KUCHING: Protecting the safety of people, land, and future generations is a core government mandate extending beyond economic and political achievements.
The seawater backflow incidents along China’s coast in October 2024, from Liaoning to Jiangsu, serve as a stark warning. The incidents, which saw coastal cities flooded within minutes despite the absence of rain or wind, are potentially linked to shifting continental shelves.
“While rare, these events underscore the need for governments to incorporate such risks into safety planning. China’s westward relocation of key talents, industries, and assets can be a model for Sarawak to proactively assess and address its coastal vulnerabilities,” according to a press release by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (MEESty) today (Feb 6).
“Ignoring this potential risk,” they cautioned, “could have severe economic and social consequences. Rising sea levels and shifting continental shelves pose a significant threat to the extensive coastline and its concentration of residential, industrial, and vital power infrastructure near the coast,” it said.
This vulnerability mirrors a global trend, with studies indicating that hundreds of residential, industrial, and power plants worldwide could be inundated by mid-century due to climate change.
The strategic placement of many coastal residential, industrial, and power plants at low elevations further exacerbates the risk.
Extreme weather events are a sign of the times. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events underscores the urgency of the situation.
From the recent devastating floods in Sarawak to a catastrophic overnight rainstorm that ravaged the Balkans last October, and even unusual flooding last August in the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang—an arid, deep inland region of China known for droughts and low precipitation—these events demonstrate the growing need for governments to enhance safety and disaster planning.
Proactive planning of residential and industrial areas and power disruptions that trigger widespread disruption across essential services, including transportation, water, and healthcare, is highly crucial.
“Safeguarding Sarawak’s power infrastructure is crucial for the state’s continued economic and social well-being. A comprehensive plan is required for residential, industrial areas, and power sector modelling tailored to Sarawak’s unique coastal geography and land dynamics, including subsidence and uplift,” it said.
Understanding these localized factors is crucial for accurate risk assessment and effective adaptation.
Their approach involves four key components: scenario-based planning to assess residential, industrial areas, and power infrastructure vulnerability under various emission scenarios and sea level rise projections, geospatial analysis to map at-risk residential, industrial areas, and power assets; risk assessment to evaluate economic and social impacts on Sarawak’s power system; and optimization models to incorporate sea level rise considerations into residential, industrial areas, and power system planning, optimizing investments in resilient infrastructure.
Sarawak’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Datuk Dr Hazland Abg Hipni, welcomed Professors Woo Wing Thye and Leong Yuen Yoong from the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Asia Headquarters, Sunway University.
“The visit marks a significant step toward strengthening cooperation on sustainable development and climate resilience,” he said.
“This visit marks an important step in strengthening partnerships between Sarawak and the global community to address climate change, promote sustainable energy solutions, and safeguard the future for generations to come. Discussions focused on the critical need to integrate Sea Level Rise (SLR) projections into Sarawak’s residential, industrial areas, and power sector modelling,” he said.
The meeting emphasized that such foresight is crucial for ensuring the resilience of energy infrastructure against climate threats and for effective government safety planning.
Dr. Hazland expressed gratitude for the insightful presentation and reaffirmed Sarawak’s commitment to sustainable energy and climate resilience.
Both parties agreed to explore further collaboration on power sector modelling and policy recommendations to safeguard Sarawak’s energy infrastructure against rising sea levels.
