Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is expected to face an unusual weather phenomenon during the North East Monsoon from November until March, with rainfall at 20 per cent below the average.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs & Special Duties) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said such finding was disclosed in the official weather forecast report for 2023 and 2024 by the Meteorological Department Malaysia (MetMalaysia) during a meeting of Central Disaster Management Committee at Federal level on Oct. 17.
He said it was worrying as Sabah would face a risk of disruption on the raw water supply from dams and rivers in the State due to low rainfall rate, which is considered high for having such reduced rainfall.
“Normally during the MPL season, it will cause the weather condition to be more humid with increased rainfall causing flood to occur throughout the country including Sabah.
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“Even though rain and thunderstorms may occur and there is risk of flooding, Sabah will face a different kind of weather where the amount of rainfall is reduced by 20 per cent below average,” he said, after officiating a “Jualan Rahmah” event at the community hall Kg Warisan, Sunday.
Also present were Federal Deputy Minister of Human Resource Datuk Mustapha Sakmud who is also Sepanggar MP and other officials. Armizan said the unusual weather phenomenon would further cause exiting water woes in Sabah becoming more serious.
“The reduced rainfall rate at 20 per cent below average is a large rate. Thus, we expect that the source of water supply from rivers, dams will experience disruption which in turn will cause a lack of sources of raw water supply to the water treatment plants in Sabah.
“So this is our main concern because from January to March, next year, the amount of rainfall will decreased.”
Therefore, he said the State government has been informed of such worrying situation and to be discussed with the relevant agencies to take appropriate mitigation
measures on addressing the situation on lack of water supply during the coming MTL season.
“We have also requested the Sabah government to obtain a detailed official report from MetMalaysia regarding the locations that are clearly predicted to face the lack of rainfall especially from Jan to March, next year.
“By doing so, we hope they would consider in advance to take preliminary steps and intervention methods to deal with the water supply disruption issue,” he said.
Armizan said he was made to understand that the State Secretary had conducted a State-level meeting of Disaster Management Committee to address the worrying matter to affect Sabah only.
He said the State government needs to take a certain approach of intervention and mitigation measures particularly for next year as it is already facing water woes.
“We know that we in Sabah are indeed facing the problem of water supply disruption whether in Papar, Sepanggar and other areas where efforts are being made with by the State and Federal Governments which are still in implementation.
“In addition to the State Government’s allocation, the federal government has helped by allocating RM300 million as a soft loan for an immediate solution to water supply issues such as replacing damaged pipes, dealing with non-revenue water (NRW) issues and to finance some water treatment plant projects that are currently under construction like in Papar, for example, and in Sandakan, for example,” he said.
But for specific approach in certain areas, Armizan who is also Papar Member of Parliament said he attended the Papar Disaster Management Committee chaired by its district officer on Friday whereby they are trying to make procurements to buy machines that process water from the river and rain not for drinking and cooking but for external use.
Moreover, he said, that they have installed static tanks in certain village areas in Papar as an alternative source of water for the residents to get water rather than depending on supply from the Water Department.
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