ASSESSMENT OF LIGHT POLLUTION AND SUSTAINABILITY USING GEOSPATIAL APPROACHES: A CASE STUDY IN UITM SHAH ALAM SELANGOR

Abstract

Light pollution is one form of pollution that appears to exist among people without almost any human intervention. This problem has been acknowledged by local researchers in Malaysia since it is capable of posing a long-term threat to humans as well as to biodiversity. This study attempts to describe the status of light pollution in the state of Selangor, specifically in the Shah Alam area from a Geographical Information System (GIS) perspective. Samples were randomly collected from Seksyen 1 to Seksyen 7 (except from Seksyen 5), due to limited access. Observations were performed in the corresponding areas using the Sky Quality Meter (SQM). Findings indicate that the Shah Alam area is badly polluted with light pollution issues. Furthermore, in comparison to other methods (Kriging & Natural Neighbour), the Inverse Distance Weightage (IDW) technique is the best interpolation method for SQM data estimation when addressing light pollution problems. The selection method was based on 3 main criteria, namely previous studies, reliable data obtained by interpolation, and the natural behaviour of light pollution. Findings of this study can significantly contribute to the existing corpus of knowledge on light pollution and help the local government to improve current policies to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity in the country, especially around Shah Alam.