Malaysia's Second National Communication - April 2011

Malaysia encompasses two main territories within Southeast Asia; peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, located on the island of Borneo (USDS, 2010). The country spans a total area of 329,847 square kilometers, with a relatively mid-range population for the region of over 28.7 million (CIA, 2011). The country’s terrain is characterized by coastal plains and jungle-covered mountains in the interior, and its climate is tropical. Malaysia has one of the strongest economies in the region, with a solid industrial base centered on oil and gas, plantations, ship building, steel and other industries (USDS, 2010). It has by far the highest human development ranking in the region at 57 of 169 (UNDP, 2010), making it the only country in the region in the top half of the world rankings. The country’s advanced development status affords it an advantage in being better able to address the issues of climate change, but it still faces many of the same threats as it Southeast Asian neighbors.

Adaptation Needs and Priorities:

While at a higher development level than some of its neighbors, Malaysia faces many of the same adaptation challenges and vulnerabilities. As a country that is subject to monsoon seasons, it is particularly vulnerable to changes in weather patterns and rainfall variability and intensity (MSTE, 2000). Malaysia has been able to do a significant amount of climate modeling and development of projections. In its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it observed that resulting scenarios varied greatly. While temperatures are projected to rise, no significant changes in the patterns of rainfall or weather can be identified. More predictable was the potential for sea level rise, which could have a significant negative impact on the country (MSTE, 2000). After completion of its first National Communication, Malaysia undertook a series of actions to address its adaptation needs. These included (MRRE, 2011):

• The development of a dynamic downscaled climate projection model called the “Regional Hydro-Climate Model for Peninsular Malaysia;”
• Incorporating integrated approaches to water management through the introduction of Integrated Water Resources Management to assist in dealing with floods and droughts;
• Improving infrastructure to address urban flooding;
• Initiation of the development of drought tolerant varieties of rice, rubber, oil palm and cocoa;
• Implementation of the Integrated Shoreline Management Plans to assist in coastal management; and
• A Vector-borne Diseases Control Program that has helped make improvements in the health sector.

In its second National Communications, released in April 2011, Malaysia identifies seven sectors where vulnerability assessments were undertaken, including water resources, agriculture, biodiversity, forestry, coastal and marine resources, energy, and public health. Concerns related to these sectors expressed through both of Malaysia’s National Communications include:

• Freshwater resources – Concerns expressed relate to supply, floods and erosion (MRRE, 2011). Water resources are already under particular strain in Malaysia because of increasing demand and, in particular, because of irrigation—which accounts for 83 per cent of total water usage in the country. Increased periods of drought could further threaten water resources (MSTE, 2000).
• Agriculture – The potential impact of climate change on key crops, namely oil palm, rice, rubber and cocoa, are a concern (MRRE, 2011). Flooding due to sea level rise threatens as much as six per cent of oil palm production and four per cent of rubber production. Temperature increases are also a major concern because of their ability to hinder crop production (MSTE, 2000).
• Forest resources - Mangrove and montane forests are projected to be adversely affected by increasing rainfall and temperatures (MRRE, 2011).
• Coastal and marine management – Sea level rise, higher sea surface temperatures and increasing intensity, duration and frequency of storms are predicted to occur with negative consequences (MRRE, 2011). Shoreline erosion and loss of mangroves is also presented as a significant threat (MSTE, 2000).
• Energy – Changes in weather patterns and extreme weather events are projected to have negative impacts on the energy production and development sector, while increases in ambient temperature reduce generation power and put additional stress on transportation infrastructure (MRRE, 2011).
• Human health – A central concern is that climate change will lead to an increase in vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, and water-borne diseases such as diarrhea (MRRE, 2011).

Some adaptation priorities related to agriculture, forestry and coastal zones were identified in Malaysia’s first National Communication. Adaptation actions in the agriculture sector focused on improving agricultural practices such as increased crop variety, water management, food storage, and livestock practices. Forestry efforts included plantation establishment, sustainable forest management, and reduction of forest waste. Water management policies included options for adaptation response based on the principles of defend, accommodate, retreat, counter attack, buyback, and improved coastal management zones. Further adaptation measures and recommendations for these sectors as well as for water resources, biodiversity, energy and human health have been suggested with some detail in the second National Communication, with the goal of implementing these measures much the same way as many were under the initial National Communication.

National Level Policies:

Malaysia launched its National Policy on Climate Change in 2010. Although previous environmental strategies were in place, this policy was the first document that contains a major focus on adaptation. Within it, the government advocates for a balanced approach between mitigation and adaptation (MNRE, 2009). The document contains a number of “Strategic Thrusts” which operate as policy goals and “Key Actions” that are proposals to address climate change and meet these goals. While some of the actions proposed are quite specific, there is not any detailed description of how these actions will be undertaken, or a detailed timeline for their achievement.

Current Adaptation Action:

Many of the climate change projects active in Malaysia’s are focused on mitigation and energy, with a lesser focus on adaptation. The enactment of the national policy on climate change, which indicated a more balanced approach to mitigation and adaptation, may begin to signal a shift towards more action on adaptation, but this remains to be seen. It is also possible that the country’s relative level of development allows it to fund its own adaptation projects, and as such the projects presented below may not be a complete reflection of current adaptation action.

At present, Malaysia appears to be participating in a very low number of adaptation projects relative to other developing countries in East and Southeast Asia. All projects identified involve partnerships with other countries within the Asia-Pacific region. These include a focus on adaptation in the areas of agriculture, nature, coastal zones, marine resources, natural resources management, water, and policy formulation. Funding for these projects has been provided by the Asian Development Bank, Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), Global Environment Facility (GEF), Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the governments of Japan, Sweden and the United States.

Proposed Adaptation Action:

A single project, “Adaptation in the Coral Triangle” proposed to the Special Climate Change Fund, has been identified to date. Malaysia has shown ability to access funding where possible, although to date it has had a heavy focus on mitigation and energy projects as opposed to adaptation.

Assessment:

Malaysia is the most developed country in the region and, as such, has considerable internal capacity to assess and respond to climate change impacts. The country’s priority areas for adaptation are similar to its geographical neighbors, with a heavy focus on agriculture, water, and coastal protection, as well as forestry. Any climate impacts on agriculture, either directly or indirectly (i.e. water shortages affecting irrigation), have the potential to destabilize the local economy.

Malaysia is currently engaged in a low level of adaptation projects funded by international partners in comparison to other countries in the region, which may in part be due to the fact that it does not qualify for least developed country assistance programs. Through these actions, the country has made some progress in addressing adaptation needs in key priority areas—including agriculture, coastal zones, water and biodiversity. However, there is room to expand initiatives within these areas and to address gaps within the areas of forestry, energy, and public health. As well, gender has not been a prominent consideration in adaptation policy and projects thus far. As in other countries in the region, it is possible that certain mitigation projects active in the country (particularly those focused on land use and forestry) may also provide adaptation co-benefits which have not been captured through this review. Given that Malaysia’s recently released National Policy on Climate Change notes that future efforts will need to reflect a greater balance between mitigation and adaptation, it is possible that adaptation action in the country could expand in the future.

Primary Source: 

• Gass, Philip; Hove, Hilary; Parry, Jo-Ellen. (2011) “Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: East and Southeast Asia.” Adaptation Partnership / International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Additional References:

• Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] (2011). Malaysia. The World Factbook. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/my.html
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment [MRRE] (2009). National Policy on Climate Change. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment [MRRE] (2011). Malaysia Second National Communication to the UNFCCC. Malaysia: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
• Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment [MSTE] (2000). Malaysia Initial National Communication. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.
• United Nations Development Program [UNDP] (2010). Human Development Index 2010. Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/
• United States Department of State [USDS] (2010). Background Note: Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2777.htm