INTRODUCTIONIn Malaysia, rivers have been used as a source of water and for various development needs. It is undeniable that water constitutes a very important natural resource. Irrigation, industrial and domestic needs consume water while other developments such as recreation, hydroelectric power generation and transportation depend on water quality and availability (Talib, Ariffin and Baharom, nd). However, it seems humans haven't realized how important this is. Deprivation of their quality and ability to perform important functions leads to major consequences, which translate into long-term economic losses and affect the quality of life of the population as a whole. The way humans use and manage rivers can cause serious environmental damage that negatively affects rivers. STATUS OF WATER RESOURCES IN MALAYSIA Although Malaysia is blessed with sufficient supply of water resources, non-uniform temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall and increasing cases of river pollution. have caused numerous crises in water supply services. River quality in Malaysia has deteriorated in recent years. In recent years, more water has been drawn to meet growing demand, but increased destruction results from water being pumped back into it by communities, adding sewage and other effluents and waste. The dirtiest rivers in the country, in terms of the amount of waste found, are the Sungai Klang, Sungai Penchala, Sungai Segget and Sungai Ayer Merah rivers in Johor, and Sungai Jelutong, Sungai Juru and Sungai Prai in Penang (Aruna, 2014) . These rivers have been classified as "dead" because they are incapable of supporting any form of aquatic life, including fish and aquatic plants. Figure 1: Children playing in Sungai Penchala, Selangor. RIVER POLLUTION...... middle of paper.... ../news/malaysia/malaysias-rivers-filth-and-garbageDanquah, L. (2010). The causes and health effects of river pollution: a case study of the Aboabo River, Kumasi. Retrieved from: http://dspace.knust.edu.gh:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/799/1/Leslie%20Danquah.pdf Talib, SA, Ariffin, J. and Baharom, B. (nd). River protection: alternative approaches to pollution control. Retrieved from: http://ptarpp2.uitm.edu.my/suhaimiabdultalib/fulltext/riverprotection.pdfUNESCO. (2006). Water – A Shared Responsibility: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris. Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/bpi/wwap/press/pdf/wwdr2_prelims.pdfWHO. (2001). Water for health: taking charge, Geneva. World Health Organization. Retrieved from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_WSH_WWD_01.1.pdf?ua=1