Rokiah Mahmud
The Climate Action Week of the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2022 (Brunei MYCE 2022) opens with officials stressing the urgency to address the rapidly changing and intensifying global weather crisis.
“Climate change is a critical issue requiring serious and urgent attention,” said Permanent Secretary (Planning, Land Use and Environment) at the Ministry of Development Dr Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abdul Razak.
“Despite being a small country, Brunei Darussalam is not exclusive to such effects, where we have experienced an increasing number of climate-induced incidents.
“This includes temperature and rainfall increase, unpredictable weather conditions as well as serious environmental and infrastructure degradation,” she said at the opening ceremony yesterday.
“It is important to raise awareness among everyone and collaborate together to address this crisis, as well as mobilise our efforts towards minimising the effects and risks of climate change and to reaffirm commitments towards global action,” she added.
The permanent secretary said the Brunei Climate Change Secretariat is actively planning and implementing climate change policies and measures to address the issue.
She hoped that the event will raise awareness and stress the importance of ensuring endeavours to address climate change are efficiently executed through just political wills, integrated funding solutions as well as whole-community approach.
Climate Action Week, themed ‘Towards a Low Carbon and Climate-resilient Brunei Darussalam’, was jointly launched by Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah; Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Paduka Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin; Minister of Development Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohd Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid; Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Haji Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha; and Minister of Culture Youth and Sports Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad.
The Cabinet Ministers also visited exhibition booths and displays. One exhibit was ‘The Tunnel of Inconvenient Truth’, showcasing the effects of drastic change in temperature as a result of global climate change and allowing visitors to experience its various consequences.
Climate Action Week will have two sub-events – a conference and exhibition to be held at International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas which began yesterday and will run until June 25, while the Eco-Street Festival is scheduled to be held at Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex on June 26.
The conference will engage local and international speakers that comprising experts from several countries, including Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The topics will include the carbon market, electric vehicles, clean energy, nature-based solutions, climate resilient infrastructure and crops as well as research and innovation on adaptation and resilience.
Apart from raising awareness, especially on the impact of gas emission from primary industries, the seminar and workshop also aim to educate the public on climate action through reducing carbon emissions particularly those related to human activities.
At the same time, it also aims to increase green services such as installation of solar panels at home, complex, and primary industries.
