Sabah intensifies early preparations for the expected El Nino phenomenon, with close monitoring and long-term climate change measures including the Sabah Climate Change Action Council
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Government is stepping up its early preparations, including close monitoring and coordinated efforts with local agencies and communities, in anticipation of the El Nino phenomenon expected in the middle of this year.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun said that the state government had consistently undertaken annual preparations for the dry season, particularly in anticipation of extreme temperatures and water supply shortages.
“Departments and ministries will monitor the situation, and if necessary, we will hold engagements with the relevant departments and communities likely to be affected,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
Jeffrey (STAR-Tambunan) raised concerns over the possibility of a super El Nino phenomenon, which could see temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius and affect water resources as well as daily activities.
According to media reports, a strong-intensity El Niño phenomenon is expected to reoccur around the middle of this year, with the world, including Malaysia, likely to be affected, with a probability of more than 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, Ceasar Mandela said that the state government had also strengthened its long-term efforts to address climate change through the establishment of the Sabah Climate Change Action Council (SCAC) in 2022.
According to him, SCAC had carried out key studies, including the Climate Change Risk Vulnerability Assessment and the Sabah Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report 2024, which provided the state government with a clearer understanding of emission levels across economic sectors.
Since its establishment, Ceasar Mandela said the SCAC had convened six times, with its first meeting held on April 26, 2022.
“This effort has given the state government a comprehensive understanding of emission levels across various economic sectors. More importantly, it confirms Sabah’s net carbon sink status, which is a significant contribution to the country’s climate change agenda,” he said.
He said the findings had also led to the approval of the Sabah Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2023 to strengthen the state’s climate governance.
Ceasar Mandela also said the state government would establish the Sabah Climate Registration and Inventory Centre to oversee the enforcement of the enactment, including the regulation of carbon activities.
In terms of community involvement, he said Section 22 of the enactment provides for consultation requirements, as well as benefits for local communities in the implementation of carbon projects.
Earlier, Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (BN-Sook) in his supplementary question emphasised the importance of ensuring that local communities who look after forests also receive benefits from carbon credit income.
Earlier, Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup (BN-Sook), in a supplementary question, highlighted the importance of ensuring that local communities involved in forest protection also benefit from carbon credit income.
He said Malaysia was bound by international commitments under the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Agreement, which requires the country to maintain forest cover of not less than 50 per cent.
According to him, the latest data showed that forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia stood at 43.18 per cent, while Sarawak recorded 61.52 per cent and Sabah recorded 62.53 per cent.
He said the contributions of Sabah and Sarawak were crucial in ensuring that Malaysia continued to fulfil these international obligations.
