Sustaining a Way of Life: Kedah River Basin

At midday along the Kedah River Basin, a small boat glides across the silted, tea-brown waters toward the city center of Alor Setar. Azizul Hakim Bin Mohamad Salleh, a seasoned fishing guide, eases the boat to a quiet stop before casting his line. For nearly two decades, Azizul has spent his days reading this river, its shifting currents and the habits of the fish beneath its surface.

What began as a way to secure a day’s meal has grown into a livelihood that now connects him with visitors from Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Germany, and across Malaysia, all eager to experience leisure fishing along the Kedah River Basin.

“The river gives us many kinds of fish. We keep the medium-sized ones for food and release the giants,”

Azizul says with a smile.

For Azizul and other fishing guides, angling is more than just a source of income, it deepens their connection with the river. And for families living along the river banks, these waters remain a vital source of food, identity, and continuity.

The Kedah River Basin takes shape high in the mist-shrouded mountains along the northern border where Malaysia meets Thailand. From these uplands, Sungai Kedah, known in English as Kedah River, emerges within the ancient forests of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, a 105,000-hectare expanse long regarded as the country’s “water tower,” where rainfall is gathered, stored, and slowly released into the river system below.

As the river moves downstream, its course is gently redirected by a series of structures built to manage seasonal flows across the basin. At Empangan Muda, water is gathered and steadied during periods of high rainfall before passing through the Saiong Tunnel, cut deep beneath the hills, toward Empangan Pedu, where it joins the waters of Empangan Ahning. These reservoirs form a broad reserve that buffers both dry months and heavy rains, anchoring water supply and flood moderation across the basin.

From Pedu Dam, the river’s journey continues along the historic Wan Mat Saman Aqueduct— recognized by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure—carrying regulated, life-giving water across the rice-growing plains managed by the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA), which have long sustained Kedah’s role as the nation’s rice bowl.

At its source, the river sustains forest ecosystems where hornbills, elephants, and riverine species depend on the steadiness of upland waters. Downstream, that same regulated flow supports fields, livelihoods, and food security. In this way, Sungai Kedah carries a dual responsibility—linking ancient landscapes with a modern agricultural system that continues to shape life across the basin.

The Kedah River Basin plays a crucial role in agriculture, water supply, flood management, and the socio-economic development of Kedah. It supports extensive paddy cultivation, particularly within the MADA irrigation scheme, earning Kedah its title as the “Rice Bowl of Malaysia” and supplying around 40 percent of Malaysia’s rice needs.

Completed under the Muda Irrigation Scheme, Pedu Dam stores approximately 1,080 million cubic meters of water and is managed by the MADA. It supplies water to households and industries while sustaining one of Malaysia’s largest rice-producing regions. About 100,685 hectares of paddy fields across Kedah and Perlis rely on controlled releases from Pedu Dam to maintain planting and harvesting cycles.

Roughly 60 percent of the dam’s water is allocated for domestic use, while 40 percent supports irrigation. Together, these flows support nearly 40 percent of Malaysia’s rice production, making the Kedah River Basin a pillar of national food security.

Beyond agriculture, the river supports inland fisheries and wetland habitats that provide both biodiversity value and local livelihoods.

Downstream in Alor Setar, families remain closely tied to the river through fishing and domestic water use, and brace themselves each year for the returning monsoon floods. For them, the health of the basin is not just an abstract environmental concern but part of daily life.

Further downstream, the Kedah River Basin supports small fishing communities and recreational anglers who rely on it for food, income, and identity. Local groups, most notably the Northern Region Fishing Association, have cultivated a growing ecotourism sector built around artisanal fishing, river guiding, and catch-and-release practices.

Fishing tourism typically peaks between January and March, when many freshwater species, including snakehead (Channa spp.), become more active along the shallow margins of the river. During this season, a 12-hour guided trip can earn between RM 300-700 (USD 74-172)*, providing an important source of income for local fishing guides.

Local entrepreneurs are also shaping this river-based economy. Epol Tech Industries, led by Mohamad Sharful Afrendi and Zanariyan Binti Azizan, produces fishing lures inspired by species found in the Kedah River Basin. Their designs draw on well-documented fish behavior, as many freshwater predators hunt using a combination of visual cues, vibration, and movement. By mimicking the size and swimming patterns of natural prey, the lures increase strike efficiency while supporting the catch-and-release ethics promoted by local fishing guides.

“We design each lure to replicate natural prey in size, shape, and movement.”

Zanariyan says.

“This helps recreational fishers catch more efficiently.”

The Northern Region Fishing Association is now preparing for the Sungai Kedah Snakehead Master Champion 2026, an angling competition expected to attract participants from across Malaysia and abroad.

Yet growing interest in river tourism comes with challenges. Heavy rains often send fallen trees, sediment, and debris downstream, making navigation hazardous. Along the riverbanks, the limited number of homestay facilities also constrains how many visitors the community can host. Yet even within these constraints, local groups cling to a shared hope for greater government support for their budding ecotourism industry.

To keep the river safe and accessible, local groups organise gotong-royong clean-ups to clear river banks, remove debris, and plant trees.

“We take care of the river,”

one guide says,

“because the river provides for our livelihood.”

In Alor Setar’s lively Pekan Rabu market, the river’s influence appears in everyday foods. Women entrepreneurs like Siti Aminah Into Saidin transform rice flour, abundant because of the region’s paddy heritage, into delicate kuih or rice delicacies.

Nearby, Sabriah Binti Ebow prepares ikan pekasam, Kedah’s signature fermented freshwater fish made using salt and toasted rice.

“My mother taught me this,”

Sabriah says.

“We use local fish from the river, and fermenting them helps preserve the catch. It gives a tangy, salty flavor that has long been part of our food traditions.”

Despite its richness, the Kedah River Basin faces mounting environmental strain. Receiving nearly 2,900 millimetres of rainfall each year, Malaysia ranks among the ten wettest countries on Earth. This abundance of water, however, also brings heightened risk. Across the low-lying plains of Alor Setar, monsoon rains, flat terrain, and the pull of tides near the river mouth combine to make flooding a familiar seasonal presence. During peak monsoon months, river levels rise quickly, as reservoirs and downstream channels strain to absorb sudden surges of water. In this shifting landscape, effective river basin management and flood mitigation remain enduring priorities. Yet the pressures on the river extend beyond water quantity alone.

Water quality concerns are also increasing as activities along the basin intensify. Key pollution sources include agricultural runoff, industrial effluents, and domestic wastewater. Paddy cultivation and livestock farming may introduce nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, accelerating eutrophication and sediment buildup. Sedimentation linked to agriculture and land development remains a persistent challenge, documented in multiple assessments by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage. Untreated or partially treated sewage and household waste further degrade water quality, particularly in more densely populated areas of Kedah State.

These conditions reflect findings from the National Water Resources Study (2000-2050), which identifies agricultural intensification and land-use change as key drivers of pollution in northern Malaysian river basins.

Managing the Kedah River Basin requires coordination across agencies and sectors. The GEF/UNDP/ ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project supports strengthened collaboration among state-and national-level agencies in Malaysia to facilitate collaboration, capacity building, and joint planning in line with IRBM principles and Source-to-Sea approach.

At the state level, the Project works with Kedah State Water Resources Board locally known as Lembaga Sumber Air Negeri Kedah (LSANK), which serves as a key coordinating body for water resources management, including regulation of water abstraction and oversight of catchment protection. At the national level, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation locally known as Kementerian Peralihan Tenaga dan Transformasi Air (PETRA), leads river basin planning, flood mitigation, and the design, operation, and maintenance of drainage and flood-control infrastructure.

Through this multi-level coordination, the IRBM Project aims to strengthen governance and decision-making and to support the development of initiatives focusing on reducing pollution, safeguarding environmental flows, adapting to climate change vulnerabilities, and enhancing the long-term sustainability of the Kedah River Basin.

The Project’s integrated approach was underscored during the coordination meeting held on 21 October 2025 in Alor Setar. Encik Mohammad Khairol Akmal Bin Adnan, Assistant Director, Kedah State Economic Planning Department emphasized the importance of integrated river basin management.

“The Kedah River Basin is a vital asset for our state — central to water security, agricultural productivity, and ecological health,”

he said.

“Implementing IRBM here is not just a project, but a necessity for our sustainable development.”

Reflecting on the long-term nature of IRBM implementation, he added:

“IRBM is complex. We cannot expect results in two or three years. Water management requires long-term commitment — the real outcomes may only be visible over a longer period.”

As the IRBM Project transitions from planning toward implementation, efforts are underway to develop and implement a pilot project that aims to address key issues in the Kedah River Basin, including sedimentation, declining water quality and monsoon-related flood risks in vulnerable areas.

The Kedah River Basin remains a lifeline for families and a foundation of Malaysia’s rice bowl—providing food, supporting livelihoods and recreation, and forming an integral part of Kedah’s culture.

For the people of Kedah—those who fish its waters, cultivate its fields, and sustain its food traditions—safeguarding the river also means sustaining their way of life.