KUALA LUMPUR: The recent floods which devastated several parts of the country demonstrated the catastrophes which could result from the damaging effects of climate change.
Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah said the impacts of human activities towards wildlife, the climate, rivers, forests and oceans are profound, as are the consequences for humanity.
Sultan Nazrin stressed that restoring the health of our planet requires collective effort not only from the government and the private sector but also the people.
"I would like to call on all Malaysians to continue to collaborate to protect nature and mitigate the damaging effects of climate change. This is vital not only for our continued prosperity, but also for our very survival.
"The recent floods have demonstrated clearly, yet again, how real the dangers posed by climate change have become.
"While responding generously to those affected, we must also be bold in our renewed efforts to address the underlying causes," he said in his royal address during the launch of the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia's (WWF-Malaysia) 50th Anniversary celebration.
The event which was held virtually was aired on the official Facebook page of WWF-Malaysia.
Sultan Nazrin noted that Malaysia, which is endowed with an abundance of rich and valuable ancient forests and natural bio diversities, has pledged strong commitments towards conserving the environment.
He, however, said it was imperative that all these promises and plans are in fact fully implemented.
Among them include ensuring 50 per cent of the country remain under forest cover as pledged under the National Forestry Policy, allocating 20 per cent of the nation's land as protected areas as outlined in the National Biodiversity Policy as well as achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Malaysia has a grave responsibility to protect these effectively and must rise to this challenge, for ourselves and for the global population, he said.
Sultan Nazrin also congratulated WWF-Malaysia for momentous milestones achieved by the organisation over the past five decades.
For the past 50 years, the Sultan said WWF-Malaysia has become a strong voice for nature in Malaysia, speaking out both for its protection, and for the restoration of areas that have been lost.
"WWF Malaysia has provided advice and information on conservation matters to the government, and has advocated tirelessly for the conservation of bio-diversity.
"These inputs have contributed to the establishment of Protected Areas, from large forest complexes within the Central Forest Spine, including the Belum forest complex in Perak, to the large marine protected areas in Sabah.
"Together with its staff, its supporters, and the environmental community more broadly, WWF has helped to protect more than 1.3 million hectares of forests and sea from the threat of conversion.
"These natural habitats are not only vital for our continued survival, but are also home to endangered wildlife.
"In protecting these ecosystems, we are saving from extinction the Malayan tiger, the Bornean orang-utan and elephant, and sea turtles," he said.
WWF-Malaysia, said the Sultan, will continue to be at the forefront of wildlife and environment protection efforts, for the next 50 years, and beyond.