Desktop Study on - Regional Climate Change Adaptation ...

Assessment of Capacity Gaps and Needs of South East Asia Countries
in Addressing Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Variability and Climate Change
“What is needed is a framework for managing
water resources in a sustainable manner with
climate change mitigation and adaptation measures
embedded in it”, and its goals should be equity
distribution of water between the sectors, clean
and vibrant rivers and water bodies, Malaysia’s
biodiversity recognized, protected, thriving and
contributing to the country’s economy, floods,
erosion, landslides and other land & water related
challenges (including due to climate change), well
managed and under control; all to reach a Water
Resources Management fully integrated throughout
the country (Zakaria and Jamalluddin, 2007).
In agriculture, the third National Agricultural policy
makes no references to the climate change threat
and to the necessity of adaptation. Regarding rice
crops, drought and flood resistant varieties need
to be introduced. There is a need to generate crop
varieties with improved water-use efficiency suited
to production with reduced water inputs (Abdullah,
2008). There are still some uncertainties like the
magnitude of the change, the technology available,
the crop and pest responses, what the adaptation
measures are, lack of policies, and lack of methods of
assessment (Abdullah, 2008).
As for socio economic aspects, the adaptation
measures are feasible in the Malaysian context, but
additional efforts are needed to quantify them in
terms of cost implications. Some of these additional
efforts include further research and development in
improving the science of prediction of the responses
and quantitative bases for estimating impacts and
economic costs (MOSTE, 2000).
There is a need to refine the methodology of costing
socio-economic impacts through more research as
well as to establish a disaster impact inventory. In
addition, it is necessary to develop and incorporate
economic recovery plans in dealing with disasters.
There is also a need to study non-communicable
diseases that may result from changes in the
climate scenario such as increased stress within
residents of small houses or flats as a result of rising
temperatures. The management of energy, water
and land resources need to be planned to balance
demand and supply with adequate emphasis on the
management of consumption. More action should be
taken towards providing more information to policy
makers to promote information-based decisionmaking
(MOSTI, 2007).
The convergence of disaster and climate change
management should be mainstreamed into national
policies, programmes and plans as both are crosssectoral
issues. Although the institutional capacity
in the country is capable of managing disasters,
there is still much room for improvement. The
existing mechanism for stakeholder consultation is
insufficient and requires enhancement as it is both
the responsibility of government and the community
in dealing with issues pertaining to disasters. In
addition, current sectoral approaches need to be
changed, with reference to the Hyogo Framework
Action, which emphasises mainstreaming disaster
management into planning (MOSTI, 2007).
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