Analysis: Is Malaysia doing enough to fight climate change?
KUALA LUMPUR: As government leaders and officials from all over the world gather in Glasgow, Scotland, to pledge their commitment to saving planet earth from the ravages of global warming, the climate change agenda has never appeared more compelling than it is now.
The main objective of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), hosted by the United Kingdom from Oct 30 to Nov 12, is to secure the commitment of governments and nations to take the necessary actions to limit the increase in global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The irony is that global temperatures have already gone up by 1.2 degrees Celsius since the start of the industrial revolution era, as a consequence of which the world has witnessed extreme floods, heatwaves and forest fires.
So, just imagine the effects of a 1.5 degree Celsius temperature hike on humans, property and nature.
While it is difficult to put a complete stop to greenhouse gas emissions and attain net-zero carbon targets by 2050, scientists and climate experts are urging nations to take immediate action to prevent the global warming situation from worsening.
Commitment to preserve forests
At UNFCCC COP-26 in Glasgow, deforestation was among the topics that were discussed.
Forests play an important role in that they absorb the carbon dioxide that is released via human activities such as fuel combustion and exploitation of resources.
Carbon dioxide is a primary greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Unfortunately, the world’s forested areas are shrinking in size due to deforestation that is taking place at a worryingly rapid pace. Changes in land use for agricultural purposes are a major cause of deforestation.
According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment, 420 million hectares of forests worldwide have disappeared since 1990.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) 2020 data revealed that between 2015 and 2020, the world lost an estimated average of 10 million hectares of forests a year, down from an average of 16 million hectares a year in the preceding decade.
According to FAO, since 1990 an estimated 420 million hectares of forests have been lost to land reclamation for various purposes, including economic development.
During the same period, more than 80 million hectares of virgin forests were exploited. To ensure optimisation of carbon absorption, world leaders are being pressed to commit to preserving, conserving and maintaining the forest cover in their respective nations. Malaysia, on its part, joined 131 other nations to sign the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forest and Land Use on Nov 2 at the ongoing conference.
The Malaysian delegation to UNFCCC COP-26 is headed by Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. The declaration aims to strengthen the signatories’ commitment to undertaking their land use planning, and protecting, managing and conserving their forests and other ecosystems, in a sustainable manner.
The Ministry of Environment and Water said in a statement recently that the Glasgow declaration is in line with the country’s commitment to continue to maintain at least 50 per cent of its landmass under forest cover.
At the 16th United Nations Forum on Forests in May this year, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources reported that as of 2018, Malaysia possessed 18.27 million hectares of land (or 55.3 per cent of total landmass) covered by forests and trees.
Various initiatives implemented by the nation have succeeded in increasing its forest cover by 2.6 per cent between 2005 and 2018.
Malaysia’s commitment
Since attaining independence 64 years ago, Malaysia has participated in and supported international agendas concerning environmental sustainability and climate change.
Among the agreements it has signed and ratified are the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Forum on Forests.
Meanwhile, Dr Aldrie Amir, who heads the Research Centre for Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability at the Institute of Environment and Development, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the recently signed Declaration on Forest and Land Use is timely and in line with the nation’s aspirations to attain its zerocarbon emission target by 2050 as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan that was unveiled recently.
“As we all know, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has reported that Malaysia has a forest cover of 55.3 per cent. It is now our nation’s responsibility and commitment to make sure that the percentage of forest cover is maintained or increased by rehabilitating degraded forest areas,” he told Bernama.
He said in future planning of developments, environmental interests must be given serious consideration by balancing the environmental protection and conservation aspects with the social and economic sustainability components.
“All exploitation of forested areas must be put to a stop and replanning must be done for all development projects that have been abandoned across the country,” he added.
An international conference like UNFCCC COP-26 is an ideal platform for Malaysia to share its best practices in conserving the mangrove swamps located along its coastline.
The international scientific community has identified mangrove forests as the most efficient forested and wetland ecosystems in terms of carbon absorption and storage.
As one of the nations with the highest mangrove forest cover in the world, Malaysia has the opportunity to be a leader in efforts to develop a formula for the payment of ecosystem services, such as through the sale or exchange of carbon credits with other nations, particularly advanced economies.
In addition to their carbon-capturing ecosystems, mangrove forests also function as habitats and nurseries for fish and other marine life that serve as protein sources for humans.
“Malaysia’s move to preserve and conserve its mangrove forests will be seen by other countries as a special effort to help the world community to balance and control the emission of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane), in addition to controlling the hydrological and climatic cycles of the region and the world,” said Aldrie.
Destruction of mangrove forests
In order to preserve the extent and integrity of Malaysia’s existing mangrove forests, approval must not be granted to land reclamation for agricultural, aquaculture and other development activities in such areas.
According to Aldrie, mangrove forest land is being acquired for unsustainable aquaculture activities on a wide scale throughout the country.
“We should not repeat the mistakes made by our neighbouring countries that are now experiencing the effects of unsustainable development. We must think of the longterm environmental and social implications, instead of focusing purely on the short-term economic returns,” he added.
He said when mangrove trees are felled to make way for aquaculture projects, all the carbon stored since time immemorial will oxidise and return to the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.
“Human activities can turn the world’s most efficient carbon storehouse to the worst polluter or emitter of carbon,” he pointed out.
Since the industrial revolution, copious quantities of carbon dioxide have been discharged into the atmosphere, no thanks to unsustainable development and economic activities, and today’s generations are feeling the ill effects.
Global warming is an issue that has to be addressed by all nations because climate change does not recognise borders. Its impact is global.
As such, world leaders must make use of the opportunities made available by international conferences to formulate joint and inclusive strategies to win the ‘world war’ of this era.