IT is interesting to note that many reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been published in the past few decades. The latest being Working Group 1’s synthesis report, which is the first part of the Sixth Assessment Report. There has been a lot of media reports just like previous reports and things go back to the “business as usual” scenario eventually. What we see is a basic instinct of a majority of governments and their respective leaders, as well as government agencies shirking responsibility.
Climate change does impact local climate conditions as well as corresponding economic activities. While mitigation and adaptation is a vital step in managing climate change, we need to know how much and how bad it is going to impact us at the sectoral level and at each locality.
Taxpayers’ money has been used for studies and researches related to climate change. For example, modelling of rainfall pattern and relative impacts to flooding and dry conditions had been carried out and the results were shared among policymakers at federal and state levels more than a decade ago. How much of such studies and reports makes sense at the local level of leadership? Are state governments in the know about how seriously they will be impacted?
Let’s look at a simple hilly forested area and how periodic, fractioned and long-term destruction can harm nature slowly, but surely.
If mining activity is introduced at the foothill, it impacts the groundwater flow of the area. The most affected zone will be the top of the hill. This situation can be made worse if there ia more forest clearing around the mining zone. Continuous mining activity and a slowly changing climate do not augur well. The pattern has 50-year or 100-year high rainfall records and this is vital in water resource and flood mitigation plans.
If a worst-case scenario of 50 years or 100 years high rainfall is multiplied by the climate change factor, the rainfall will definitely be even higher and we usually call it freak weather and some will say it is an “act of God”. Fortunately, these changes can be predicted and actual impact can be reduced with corrective actions if we have done the planning.
Now, place this situation on a forested hilly area that is already facing mining activity at the foothill that impacts the water table of the higher ground. Loose connections within soil will fail and there will be a serious flash flood laced with mud and forest debris. So, in this scenario we can observe total lack of integration of policies to prepare Malaysia to mitigate and adapt because of the failure to superimpose situations to look at worst-case scenarios and possible risky zones.
When lives are lost, who should take responsibility?
Around 2008, a reserve forest and a water catchment area were exposed by upgrading work (destruction of natural situation) to build a hostel for tourists. A cable car project faced opposition and was somewhat abandoned. Simultaneously, much forest neighbouring the reserve was developed, coupled with development at the foothill. This area receives the highest rainfall in Malaysia as well.
While observing the water flow and natural waterfall, we noticed there was a change in the natural water flow regime. A mineral water bottling company was allowed to operate close to a dam that was built for drinking water, which is supported by this reserve forest. Technically, this cannot take place as it will disrupt the dam’s function.
At the time, I predicted a possible water shortage as the water catchment regime faced changes within and around. In 2014, this wettest town faced a water crisis as El-Nino was trying to form but failed to take full force. There have been changes to El-Nino and La-Nina patterns and we need to model and identify potential risks to Malaysia due to climate change.
Just based on these two simple examples, we can see that how climate change actually gives impact to daily lives and it is amplified by our own actions. It is time for the leaders and government agencies to take ownership of all developments, decisions, degazetting of forests and leading a business as usual scenario.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished” – Lao Tzu.
This article was contributed by Piarapakaran S, president of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer), a non-government organisation involved in research and development in the fields of water, energy and environment.
Source: The Sun Daily
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