Sabah Chief Minister Musa Wants Practical Policies To Shape Nature Conservation

Bernama 22 May 08;

KOTA KINABALU, May 22 (Bernama) -- Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has urged the scientific community worldwide to help in formulating practical policies to shape nature conservation programmes amid the challenges posed by global climate change.

According to Musa the impact of climate change was very serious not only to human being but also to the marine life as the rise in ocean temperature by just a few degrees could destroy coral reefs through bleaching.

"The creation of networks of marine protected areas, I believe, can help degradated marine habitats recover and thrive. I therefore request the scientific community to do more to provide help in formulating practical policies needed to shape nature conservation," he said.

Musa said this in his speech text read by his deputy Datuk Yahya Hussin who is also the State Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry at the 7th International Scientific Symposium of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (Western Pacific), here today.

The four-day symposium was jointly organised by the National Oceanographic Directorate of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) incorporation with Western Pacific Chapter of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/Westpac) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organisation (UNESCO).

More than 20 scientific working papers would be presented at the symposium being attended by local and foreign participants from the 20 IOC/Westpac member countries.

Musa acknowledged that dealing with climate change was indeed a complex matter that involved complex issues such as those pertaining to quality of life, equity and environmental practices.

He also urged the international community to stand together in facing natural hazards which knew no national boundaries.

"A tsunami originating in one country can bring havoc in places far remote from the source, and this calls for joint efforts to handle the situation," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Need to sustain marine resources, says Sabah CM
Ruben Sario, The Star 22 May 08;

KOTA KINABALU: The global community must start giving attention to climate change in the planning for sustainable marine resources, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said Thursday.

He said climate change was exerting impact on marine life. Rising ocean temperatures by just a few degrees is even capable of destroying coral reefs through bleaching - a stress response that causes corals to lose their colonies of nutrient-gathering algae.

"The impact can be minimised by identifying critical areas where fish, corals and other tropical marine life resist bleaching and damage as well as factors that contribute to their resilience," Musa said.

He said this in his speech read out Thursday by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin at the opening of the seventh international scientific symposium on Natural Hazards and Changing Environment in the Western Pacific here.

Musa said the creation of networks of marine protected areas could help degraded marine habitats recover and thrive.

"The scientific community should do more to provide help in formulating practical policies needed to shape nature conservation programmes," he added.

In this regard, he said ignoring climate change and the seriousness of problems with the oceans would amount to undermining efforts and resources being mobilised for economic development.

Musa said the international community must also come together irrespective of their nationalities to face natural hazards that know no national boundaries.

"A tsunami originating in one place can wreak havoc in places far removed from the source," he added.

Continuing on this theme, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili told the symposium that governments were in dire need of a comprehensive and efficient information system to develop a cohesive mechanism for a disaster management.

In his speech read out by his deputy Fadillah Yusof, Dr Maximus said the impact of cyclone Nargis on Myanmar recently was testament of the dire need for a transnational information system for natural disasters.

More than 200 scientific papers are to be tabled at various workshops during the four-day symposium that ends Saturday.