Rokiah Mahmud
The rising sea level can threaten the safety of Brunei’s farms and vegetation, consequently affecting food security, especially since the Sultanate is located along the coast.
This was said by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab in a discussion during the Climate Action Week of the Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition 2022 (Brunei MYCE 2022) yesterday.
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that the melting of ice-sheets and glaciers are the main cause of global rise in mean sea level,” she said.
The permanent secretary presented her topic on ‘Application of Technology and Innovation Towards Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change in the Crop Industry in Brunei Darussalam’.
Two thematic discussions were conducted yesterday, with the first on ‘Climate Resilient Infrastructure’ moderated by Associate Professor Dr Abby Tan of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).
During the session, panel members touched on how to develop a resilient infrastructure to address climate change, especially as most nations have begun to equip themselves in facing the impending threats.
The importance of having infrastructure that is less vulnerable to climate change effects was also emphasised at the United Nations Development Programme Workshop in early May.
The presentations were delivered by Director of National Disaster Management Centre Colonel (Rtd) Muhd Harith Rashidi bin Haji Muhd Jamin on ‘Synergy in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation’; while Acting Deputy Director of Drainage and Sewerage Pengiran Azman bin Pengiran Badaruddin presented on ‘Are We Ready for the Big Flood?’.
Dr Juliana binti Haji Zaini presented on the ‘Efficient Smart Infrastructure for Better Quality Life’.
The second session, moderated by Professor Mohammad Mansoob Kahn of UBD, focussed on ‘Climate Resilient Crops’ where UBD’s Dr Mohd Sabri bin Muhammad touched on the importance of implementing a climate-resilient strategy to preserve crops and ensure a sustainable food security.
Dr Najeeb Ullah of UBD concluded the second session with a presentation on ‘Agriculture and Food Security Under a Changing Climate’.
