Water quality monitoring is a fundamental tool in the management of resources as in Tasik Chini UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Based on field and laboratory methods, PPTC has developed monitoring stations within Tasik Chini, its feeder rivers, and Sungai Chini. This has contributed to capacity building in the area of water quality monitoring and assessment in Tasik Chini Biosphere Reserve. We intend to proceed to implement a monitoring network to provide lake monitoring protocols for surface and groundwater.

The sampling methods and analytical methods are an integrated approach of hydrological, chemical, biological, and sediment measurements and their relevance to the lake ecosystem locally and as part of a river basin of Sungai Pahang. This is the basis of short-term and long term monitoring programmes that are used for the detection of trends in the natural environment and studies on the impact of pollution.

Tasik Chini being also a wetland freshwater lake has special biological importance with characteristics that are ideologically intermediate between rivers, lakes, and groundwaters. Researchers are geared towards understanding the water residence time, pollutants that are locked in sediments, drainage patterns and the influence by microclimatic conditions.

Tasik Chini experiences 3 seasonal variations, wet, dry and normal seasons which have a direct impact on the biological and chemical quality of water. these hydrological measurements are an indispensable accompaniment to any surface water quality monitoring for any meaningful interpretation. These areas of research are undertaken with strong development support by ECERDC.

As stated in Pahang Physical Plan, Tasik Chini being a tourist destination needs to be developed. There may be a shift in the pattern of water use from rural to tourism activities such as boating activities, fisheries. Water quality has to be of Class I-II. Pathogenic agents causing water-borne diseases such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths, although interfere only marginally with aquatic life in general; may cause severe public health problems and is monitored whenever research funding is available.

Research funding as a monitoring programme is difficult to get and it has been a neglected research area. Therefore, monitoring is usually done indirectly by identifying and quantifying indicators of faecal pollution such as the coliform groups. The compilation of data on erosion and sedimentation in Tasik Chini is far from complete. Concerted efforts are underway to not only monitor these sites but to train new and young scientists in this field.