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Urban-Scale Material Flow Analysis: Malaysian Cities Case
Study

International Journal of Farah Ayuni Shafie1*, Dasimah Omar2, Subramaniam Karuppannan1,
Environment and and Nabilah Ismail1
Sustainability [IJES] 1Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Puncak Alam, Selangor,
ISSN 1927-9566 Malaysia
Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 45-53 2Faculty of Architecture, Surveying and Planning, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah
(2016) Alam, Malaysia

Abstract. Urban metabolism studies highlight the consumption of input
resources, the process within the system together from the source, use phase
and recycling of wastes. The aim of this study was to assess urban metabolism in
three cities in Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur, Ampang Jaya and Selayang by using
Material Flow Analysis (MFA). The data that was analysed included electricity
inputs, water inputs, food (rice, eggs and sugar) inputs, carbon dioxide outputs,
wastewater outputs and solid waste outputs. The national data were down-
scaled to provide regional data where deemed necessary. The electricity
consumption of 0.188 koe/cap/day in Klang Valley contributed to carbon
dioxide of 0.455 kg/cap/day, while 95.32% of water consumption became
wastewater. Consumption of 0.38 kg/cap/day of ‘rice, eggs and sugar’
contributed in the production of 4.5 kg/cap/day of solid wastes. The urban
metabolism approach provides information on urban management at city level
such as material cycling, energy efficiency and waste management and may also
assist in decision making for future urban development planning as well as
providing an informed and rapid assessment on the environmental performance
of urban area.

Keywords. Urban metabolism, urban-scale material flow analysis, city manage-

*Correspondence: ment

farahayuni1211@gmail.com

1. Background of an urban metabolism in an urban system is
shown in Figure 1.
The study of urban metabolism was first
introduced by Abel Wolman who identified that Environmental impacts emerge as Greater
a city is comparable to an ecosystem (Wolman, Kuala Lumpur expands in terms of economic
1965). Materials and energy flowed into the growth and becomes a global liveable metro-
system is similar with consumption of resources polis. Since Greater Kuala Lumpur is one of the
by organisms in an ecosystem. As a result of the main economic zones in Malaysia, the authori-
intake of resources, wastes and products are ties take the initiative to control and mitigate
created within the system. The urban metabo- the environmental impacts. The rapid trans-
lism study quantifies the inputs such as water, formation of Kuala Lumpur into a wide urban
food and fuel and the outputs such as sewage, area during the last decade of the twentyeth
solid refuse and air pollutants by tracking their century has contributed to many of the environ-
respective transformations and flows. Through mental issues (Abdullah et al., 2012; Zhang,
the study of urban metabolism, researchers are 2013). The authorities as well as the public
able to understand a variety of systems occur- should work together to uphold the sustainable
ring in cities, regions and neighbourhoods development of the cities in Greater Kuala
worldwide (Pincetl et al., 2012). The overview Lumpur. In light of the idea to achieve the goal