PROF Dr Joy Pereira, a distinguished climate change policy advocate, has made history as the first woman to be honoured with the Merdeka Award in the Environment category recently.
The Merdeka Award Trust, established by Petronas and Shell, recognises individuals and organisations that have significantly contributed to Malaysia's development.
Pereira's accolade is more than just a personal achievement; it is also a landmark moment for women in science and a powerful inspiration for future generations committed to addressing climate change.
JOURNEY IN SCIENCE AND ADVOCACY
Pereira's involvement in environmental science began with a focus on environmental geology, where she worked extensively on earth resources and natural hazards.
Her career took a significant turn when she joined Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative. There, she began leading multicountry projects, concentrating on disaster risk reduction.
"Climate-influenced disasters are prevalent in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia, causing loss of life, property damage and environmental challenges," she says.
She recognised a critical gap in how policy- and decision-makers treated disaster risk reduction and climate change as separate issues.
"I started working on bridging the science and policy gap in disasters and climate change to build disaster resilience for sustainable development."
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
Pereira's engagement as a review editor for the 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5º Celcius by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gave her a stark insight into the looming consequences of global warming.
But it was a personal experience that truly brought the crisis home.
When her relatives in Klang, where she grew up, were affected by unprecedented flooding, the reality of climate change became deeply personal.
"My favourite aunty, an 80-year-old widow, lost all her household appliances in the flood," she says.
"I can only imagine the fear she experienced as water levels rose and the trauma of clean-up."
Pereira's advocacy for limiting global warming to 1.5ºC and enhancing disaster resilience has become not just a professional mission but also a personal quest.
PIONEERING CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY
Since Independence, the country's approach to climate change has evolved significantly, and Pereira has played a crucial role in this transformation, contributing to key initiatives such as the National Policy on Climate Change, the National Disaster Risk Register, and the Asean Disaster Resilience Platform.
Among her proudest achievements is the Kuala Lumpur Multi Hazard Platform, a pioneering forecasting system that combines weather, geological, and atmospheric hazard data for cities.
Developed with Professor Lord Julian Hunt of Cambridge and supported by the Newton Ungku Omar Fund, this platform represents a breakthrough in how cities can prepare for and manage disasters.
Currently, Pereira is working closely with the Department of Meteorology Malaysia (MetMalaysia) to scale up the platform's use in other major cities in the country and the region.
"Our work safeguards communities and supports the sustainable development of our nation and future generations," she says.
DRIVING CLIMATE ACTION
Advocating for science-based climate policies has not been without its hurdles.
Pereira highlights the importance of building trust and confidence in scientific findings to ensure that evidence-based information is adopted in policymaking.
"Openness, transparency and communication are critical when developing strategies and collaborations," she says.
"It's essential to involve policymakers and stakeholders, including the community, right from the beginning."
Pereira has mentored numerous young scientists, who are now making a difference across various sectors.
She offers simple yet profound advice: "Work hard, never give up, give praise generously, avoid unnecessary conflict, and always enlarge the pie. Don't fight over the biggest slice."
Her commitment to community engagement is evident in her work on the MyBahaya Platform, an open-source web-based tool designed to build disaster resilience among communities.
Pereira continues to develop this platform to mobilise youths, early career researchers and local communities, ensuring that climate resilience becomes a shared responsibility.
VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Looking towards the future, Pereira envisions a Malaysia with a robust, interdisciplinary community of scientists working across government, academia and the private sector to strengthen climate-resilient development.
She is actively involved in the Asian Network on Climate Science and Technology (ANCST), which connects more than 2,000 scientists working on tropical climate science.
"No one university, ministry, or discipline can tackle the wicked problem of climate change," she says.
"We all need to work together."