Climate change: DBKK looking into drainage
Published on: Friday, June 28, 2024
By: Crystal E Hermenegildus
Abidin (middle) and Sabin (left) during press conference.
Kota Kinabalu: City Hall (DBKK) is looking into the State Capital’s drainage system as one of the priority areas in addressing climate change.
Assistant Minister to Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir said global warming causes the icebergs to melt and sea levels to rise, resulting in more run-offs to the drainage systems, which could lead to increased flooding if not properly managed.
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“Climate change is a serious global phenomenon that affects people all over the world. For Sabah, several action plans have been prepared. The State Government has also prepared an action plan consistent with the federal-level plan. We take this seriously.
“In Kota Kinabalu, we also need to see how global warming will affect the State Capital,” said the Minister in charge of City Hall after launching the Report on Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation for Kota Kinabalu Climate Change Action Plans 2024-2030 at a hotel, here, Thursday.
“Especially the islands, like those in the West Indies which depend on tourists. One day, some of these islands may be submerged by water. This could also happen in Thailand, as I have read in articles,” said Abidin.
During the press conference, Deputy Director (Planning and Development Sector) Abdul Manaf Rajikan said in January 2021, high tide caused seawater to overflow, requiring police officers to be deployed to maintain order and safety.
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He said the phenomenon also damaged some of the retention walls along Likas Bay and eroded the beach and several houses in water villages here and in Sandakan collapsed due to the high tide.
Earlier, during the launch, Abidin said local governments play a crucial role in engaging and communicating with the community about climate change.
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“This positions us to be primary influencers in fostering a more socially conscious civil society and to better understand the challenges confronting our city.
“As DBKK’s climate actions continue to develop, the central inclusive vision of ‘A Nature Resort City’ will guide the city’s implementation and evaluation efforts in the coming years,” Abidin said.
Mayor Datuk Dr Sabin Samitah, who was also present, said developing and implementing climate change action is not a one-time effort but requires continuous monitoring, evaluation and reporting of progress, along with periodic updates.
“To ensure effective implementation, we have established an interdepartmental DBKK Task Force on Climate Change Actions.
“This task force will recalibrate and expand our climate actions, addressing current trends and stakeholder needs, and integrating climate action into other sector strategies,” Sabin said.
He said the development of this climate change evaluation report builds upon previous city commitments and paves the way for Kota Kinabalu to transform into a climate-resilient city by 2050.
“To bring these plans to fruition, we recognise that no action plan is perfect. This is why DBKK has developed this report that integrates monitoring, evaluation and reporting into its process, with ongoing updates and revisions to our Climate Change Actions,” Sabin said.
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