Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

Systems thinking approach for analysing non-revenue water management reform in Malaysia

Bibliographic Data

ID21697264
AuthorsChee Hui Lai (0000-0002-3533-8007, River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia 14300, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia, corresponding author), David T Tan (0000-0003-4820-2878, International Institute for Global Health, United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia), Ranjan Roy (0000-0003-3072-2162, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University), Ngai Weng Chan (0000-0003-3257-3922, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800, Penang, Malaysia), Nor Azazi Zakaria (River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia 14300, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia)
Year2020
Volume22
Issue2
Pages237-251
Publication date2020-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWater Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1366-7017 • E-ISSN: 1996-9759
PublisherIWA Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.2166/wp.2020.165
OpenAlexW3012289259
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited22

High volumes of non-revenue water (NRW) threaten water security in many developing countries. The traditional technocentric water management regime largely neglects social and systemic complexities that need to be addressed for successful reform. This paper explores the challenges of water sector reform and NRW reduction in Malaysia to identify possible drivers that can accelerate the NRW management reform. The analysis uses a system thinking approach, with key systemic relationships represented with causal loop diagrams (CLDs). Findings reveal that the NRW management reform is influenced by technical, environmental, economic, social, institutional, and corporate governance factors. Using the CLDs, leverage points that can accelerate NRW management reform are identified. Policies and strategies that can accelerate the NRW management reform in Malaysia are recommended: (1) water supply security and sustainable development must be emphasised as the main concern for water sector reform; (2) understanding of the socio-economic benefits of water tariff adjustment by stakeholders is necessary to build political alliances for water tariff increments; and (3) the newly privatised water services providers in Malaysia require an integrated NRW reduction plan to optimise the time taken for NRW reduction and at the same time, transforming their current human resources that were inherited from the previous public water utilities

Business · Corporate governance · Economics · Environmental economics · Non-revenue water · Revenue · Tariff · Water conservation · Water resources · Integrated Water Resources Management · Water Governance and Infrastructure · Water resources management and optimization · Water-Energy-Food Nexus Studies · Finance

  • Shifting paradigm in water resources management

    Open Access•Khalid Sayed, Ridzwan Nazimuddin et al.•World Development Perspectives•2025

  • Exploring the Drivers of Rural Water Supply Sustainability in Chile

    Open Access•Jeffrey P Walters, Hernán Alcayaga et al.•Sustainable Development•2025

  • Incorporating nonrevenue water in the efficiency assessment of water supply utilities

    Open Access•Kim Huat Goh, Kok Fong See•Utilities Policy•2023

  • Measuring the productivity growth of Malaysia's water sector

    Open Access•Kim Huat Goh, Kok Fong See•Utilities Policy•2021

  • Toward improved river basin management for sustainable community-based water supply systems and community development in North-West Cameroon

    Henry Bikwibili Tantoh, T J M Mckay et al.•Community Development•2024

  • Content Analysis

    Mack Shelley, Klaus Krippendorff•Journal of the American…•1984

  • A Definition of Systems Thinking

    Open Access•Ross D Arnold, Ross Arnold et al.•Procedia Computer Science•2015

  • Transitions towards adaptive management of water facing climate and global change

    Open Access•Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Claudia Pahl‐wostl•Water Resources Management•2006

  • Diagnosing transformative change in urban water systems

    Open Access•Briony C Ferguson, Rebekah Ruth Brown et al.•Global Environmental Change•2012

  • Does non-revenue water affect Malaysia's water services industry productivity

    Open Access•Kok Fong See, Zhanxin Ma•Utilities Policy•2018

  • Explanatory factors of urban water leakage rates in Southern Spain

    Open Access•Francisco González-Gómez, Roberto Martínez‐espiñeira et al.•Utilities Policy•2012

  • Drivers of non-revenue water

    Open Access•Caroline van den Berg•Utilities Policy•2015

  • The Pitfalls of Water Privatization

    Open Access•Jeff Tan•World Development•2012

  • A Tale of Two Concessionaires

    Open Access•Xun Wu, Xun Wu Xun Wu et al.•Urban Studies•2008

Unique citing works5
Citations per year1
Citation span2021 - 2025 (5)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 5
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae