Malaysian Business Sustainability Practitioners Concern About Extreme Weather Events

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysian business sustainability practitioners are most concerned about their country’s resources to guard against extreme weather conditions and floods than their regional counterparts as recent devastating floods in Southeast Asia were much worse than before. According to a study titled ‘Flood Controls in Southeast Asia’, nearly 70 per cent of respondents across the region predicted that their home country would continue to face extreme weather events over the next decade, taking a significant toll on local economies and infrastructure. Conducted by global pump giant Grundfos and sustainability-focused social enterprise Eco-Business Research, the study surveyed 417 sustainability industry leaders across Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. In a statement Thursday, the study said that most of the respondents believed that the average temperature had become higher, while the monsoon season had become more unpredictable. “These predictions are particularly worrying for a country like Malaysia with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development already estimated that by 2070 the country’s most exposed cities could lose up to US$84 billion in combined assets due to severe weather events,” it said. The study stated that although Malaysia had not suffered as many severe floods as some of its neighbours in recent years, incidences, such as in January and May this year, could cause devastation and massive disruption to livelihoods. “Unfortunately, the situation is predicted to get worse, with more intense rain predicted in the coming decades,” it added. -- BERNAMA