KUALA LUMPUR – The El Nino phenomenon is expected to become more extreme with an increase in temperature and a reduction in the amount of rainfall nationwide this year due to global warming.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that high-intensity El Nino would generally have a significant impact on the country’s weather pattern, especially during the Northeast Monsoon phase and the season after.
He said such a phenomenon had occurred from 1997 to 1998 and from 2015 to 2016, adding that the ministry had prepared much earlier to tackle the El Nino phenomenon as he had chaired meetings regarding the matter on May 26 and September 12.
“The meetings were held to report on the latest status of weather conditions, weather surveys, air quality status, action plans and strategies to prevent open burning as well as haze situations, besides making preparations for the possibility of cross-border haze,” he said.
Nik Nazmi said this at the launch of the 2023 National Climate Forum on El Nino via the Malaysia Meteorological Department’s Facebook Live today.
In addition, he said several proactive measures have also been implemented, including activating the National Open Burning Action Plan and strengthening community monitoring through the Pollution Monitoring Team programme.
On today’s forum, he said it was one of the initiatives to improve the communication and public awareness programmes, which involve community participation as preventive action. – October 10, 2023