Fighting climate change: Mitigation or adaptation?

 

I was once asked, “Mitigation or adaptation, which one do you think is more critical?’’ while interviewing for a researcher post a few years ago.

To the uninitiated, climate change mitigation is about reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while adaptation is about reducing our risks from the harmful effects of climate change, i.e. extreme weather events.

That was a tough question for a newbie like me who at that time only saw climate change as a phenomenon of hot weather and crazy rain.

Nevertheless, I composed myself and answered calmly, ‘‘I think both are equally important as I believe climate change can be slowed down with a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but adaptation measures must also be in place to minimise its impacts on livelihoods and assets.”

I remember the then-institute director-general gave me a smile of approval when he heard the answer. That was how I started my career in climate change, with my first exposure being conducting greenhouse gas inventory under the Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector for national reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The rest was history.

Up till today, I still hold on to that answer. At the pace climate change is happening now, where extreme weather patterns including torrential rains and heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, how can we deny that climate change is real?

Can we still blame clogged drains for frequent flash floods, where soil and sediment from building projects nearby are said to be washed down into drains and waterways?

But what about the increased intensity and frequency of downpours caused by climate change? Is the existing carrying capacity of rivers and drains able to handle the slightest change in future rainfall intensity?

Therefore, in Budget 2024, the government allocated RM11.8 billion to flood mitigation projects, of which RM563 million was for the rehabilitation of over 200 high-risk slopes nationwide and RM300 million to flood preparedness measures managed by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

However, these mitigation measures can only lessen flooding impacts to a certain extent, it cannot stop floods by all means! Just like vaccines only help to reduce the risks of getting a disease by training your body’s immune system to defend itself but the protection is never foolproof.

We simply have to adapt to climate change, for instance, choosing where to live, widening rivers, and building more green infrastructure with climate-adapted design and choice of materials.

Accumulation of greenhouse gases

There are also climate sceptics claiming that carbon dioxide (CO2) is released daily and there is no way we can prevent CO2 from being emitted to the atmosphere.

As we breathe, and so do the plants and animals, oxygen is inhaled and CO2 is exhaled into the air. The same goes for the decomposition process of organic matter.

Are we trying to reduce something that is naturally occurring? Of course not! The evil cause of climate change may be far from that, and what we should reduce is human-induced emissions!

Not many are aware that the accumulation of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, occurred since the pre-industrial era when most of the CO2 released into the atmosphere came from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal, as well as the clearing of forests.

Meanwhile, human activities such as livestock farming and landfills contributed to methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.

Things will get even worse when population growth leads to rising energy consumption, food production, and other needs which altogether put more greenhouse gases into the already warm atmosphere.

As a developing country, Malaysia is doing a good job of keeping 50 percent of its forest cover, but development is still required to meet economic and social needs.

Having said that, Malaysia has increased its mitigation ambition with an unconditional target to cut carbon intensity against GDP by 45 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, as well as pledged to reach net-zero emissions by as early as 2050.

To some, the targets may seem far-fetched, but Malaysia is committed to protecting its carbon-absorbing forests and expediting the renewable energy transition while cutting emissions across other sectors including transport, industry, and waste.

As pointed out by the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, we cannot give up the economic development that was so hard-earned, while trying to juggle the international pressures on developing nations like Malaysia to decarbonise.

We just do what we can and push ahead with our plans! - Mkini

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CHONG YEN MEE is a technical analyst for the Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry who enjoys writing doomsday stories that make people act.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.