PETALING JAYA: The creation of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment by the new Pakatan Harapan Federal Government has caught the attention of two world-renowned scientists.
In an email message to The Petri Dish, both scientists lauded the creation of the ministry – which includes critical and related components such as energy, green technology, science, “climate change”and environment in its portfolio.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ]Robert A Varley, Vice President of the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation 2017-18 and Chief Executive of the Met Office, UK, 2014-18, says: “I warmly welcome the decision of the new government of Malaysia to make climate change “a specific priority” in the Ministry of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment.
He says, Malaysia is a one of the 195 signatories of the 2015 Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“Recognising climate change as one of the greatest challenges facing humankind in the present century is a move in the right direction.
“This is a clear statement of commitment from Malaysia as a developing nation to play its full part in honouring the Agreement, helping to reduce significantly the global risks and impacts of climate change,” Varley added.
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies from the Singapore-based Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Dr Paul S. Teng in his comments says climate change is anticipated to be one of the most significant disruptors to food security in tropical countries.
Teng said this, quoting details from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
According to Teng who is also Principal Officer at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore: “Even if mitigation measures are able to prevent current trends in temperature, rainfall patterns and sea level rise from getting any worse, it has been predicted by many experts that the yields of important staples like rice, wheat and maize will likely drop by over 10 percent in the next 20 years or so if no efforts are made to develop climate adaptation measures through innovative science and technology.
He said: “New sciences such as those based on molecular biology have led to the expedited release of climate-tolerant rice varieties such as the submergence tolerant rice now spreading in large parts of South Asia, and to drought-tolerant maize being adopted in Africa.
“These have enabled smallholder farmers who produce most of the developing world’s food to now have a chance in the fight against unexpected severe weather caused by climate
change,” says Teng, an agricultural scientist who has special interests pertaining to global food security.
Teng says, additionally, information-communication technology (ICT) such as those embedded in mobile devices have also given farmers in remote areas the opportunity to improve their farm productivity by minimizing risk and maximising profits.
“All in all, going forward, it is important that the nexus of ‘climate-environment’ (water especially)-food security-energy be underpinned by innovations in science and technology, so that practical solutions may be developed to safeguard farmer livelihoods and ensure urban consumers continue to have reliable supplies of affordable food,” he added.
On July 2, YBs Yeo Bee Yin and her deputy Isnaraissah Munirah were both sworn in as the Minister for Energy, Green Technology, Science and Climate Change respectively.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Omar Abdul Rahman, a senior fellow with the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia, congratulated Yeo on her appointment as Minister of Energy, Green Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment.
“This is a big responsibility with a very broad mandate requiring focus and attention more than just on climate change, important as it is to our common future.
“Indeed, the science and technology components alone cut across all ministries and urgently require a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the current STI ecosystem, management and implementation oversight,” he said.
“The scientific community looks forward to your leading role in these aspects and wishes you well. We are ready to assist in whatever way required,” Omar added.
NOTE: Global warming, the gradual heating of the Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere, is caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels that pump carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Despite political controversy about climate change, a major report released on Sept 27, 2013, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that scientists are more certain than ever of the link between human activities and global warming. More than 197 international scientific organisations agree that global warming is real and has been caused by human action. The Petri Dish lauds the Malaysian government for the inclusion of “Climate Change” as an integral component of the newly-minted Science Ministry.
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