LANGKAWI – Effects of climate change have to be considered as part of the island’s defence system, said its parliamentarian Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.
In an event with the Civil Defence Force here, the former prime minister said Langkawi must be on alert as climate change will impact the island negatively.
“There is the risk of rising seawater because of the melting ice caps in the North Pole. Even though there are not many locals living by the beach, we do have water villages.
“Therefore, this will be an issue (for those living in water villages) if the water levels rise and their homes cannot be saved. That is why we need to consider global warming and the rise of water levels as part of our defence system.
“Also, the island attracts 3.5 million visitors every year. We cannot only think about the safety of those who stay here but also the visitors.
“After making Langkawi an attractive tourist spot, we need to make preparations. We will need more equipment. I believe that we can have a trained volunteer team set up to help during emergencies,” he said.
Langkawi is often plagued by strong winds and tropical cyclones.
Just last month, heavy rains and strong winds uprooted trees that caused the destruction of 17 houses, three business premises and 15 vehicles at Kg Yooi.
The Civil Defence Force currently has four teams on standby, each equipped with three chainsaws to clean up fallen trees.
Naturalist, conservationist and educator Irshad Mubarak told The Vibes that the rise of sea levels will be alarming come 2100.
“It is everyone’s issue.
“Everybody has got to be involved if it is going to work. Global warming involves us all. As of now, Langkawi has lost 50% of its natural resources, including lowland dipterocarp forests and mangrove forests.
“The big island is where it is most affected. With the rise of sea levels, Chenang is going to be affected, especially the hotels by the beach.”
When asked if tourism players here are concerned about climate change, Irshad said though many are concerned, the most visible issue now is Covid-19 and how it has affected their businesses.
Their first priority is to get things going as compared to a not-so-visible issue of climate change, he added.
“We need to think globally and act locally, We need to start planting trees, reforest areas and initiate green sustainable development.”
District Disaster Management Committee secretariat Captain (PA) Ahmad Shahfikri Darus has requested for more equipment such as chainsaws and four-wheel drives for use during emergencies involving natural disasters. – The Vibes, December 12, 2020
