#manifestorakyat2021
Conservation of the Natural Environment and Reduction in Natural Resource Exploitation
By:
Faris Ahmad Fadzil
Affiliations:
Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY)
Policy Code:
3j Environment
Problem Statement:
Over the last few years, there have been several instances where Malaysia’s forests have been threatened with logging and clearing for development. The act of deforestation has displaced animals in the forest and resulted in an increased number of wildlife road kills in Malaysia. It is not only wildlife that are affected by this, but indigenous communities as well. The destruction of their natural habitats has caused them to migrate elsewhere.
Value(s) and Belief(s):
Ensuring a healthy ecosystem is important. A healthy ecosystem ensures clean water supply, air purification; while soil conservation ensures plant conservation and animal conservation.
Proposal of Solution:
Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment through individuals, organisations and governments. The objective of conserving natural environment is to ensure that wildlife within these habitats are not displaced. In addition to this, the preservation of the natural environment can mitigate the effects of flooding as well enable it to continue acting as a carbon sink. However, this has not been the case in Malaysia.
The Malaysian government must adopt a policy to protect the nation’s natural resources. As one of the world’s megadiverse countries, it is important to protect Malaysia’s forests and marine life. This can be done by adopting a mandate prohibiting deforestation for industrialisation and urbanization in Malaysia. Decreasing deforestation will help ensure Malaysia has sufficient carbon sink to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to this, protecting the forests ensures that habitats of the wildlife and indigenous communities are undisturbed and maintained. The Malaysian Government needs to demonstrate political will in ensuring these policies are implemented as soon as possible as they are intertwined and interlinked with the demand of climate emergency and climate justice. Another policy that could be implemented is a carbon tax to disincentivise industries from polluting the environment. A carbon tax will enable the government to regulate carbon emissions. In addition, fossil fuel subsidies should be reduced to further decarbonise the economy.
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