Global warming, deforestation, land reclamation, water, land and air pollution, melting ice caps, rising sea level and extreme weather events are destroying biodiversity.
The signs are ominous: years of neglect and lip service on tackling climate change are taking its toll on the world population and the environment.
In Malaysia, attributing all these extreme events to climate change has become the norm for politicians, bureaucrats and industry players to evade their responsibilities and hide their incompetence.
Climate change might have accelerated extreme weather events but the root cause are aplenty: construction of roads in hilly regions without proper consultation from the experts, illegal felling of trees in forest reserves, failure to abide by building codes and land use planning as well as weak policies and poor enforcement by the authorities.
Biodiversity and natural environment are integral parts of Malaysia’s economy.
Apart from their aesthetic value, tropical forests, natural watersheds, rivers and wetlands are not only vital to biodiversity but they are also frontline allies in reducing the impacts of flooding and erosion as well as removing carbon emissions to slow down climate change.
The value of these services makes nature a sound economic driver. We need clear strategic planning that recognises this reality and to explore nature-based solutions to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Degrading our biodiversity and ecosystem will severely impact our economy.
There is more than enough evidence to show the anthropogenic cause of the 1.2°C rise in the global average temperature above pre-industrial levels.
Malaysia appears to have increased vulnerability to heatwaves, floods, landslides and water pollution. Rainfall has become too erratic and the El Nino phenomenon is expected to worsen the haze.
I was in Istanbul for the International Islamic Conference on Climate Change in 2015. My mission was to help formulate the world’s first unified Islamic Declaration on Climate Change (IDCC) to send a clear message from Islamic leaders to other world leaders at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Climate Change Framework.
It was a momentous occasion for climate activists and myself as an environmental ethics master’s student, when the UN penned the Paris Agreement.
Since then, last year’s COP27 failed to go beyond the 2021 Glasgow climate pact’s promise to “phase down unabated coal power”.
It was heartening to hear the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, at last year’s COP27 when she pointed out that strong political will was necessary not just in making promises, but to make a difference in the lives of people.
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the number of victims of natural disasters had increased by 489.7 per cent to 208,643 in 2021 against 35,376 in 2020, and the number of evacuation centres rose more than threefold in 2021 to 1,778 against 510 in 2020.
The December 2021 floods in Selangor alone was estimated to have resulted in losses of RM6.1 billion, which is equivalent to 0.4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
This includes RM2.6 billion in damages to private property, RM2 billion in damages to public assets and infrastructure and some RM1.5 billion in losses suffered by businesses, agriculture and the manufacturing sector.
The government must address the issue of land reclamation, which has been affecting coastal communities and the marine ecosystem. The widely debated Penang South Island (PSI) megaproject, for example, has caused an uproar among environmentalists and civil society.
The loss of coral reefs and mudflats due to reclamation and dredging threaten the livelihoods of fishermen as these areas are vital marine habitats.
In forestry management, the Malaysian Forestry Policy (MFP) 2021 is vague and fails to underline the way forward to retain 50 per cent forest cover in the country.
The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry said 5,694,784ha in Peninsular Malaysia is forested, which amounts to 42.95 per cent of land area.
In Malaysia’s Sixth National Report to the Convention of Biological Diversity (6NR) submitted in 2019, the country pledged to maintain 55.3 per cent of forest cover that was recorded in 2014. However, a large portion of areas included in forest cover data included “production forests”.
These areas are subject to deforestation activities, such as mining, forest plantation, logging and other extraction objectives. States must be encouraged and compensated to enlarge their Protected Forest Reserves.
In addressing this issue, which is in line with the 13th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG13) in Climate Action, the government in 2021 launched The Greening Malaysia Programme, a pledge to plant 100 million trees by 2025.
So far, 61.68 million trees have been planted, involving 1,545 species.
There is an urgent need to end deforestation and reforestation must be enhanced to protect our environment and jungles.
In conjunction with this year’s World Environment Day, celebrated every June 5, it is hoped the government maintains 50 per cent of land under forest cover, as pledged during the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Rio+20).
As one of only 17 biodiverse countries in the world, Malaysia must be aware of its responsibility to maintain and preserve its natural resources for future generations. The government must also ensure that all national parks are protected.
Nature and climate-related risks are closely related and can be manifested in physical, transitional and liability risks.
Tackling climate change and reversing biodiversity loss require investment in nature-positive actions that restore and enhance natural assets.
Existing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and efforts, plus ambitious targets and polices for cleaner air and better environment, must be carried out without delay.
Mitigation entails among other things, making older equipment and buildings more energy efficient, and redesigning urban spaces and transportation systems.
The less we choose to mitigate, more people will suffer. At the same time, adoption plans will become more costly and ineffective in the future. The government needs to prioritise mitigation and adaptation plans to lessen the impact of climate change.
While the government and businesses may agree in principle to safeguard biodiversity and the environment, the services that nature provides are not routinely accounted for in investment and development decisions.
The authorities must commit to the objectives of the 12th Malaysia Plan to strengthen environmental governance by improving policy and legislation, and strengthen local authorities and adopting a circular economy to achieve a systematic shift for long-term resilience.
According to the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank’s Climate Risk Country Profile Malaysia (2021), the worst-case scenario of climate change would see average temperatures in this country soar by 3.11°C by the 2090s.
Climate change does not only degrade our environment but also causes a decline in the quality of life, mainly due to the rise in socioeconomic disparity brought about by erratic weather and disasters.
Let’s treat our environment with compassion and respect the perfect equilibrium of nature and fulfil our moral obligation to conserve our planet for our future generation.
Happy World Environment Day!
