The division is responsible towards teaching undergraduate courses such as Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulics, Hydrology, Water Supply, Wastewater Engineering, Groundwater, Hydraulics Structures, and Coastal Engineering. Inputs from the panel of advisors and industries are strongly referred to, in the development of the undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Ideas from public policy and law, social sciences and humanities are often employed in conjunction with the engineering principles and the practical aspects, to develop a better understanding of the role of engineering in the solution of water and environmental problems. Among the courses offered in the master degree program are Environmental Management, Water Resources Planning and Management, Flood Management and Mitigation, Advanced Water Supply, Solid Waste Management, Erosion and Sedimentation, Groundwater Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamic, Hazadous and Industrial Waste, Risk and Hazard Assessment, Environmental Management of Coastal Areas, and Air Pollution.
Research projects undertaken by the researchers of the division include anoxic process in sewer, anoxic and anaerobic process of leacheate treatment, biodegradation of polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bioadsorption of heavy metal using fungi, membrane technology, river sediment modeling, flood modeling and simulation, hydro-meteorological flood forecasting, remote sensing techniques using radar and geostationary meteorological satellite in quantitative precipitation forecast, intelligent flood warning system and inundation model, river pollution, groundwater contaminant modeling and remediation optimization, statistical analysis of hydrologic processes, water supply systems management, non-revenue water analysis, water quality planning, risk analysis, river basin management, systems planning and operation, ecological systems management, sustainable development, and computer graphics-oriented decision support systems.
The Flood-Marine Excellence Centre has been established by Prof. Ir. Dr. Junaidah Ariffin. Members of the centre includes Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wardah Tahir, Dr Mohd Fozi Ali and from different disciplines such as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Azlinah Mohamed and Assoc. Prof. Zaidah Ibrahim. The aim of establishing this centre is to promote research in the field of hydrology, hydraulics and coastal engineering. The members affiliated to this research centre had secured grants worth a million Malaysian ringgit of which six (6) research are still on-going. The research areas include water resources development, evaluation techniques of channel stability and erosion control, local bed changes of restoration areas, channel distributaries, hydraulic structures such as sills, small dams, weirs and water intakes, flood forecasting, evacuation scenarios, flood hazard reduction and flood protection, the application of numerical methods in water resources and sedimentation, flood analysis, prediction, forecasting and warning, risk and management. The other activities of the centre are organising workshop, seminar, training and conference in promoting knowledge in the area. The centre is aggressively pursuing opportunities to work with other institutions, public and private sectors (both local and abroad) on issues related to flood analysis, management and coastal engineering. This centre has published more than 250 publications including 65 in refereed journals. Currently, there are ten (10) students pursuing their postgraduate degree by research working under the supervision of this centre.
