KUALA LUMPUR: A staggering 111 towns and cities in the peninsula are at risk of severe flooding from rising sea levels, says Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
This, he said, was factorised by the intensifying severity of heatwaves, rains, and storms due to climate change that has already begun impacting the environment.
"It is expected that with the rise in sea levels, 111 towns and cities across the peninsula in Malaysia, particularly Penang, Selangor, Johor, Kedah, Melaka and Terengganu, will be affected.
"You've seen erosions occurring on beaches that used to be there are now erased. In residential areas, you have seawater infiltrating the drains due to the rising sea level.
"So, that is something real which we need to address. An adaptation plan is important," he told the New Straits Times on the Beyond The Headlines podcast.
He said that a national adaptation plan is currently in the works rather than solely relying on mitigation plans to address environmental issues.
"Moving forward, we are working on a national adaptation plan. I think that's key because when we talk about putting up solar plants, electric vehicles or public transport, those are mitigation measures.
"You want to reduce carbon emissions and that's important. But you also need to adapt because the world has progressed so fast, so mitigation alone won't be sufficient.
Nik Nazmi added that maintenance has always been a significant challenge in addressing environmental issues, despite the presence of well-crafted policies and guidelines.
"I think in a sense, maintenance (on the environment) has always been a challenge. We have nice policies and guidelines, but how do we keep up with the maintenance?
"But to also be fair to our policymakers, (the challenge) is due to all the severity of the heat waves, rains, and storms that are getting worse because of climate change.
"So I think that is another thing that a lot of engineers, for example, are having to revise their forecast," he said.
In addition to coastal threats, urban areas are also feeling the effects of climate change, Nik Nazmi said.
Urban forests, which are often remnants of plantations or undeveloped green zones, play a vital role in moderating temperatures and acting as carbon sinks.
"Efforts are being made to gazette Bukit Dinding, which is government land used by Telekom, as a permanent forest reserve.
"But then you need to start replanting new trees but unfortunately, another part (of the land) has been sold off and that's a big thing among the residents."
He said despite facing challenges, leveraging community and corporate support could amplify the impact of the adaptation plan