The Haze And Thunderstorms In Malaysia Will Last Longer Than You Expect
This phenomenon is expected to last till October at least.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 12 May 2016, 06:27 PM
It was reported today, 12 May, that the country will face a transboundary haze starting June till October due to the extreme hot and dry weather in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia
The haze late last year in Malaysia lasted for months and was one of the worst the nation has ever seen
Image via The Malay Mail OnlineHowever, the haze is expected to be a less serious one compared to last year's, as it is expected to be accompanied by the La Nina phenomenon, the positive phase of the El Niño phenomenon
An aerial view of the flood in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu back in 2014
Image via International Business Times"Based on a study, conducted by the Singapore-based Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), the hot and dry weather (in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia) can cause peatland fires and the wind will push the smoke towards Malaysia and lead to haze.
" ...rain is expected to occur within the same period and may cause floods in several states especially Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, which will help reduce the impact of the haze," said Natural Resource and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar yesterday, 11 May.
bernama.com
Natural Resource and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi also explained how both the Indonesian and Malaysian governments are looking at handling this delicate issue with the aid of the government-to-government (G2G) cooperation
Wan Junaidi said the ministry had accepted Indonesia's explanation to discontinue the MoU because it seemed to be ineffective, as tackling the haze problems not only required cooperation from the local government in Sumatra but also from the Indonesian government.
He mentioned that the Asean Secretariat had been tasked to collect the relevant data from each member country to identify the impact of the haze on the economy, health and social activities.
Wan Junaidi also added that Indonesia has launched its Plan of Action in dealing with Transboundary Haze Pollution to improve coordination between the central and provincial governments in handling peat and forest fires.
Both the governments will sit down for a technical meeting in Indonesia on 30 May for a discussion on the most effective ways to tackle this issue
In the meantime, Wan Junaidi said the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution meeting held on Wednesday in Singapore had agreed with Malaysia's proposal to conduct a study to assess the impact of the 2015 haze on the South-East Asian region.
bernama.com
What is La Nina? La Nina occurs when the temperature of ocean waters in the eastern and tropical Pacific Ocean are cooler than normal
According the National Geographic Society, La Nina usually brings rainy weather in Australia, Indonesia and cooler sea surface temperatures off the coast of South America.
One of the major concerns that comes with the possibility of La Nina in Malaysia apart from the flooding in east coast states is the effect it would have on palm oil production.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Industry states that the country accounts for 39% of the world palm oil production and 44% of the world exports. We are also the second largest producer of palm oil after Indonesia.