Introduction

Cameron highland is one of highland resort which is popular in Peninsular Malaysia. It is located at southwest Pahang where this particular place is founded by government surveyors name William Cameron around 1885.
During doing an expedition in Banjaran Titiwangsa / Main Range area, William Cameron reported that he found a sloping plateau. Mountains that cover this plateau seem low if measured from the terrain elevation where the height is expected around 1372.5m to 1403m from the sea level. (Admin of Official web of Cameron highland.,2013)

The total population in Cameron highland is quite in large number. According to 2010 population and housing census, the total population in Cameron highland is 34510 where it comes from few places and villages which are from Ringlet, Tanah rata, and other places where the total population from this places is 2728, 11213 and 20569 respectively. (,2010) Cameron highland rich of natural heritage such as flora and fauna. Many places are built there as tourist spot such as Taman Agro Technology Mardi (TATM), Gunung Lumut, Hutan Lipur Parit Fall, Tea garden, strawberry garden and etc. Even though, there is a problem that always occur which is soil erosion. According to research, there are 83 areas that identified that have risk to face soil erosion either in large or small scale in road city in Perak where 73 area is from Cameron highland and it located along the road of Jalan Tapah Cameron highland extent about 45km. (Abllah,2013) Malaysia is a country that has highland topography such as in Cameron highland. According to Arshad, he said that Malaysia soil is easy to erode. It is because most places in Malaysia have soil texture that has high content of sand (2011). Most places in Cameron highland also have been used for agriculture and tillage where it can increase the risk of soil erosion. Soil erosion in Cameron highland becomes worse to people there. Here I would like to talk about the factors, effects and actions toward this problem.

Body content
There are many factors that caused soil erosion in Cameron highland. By looking from the large view, it can be seen that Cameron highland is a place where many anthropogenic activities occur. From research by Arshad Khan done in one of the places that occur soil erosion in Cameron highland, he said that there is activities of clearing of hill and logging in there.(2010) . Clearing of hill in total will remove the protection of the soil surface from detached by precipitation where it will facilitate soil structure and aggregate to breaking down. It will cause the soil texture easily to bring by water runoff. Activities of planting and tillage also occur due to the special characteristics of this soil where this land are arable land where it is very suit to agriculture purpose. All of these activities are actually influencing soil erosion Others factor that may caused soil erosion in Cameron highland are improper management of forest where forests in Cameron highland are not controlled and lacked of supervise where will effect the increasing of deforestation. Deforestation is a human activity that removes plant in a large area of forest where it can give negative impact to the climate, soil, and habitat of living things. Some places in Cameron highland eroded because of the felling of trees in total for infrastructure.
There is speculation where government clear the land near the village for housing development by (LBS) Bina Group Berhad where it may contribute to the soil erosion problems. (Idris, 2011)

Forest or large plant has ability to absorb water while plants root also one of the medium to hold the soil stability. When plants are removed, it will reduce the activity of water cycles in the soil where water will not be absorbed properly. This condition will increase the antecedent soil water content and finally it will decrease the pore spaces and cause increasing of run off and soil erosion. Soil erosion is one the problem that give bad impact to human and environment. One of the effects caused by erosion in Cameron highland was mortality or death. Most of soil erosion that occurs in Cameron highland will cause mortality. It is because, most victim are covered by eroded soil when erosion occur. If the total amount of mortality is measured from the first of erosion 2

tragedy to the latest erosion in Cameron highland, it may achieve hundred or thousand numbers of peoples.
First soil erosion that occurs in Malaysia is 11 May 1961 in Ringlet Cameron highland. This tragedy involves of around 700 people and 2 bulldozers come to help. 30 victims were saved and 16 peoples are dead. (JKR,2009)

Soil erosion also can cause water pollution. Mostly soil erosion occurs in Cameron highland are close to the residential area. Soil erosion effects soil degradation and pollute the lake, sea, and river where nutrient and chemical from cultivation land are leached out. This erosion makes worse to people there by contaminating the water sources and complicating them to get clean water to survive. Lastly, soil erosion also cause the loosing income and increasing of cost. People will loss in term of income when farming areas that are used by farmer become eroded. Soil erosion also increases the cost in term of repairing the damages such as repairing house, repairing eroded soil, and food aid. Repairing activities usually needed the large amount of money. According to Hang soon, from 2011, government provides more than rm35 million for management cost in area of highland or risk slope and location of soil erosion in Perak and Cameron highland. (Abllah,2013) Due to these problems, action from government and others related parties are very important to conserve the soil. One of the action taken by government to solve these problems is by introducing the Pelan Induk Cerun Negara (Nation Slope Master Plan-NSMP)-2009-2023.
NSMP was introduce to provide detail element of comprehensive and effective nation policy, strategy and action plan for reducing risk from landslide on slope nationwide for 2009-2023. It also provide an assessment of the status needs and associated cost for a national landslide hazard mitigation strategic program including activities at the nation, state and local level, in both the public and private sector. (Prevention Web,2009)

The launching of is to reduce the risk of soil erosion and loss affected by erosion which include mortality, injury, damage of properties and etc. Other than that, alternative actions also need to be taken to reduce soil erosion in Cameron highland. Terracing is one of the best ways to reduce soil erosion. Cameron highland is one of places that has good climate condition and arable land for agricultural. Due to this factor, many cultivation and tillage activities occur there such as planting of vegetable, flowers, and fruits are affected. By practicing terracing, it can reduce slope length where it will reduce the risk soil erosion by reducing the speed of water runoff. Besides, practicing of cover crop system also can reduce soil erosion. Cover crops help to retain the soil, lessen erosion, and decrease the impact of precipitation on the soil by slowing the runoff of water
Cover crops are crops grown during the off-season. Cover crops, usually legumes or cool-season grasses, are used to provide the needed protection against erosion. (Gardiner, 2009)

Cover crop system also provides organic matter, nitrogen, improves air and water movement in the soil as well as improving the water infiltration in the soil. Types of cover crops that planted are different according to the slope length and soil types.
For examples is land near the government building area in Damansara where it not heavy and suitable to plant with not heavy and height plant so it not eroded by heavy rain. He adds that land in the hill slope easy to erode so the plant that suitable to grow is grass where it should be planted systematically. (Anual,2010)

Conclusion
Soil erosion in Cameron highland is highly caused by people activities. They clear the plants on the land for their own purpose and benefit without thinking about the bad effects of this erosion to environment and other people. They practically only think about profits that they will earn when clearing the land but. Soil erosion surely will cause negative impacts to human and environment where it will increase the mortality, water pollution and increase cost and reduce income. If these problems are ignored, it will cause this problem become gigantic and growing loss. It not only makes peoples uncomfortable and feel secureless living there but it also burdens many importance parties. Due to this problems, involvement from all related parties especially government and communities that live in one roof are very important. They should take serious action and be more responsible to this problem. They should put more effort to solve this problem and to prevent soil erosion to occur again. If this problem can be avoided, cost for repairing damage can be used for other beneficial purpose such as developing our country where it can give more benefit to the society in our country and the most important is peoples who live in the Cameron highland will live more peaceful without worrying about their safety.

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