Natural Environment

In the first quarter of 2016, a qualitative survey of 451 Malaysians was conducted to examine their views of what their future environment would be in 2050. Of these, 172 (38.1%) responded to the focused surveys with 52.3% indicating that the future was negative and only 19.8% believing that the future would be positive. The surveys were conducted on student-debaters, young professionals, and environment specialists. The top three reasons for their concern for the future were environmental deterioration, deforestation, and increased pollution. Towards improving the future environment, the focused group listed environmental awareness and stricter laws and better enforcement as potential solutions. The concerns of Malaysians for the future of the environment in 2050 appear to be similar to those shown in the United States and the United Kingdom. The chapter finally discusses the building blocks to stem the decline and rebuild a better environment.