INMother Nature has reminded us once again of the importance of protecting our environment, keeping cities clean, and reducing carbon emissions with the recent floods.
First of all, it is important to remember that floods are not an act of God. Scientists say that severe floods, along with other extreme weather events like tornadoes, are becoming more common as a result human-caused global warming, and its resulting rising sea levels.
We can expect natural disasters to become more frequent, and even more dangerous, with climate change accelerating, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned years ago. This means Malaysia will have to deal with recurring floods and sinkholes, landslides as well as droughts, tsunamis, and other natural disasters on a larger scale.
To stop and reverse climate change at the global level, we need the cooperation of all countries. If we want to preserve the environment, we need a whole-of-government approach that brings together all government agencies.
There is currently no central agency that coordinates the environmental sustainability efforts of all state governments and ministries. The Environment Department (DoE), which is under the Environment and Water Ministry, currently bears the responsibility for ensuring sustainable development in the country. It is a small department that has limited powers. This is a huge task that can be imposed on any government department. Even more so because no ministry can coordinate another without a central agency.
This is the problem and the solution. Our single pursuit for economic growth has caused significant environmental degradation which has boomeranged to impact us in the form a number of unmitigated natural hazards. To achieve national sustainable development, we must coordinate economic planning and environmental preservation.
It is now that sustainable development must be integrated into national coordination. This will require economic and environmental concerns to be evaluated together more thoroughly.
The federal level can be a hub for synergies through the collaboration between ministries and departments. At the state level, it is vital to link with the respective state economic planning unit, especially in relation to environmentally sensitive economic activities. These include logging, mining and development of forest and rivers reserves, river pollution industrial and agricultural activities, overfishing, and the list goes on.
We can expect stronger natural environmental protection with active federal participation and consultation, especially for our water catchment zones, highlands and river reserves, and natural forests.
Undoubtedly, land is a matter of state when it comes land use for economic activity. However, in Peninsular Malaysia the federal government coordinates land developments through the Department of Director-General of Lands and Mine, Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.
It is important that you note that the Department of Director General of Lands and Mine has greater powers and more enforcement officers than DoE. These two agencies have been in the same ministry since the beginning to maximize environmental protection synergies.
There is an increased need for coordination in environmental preservation now that these entities have been separated. As this effort cuts across various ministries, a whole of government approach can begin to solve economic-environmental issues concurrently (not consecutively).
Other ministries can now join the warroom to support critical government agencies. These include the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation and Public Works Department, among others. To lead the war room effectively, you will need a higher authority than any one ministry.
We can expect environmental impact assessments to take more serious consideration if we coordinate both economic and environmental development, especially when it involves large land areas. Multidisciplinary input will be required to create holistic one-stop centres for landdevelopment. This will prioritize eco-friendly, low-carbon footprint and nonflood exacerbating projects.
Each ministry responsible for their respective areas of responsibility, such as the International Trade and Industry Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, and Energy and Natural Resources Ministry (mining), will be required to perform rigorous environmental, social and governance monitoring.
Before any approval can be given, the true economic benefits as well as environmental costs must be determined and measured more strongly. Longer approvals of investment applications will make us less attractive. But does the promise of more work and higher incomes outweigh the loss in lives and property due to our neglect of nature?
The prime minister stated that the government is seeking a long-term, comprehensive solution to floods. Sustainable development is crucial for preventing and reducing future billion-ringgit disasters.
With losses from the floods estimated at RM6.5billion, natural disasters caused by humans are a major economic problem and should be addressed together with economic planning.
The Environment Department should be made a central agency responsible for coordinating national sustainable development. This will allow it better to function as an operating agency.
It’s now or never for central agencies to coordinate environmental matters. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound cure, as the old saying goes. We should be looking at the causes of expensive natural disasters, not just proposing more projects to deal with them.
The outdated focus on only the economy is no longer worthy of the top spot in the priority pyramid. For a better future, both the environment as well as the economy must be given equal attention.
To ensure sustainability of economic growth, both the economic benefits and the environmental costs must be evaluated simultaneously and systematically.
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