KUALA LUMPUR: Eighteen per cent of Malaysia will be inundated by the year 2100 if the country does not follow the guidelines set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He said the percentage especially involved the coastal and low-lying areas due to the increase in the sea level caused by the worldwide melting of the ice due to the changing climate.
“We must be successful in implementing what is required by UNFCCC framework. So far Malaysia is there, we are in a good situation. The disaster will only occur if we do not manage to implement it.
“That means everybody must work hard. Every country such as Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos must work together because we share the same atmosphere,” he told reporters after opening the First International Conference On Sustainable Forest Development In View Of Climate Change (SFDCC 2016) here, yesterday.
Wan Junaidi said the whole world must take action based on UNFCCC guideline in reducing the carbon discharge and to create better sequestration.
“We must have both. The emission of carbon must be reduced and the level of sequestration must be increased. If we are unsuccessful, it is not impossible that countries such as Malaysia and Bangladesh will be inundated,” he said.
He also said Malaysia was among the most advanced nations in tackling the problem of forest development and many countries wanted to learn and obtain information for forest development in their respective countries.
In addition, he said Malaysia was in the final stage of fulfilling the conditions made by UNFCCC.
“UNFCCC will issue new procedures in October and we are prepared. All prepared, the Forestry Department and Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) are also ready to implement them.
Wan Junaidi said in Malaysia the level of sequestration of carbon dioxide was up to 18 per cent and the figure was significant including the efforts of the ministry to reduce carbon dioxide emission.
“If these two pillars are well looked after, we can certainly avoid major disasters from occurring in the country.
Chairman of SFDCC 2016 Assoc. Prof Dr Seca Gandaseca said the conference manage to gather 200 researchers, scientists, policy makers from various fields relate to forestry from 17 countries. — Bernama