‘Extreme weather puts local biodiversity at risk’

Malaysia’s ecosystems are under severe strain from climate extremes, with El Niño-driven droughts and La Niña floods exacerbating environmental damage. Dr Serina Rahman, a conservationist and lecturer at the National University of Singapore, highlights coral bleaching and seagrass decline due to intense heat, while parched forests face higher fire risks. She warns that draining peat swamps and clearing remaining forest patches worsens these threats, as extreme heat followed by heavy rain disrupts ecosystems and triggers floods. Prolonged droughts threaten water supplies, increase wildfire risks, and deplete food sources for wildlife, including elephants, tigers, Malayan sun bears, and tapirs. Animals forced into human settlements for survival face greater conflict, while forests deprived of rainfall struggle to sustain fruit production or support indigenous communities. Erratic climate shifts also disrupt traditional monsoon cycles, leaving farmers unable to plan planting or harvesting due to unpredictable droughts. Fishermen face additional challenges as rising water temperatures alter marine life behavior, disrupting migration and reproduction cycles. Sudden storms and extreme heat endanger their safety, with fishermen risking boat flips during unpredictable weather. As key providers of national food security, farmers and fishermen are on the frontlines of climate change impacts, yet they lack resources to adapt, especially as members of the vulnerable B40 group. Rahman emphasizes that climate-induced disruptions threaten both biodiversity and human livelihoods, forcing vulnerable communities to contend with collapsing water sources and livelihoods. The unpredictable weather patterns pose long-term risks to Malaysia’s ecosystems, wildlife, and food security.