KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Regional cooperation and proactive domestic readiness will be essential to mitigating the widespread economic and environmental disruptions of the approaching El Nino phenomenon, an expert noted.
Malaysian authorities have warned that the region could see conditions similar to those during the extreme 1997-1998 El Nino event, which triggered severe regional haze and acute water shortages across Southeast Asia.
Among the general steps expected to be taken to prepare Malaysia for these coming disruptions are the National Disaster Management Agency, the Malaysian Meteorological Department, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force being placed on standby to support emergency response, disaster preparedness, recovery operations, and artificial rain-making at federal, state and local levels, Sheeba Chenoli, associate professor in meteorology and climatology at Universiti Malaya, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
"In addition, organizations like the Department of Environment, Forestry Department, Fire and Rescue Department, and relevant water authorities could collaborate closely to manage haze episodes, forest and peatland fires, and disruptions to water supply," she said.
"In anticipation of a new El Nino event this year, several preparedness measures as mentioned above can be used. Overall, these efforts focus on strengthening early warning systems, improving coordination between agencies, and promoting community resilience to reduce the potential impact," she said.
"El Nino" is a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, while a "Super El Nino" is an extreme climate phenomenon where sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean rise by 2 degrees Celsius or more above average.
Sheeba stressed that national response measures must be coordinated across the ASEAN region and said Malaysia must work to strengthen cooperation with both regional neighbors and global partners to improve preparedness, early warning systems, and resilience-building efforts.
"ASEAN mechanisms are a good example, including the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, which supports regional disaster response and coordination," she said.
Malaysia has, over the years, sent its firefighting personnel, including specialized firefighting aircraft, to Indonesia as part of efforts to combat trans-regional haze. Operation Haze in 1997 was one of the biggest cross-border firefighting missions in history, conducted during the height of the Southeast Asian haze crisis.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department cautioned that Malaysia may experience temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius early next year as a forecast Super El Nino intensifies, its Deputy Director-General Ambun Dindang told a press briefing last week.
He said government agencies have begun preparations for extreme weather, wildfires, water shortages, health issues, and education disruptions, adding that the department also uses the Fire Danger Rating System and the Community Multiscale Air Quality haze model to forecast fire and haze risks, while remaining prepared to support cloud seeding operations if necessary.
Sheeba explained that the prolonged hot and dry weather is expected to impact commodity crops, including palm oil and natural rubber, resulting in lower yields. The edible oil market is expected to be particularly affected, in addition to staples such as rice.
"Major agricultural commodities, including palm oil, natural rubber and rice, could experience lower yields. As one of the world's leading palm oil producers, Malaysia's agricultural performance has implications not only for its domestic economy but also for global edible oil markets and related supply chains," she explained.
She also cautioned that other economic disruptions can be expected, as tourism, transport and productivity suffer due to haze and water shortages. In addition, increased health risks such as respiratory illnesses could spike during haze episodes, along with heat stress and vector-borne diseases like dengue. ■