The Sea Also Rises
Farmers in Kedah toil on land they may end up losing to the waves
THE season to sow the seedlings for rice has just started in late October and the padi fields in Kampung Banggol Petai in Pendang here is dotted with heavy machinery.
At 74, Yusof Awang Kechik is now retired, having passed his work on to his son.
But as with the past three generations, his family still depends on cultivating rice on their fields near Sungai Muda for their livelihood.
The plains near the coast in Kedah, known as Malaysia's Rice Bowl, is especially suitable for the growing of the grain. Over half of the rice production in the country comes from Kedah.
Only about a half-hour's drive from the state capital of Alor Setar, the land is made up of lush green rice fields, ringed in by a mountain range and the coast.
However, for a man who prides himself on knowing the best time to cultivate his crop, Yusof is now baffled by the changes in weather patterns.
Yusof doesn’t actually understand what climate change means or how it will impact him but this, he knows.
“Weather conditions are now somehow peculiar and hard to predict,” he said.
Yusof’s rice fields - located within the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) - face the risk of flooding and a rise in sea levels from climate change.
A recent report prepared by the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry shows that 10% of the rice fields under Mada may face floods with climate change.
In the report - the Third National Communication and Second Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - the findings show that the rice granary in Mada may be vulnerable to a rise in sea levels, especially during the south-west monsoon season, due to its low-lying coastal plains.
A tractor tills the wet soil at a padi field at Kampong Bangol Petai in Pendang,Kedah
A tractor tills the wet soil at a padi field at Kampong Bangol Petai in Pendang,Kedah
A tractor amidst a flock of herons at a padi field.
A tractor amidst a flock of herons at a padi field.
Sea levels will rise by as much as over half a metre in some places in the country, inundating ports, rice fields and even public healthcare facilities, it said.
The report - released in February this year and uploaded to the ministry's website - also provides updates on the actions taken by Malaysia to implement the convention, including the status and inventory of its greenhouse gas emissions as well as actions to reduce emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Under the report, six sectors were assessed for their vulnerability in the face of climate change as well.
The six sectors are water and coastal resources, food security and agriculture, forestry and biodiversity, infrastructure, energy and public health.
The assessment is carried out for the year 2030 and 2050 based on the impact of temperature increase, projected floods and dry spells and sea level rise.
The report warned that heavy rainfalls can result in more frequent critical dam levels and subsequent downstream flooding.
In view of this, it said that guidelines and legislation were being developed to ensure the safety of these dams.
For groundwater, the major threat is saltwater intrusion with several tube wells in Sabah and Sarawak being vulnerable to sea level rise by 2030 and 2050.
Studies on dry spells, added the report, also indicate that there will be around 106 water deficit months in the major rice granary areas of Mada in Kedah, the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada) in Kelantan and the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA-BLS) in northwest Selangor.
Padi farmer Yusof Awang Kechik,74, at Kampong Bangol Petai in Pendang,Kedah
Padi farmer Yusof Awang Kechik,74, at Kampong Bangol Petai in Pendang,Kedah
“Weather conditions are now somehow peculiar and hard to predict,” he said.
Sea level rise, said the report, was also expected to affect some of the ports and jetties by 2050.
Of the 21 thermal power plants in Peninsula Malaysia, only one may face a flood risk but sea level rise could impact 12 power plants, 30 transmission towers and 44 substations along the coastal areas.
Four hydropower plants in Peninsula Malaysia and one in Sabah could be impacted by future dry spells.
A desktop flood assessment indicates that currently, 45 oil and gas assets in Peninsula Malaysia may see flood risk, increasing to 59 assets by the year 2050. Twenty-seven other assets see risks from dry spells.
Some 7% to 8% of public healthcare facilities face a flood risk and the report said this number was likely to go up by 2030 and 2050.
The report said continual updating of the climate change projections for Malaysia would be undertaken, with the development of comprehensive flood maps covering at least 25 flood prone basins as well as high resolution coastal inundation maps.
“More comprehensive assessments for each of the sectors would be conducted to enable clearer options for adaptation,” it said.
Crude Palm Oil production was expected to decreased by about 3.3% during El Ninõ and La Ninã events while future dry spells may affect yield by up to 18% to 20% for rubber trees.
The projected increase of 2°C is not expected to cause significant reduction in cocoa production but temperatures of up to 36°C for more than 40 days can cause the wilting of its flowers and the reduction of fruiting seasons.
The report was prepared by among others, the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (Nahrim), the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences of Universiti Malaya, the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia).
Yusof is only one among the many Malaysians who are worried about the impact of climate change on the country, according to a survey by YouGov commissioned by The Star.
The poll among 1,101 Malaysians indicated that some 64% - made up overwhelmingly of those aged below 45 - were concerned, with many of them also saying that they had either experienced or were aware of the effects of climate change.
Only 5% however believed that Malaysia was extremely prepared for it.
Some of the protesters who turned up for the climate strike inspired by Greta Thunberg opposite Sogo on the way to Dataran Merdeka on Sept 21.
Some of the protesters who turned up for the climate strike inspired by Greta Thunberg opposite Sogo on the way to Dataran Merdeka on Sept 21.
Among those who had expressed their concerns, 84% were aged below 45, with one in three or 31% - aged between 18 and 24 and 62% aged between 25 and 34.
Those aged between 18 and 24 also made up 35% of people who had responded that they were "extremely concerned".
Asked about the effects of climate change that they had personally experienced or were aware of, 71% of those polled indicated rising temperatures while 65% picked extreme weather conditions.
The poll also showed that many would personally take action to combat the effects of climate change, with 80% saying that they would avoid outdoor or open burning.
Some 74% said they would take measures to better care for rivers and other sources of water as well as practise recycling while 43% pledged to reduce driving and take public transportation.
Some 14% indicated that they would even make changes in their diet by reducing their consumption of meat.
To a question on who had the most responsibility to combat climate change, 32% agreed that it was the government's duty while 28% believed that this should be a community effort.
About 22% believed that such responsibilities should begin from themselves as individuals while 14% said the onus was on businesses or manufacturers.
Only 4% believed that no one should be responsible in combating climate change.
In December last year, Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said that the government would start drafting a Climate Change Act, which was expected to take 24 to 30 months.
Get a headstart over the floods by clicking on the map below to know the hotspots on your usual routes
Recently, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad also announced that the 10-year-old Malaysian Green Technology Corporation under Yeo's ministry would be rebranded to the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTCCC).
On Oct 26, a ministry official told The Star that the proposed Act was still in the "study phase".
"We need to understand if we really, really need the law. So we did a pitch study with a team from the United Kingdom and they've come back to me. They need more time," he said after attending a recent workshop on climate change at the Academy of Sciences.
"So, by November, they will come back to us with some of the way forward," he said, adding that the ministry was looking into GGMg
whether Malaysia really needed to draft a new Act or was it enough to amend current laws.
"It's still in the study phase because we don't want to rush into it."
However, for Yusof and his family as well as many farmers and others like them - the time to act is now.
A flooded house in Changlung, Kedah. - Bernama
A flooded house in Changlung, Kedah. - Bernama
A 4x4 vehicle traversing the flooded section of the road from Bagan Serai in Perak to Selama. That section of the road remains closed. - Bernama
A 4x4 vehicle traversing the flooded section of the road from Bagan Serai in Perak to Selama. That section of the road remains closed. - Bernama
A flooded eatery in Ipoh. - Bernama
A flooded eatery in Ipoh. - Bernama
