Appoint experts, consultants to monitor trees in city

A man died while another was injured in a tree-falling incident on Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, while 17 vehicles and the monorail track were also affected.

SHAH ALAM – Local authorities (PBT) need to take the initiative by appointing experts or consultants in landscaping and facility management to prevent incidents of falling trees from claiming lives in the future.

Puncak Alam Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Architecture and Interior Architecture lecturer Azlan Ariff Ali Ariff said this was because they have expertise and more precise planning in terms of urban development and landscaping.

“For the long term, this can be further strengthened by creating permanent positions for internal PBT-appointed experts who will be responsible for maintenance and amenities under the urban planning department.

“In cases like this, the problem stems from planning because the tree is actually surrounded by concrete walkways. When this tree grows large and its roots reach maturity, it will protrude from the ground.

“This situation causes it to easily decay and the root structure no longer grips the soil, making the tree easily topple, especially during bad weather,” he said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a man died while another was injured in a tree-falling incident on Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, while 17 vehicles and the monorail track were also affected.

The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department operations centre reported receiving an emergency call regarding the incident at 2.19pm.

Further commenting, Azlan said expertise in arboriculture is also needed to determine the lifespan and suitable types of trees to be planted or maintained in urban areas to avoid posing hazards to users.

“Trees have a certain lifespan, but how they can contribute to urban sustainability is crucial because we cannot escape development. Therefore, we need arborist experts to determine suitable trees or plants.

“In addition, other steps that can be taken include using plants as urban coolants by turning rooftops into green areas or gardens, so carbon sequestration can still occur.

“Planting climbing and creeping plants like pothos and creeping figs as facade greening initiatives is also a good initiative,” he added.

Azlan said Malaysia needed to consider the potential and use of algae for urban sustainability as done by most developed countries.

He added that although research on algae was still lacking in this country, it could absorb excess carbon or any pollution, especially in city areas.

“The presence of trees or plants in city areas cannot be underestimated as they play a crucial role in cooling the environment and reducing temperatures by three to five degrees Celsius.

“City areas are essentially concrete jungles. Without trees, heat from buildings will be reflected onto other buildings, and there will be no elements to absorb heat.

“Trees need to be present in urban areas to reduce carbon emissions because they will absorb and release oxygen into the city environment,” he said.