BUILDING OF MULTI-PURPOSE RESERVOIRS TO ADDRESS FLOOD PROBLEMS -- FADILLAH

From Salawaty Supardi

LONDON,  April 26 (Bernama) -- The government is adopting the approach of constructing multi-purpose reservoirs as part of its efforts to mitigate floods in the country and reduce losses caused by natural disasters, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, explained that these reservoirs will not only store large volumes of rainwater but also serve as a vital water source during dry seasons.

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“The reservoirs will enable us to reserve water for use during droughts, ensuring a stable supply. The stored water can then be treated and distributed for various needs, whether for drinking, agriculture, industry, or other uses. This is one of the strategies we are implementing,” he said at a dinner with Malaysians in the United Kingdom (UK) at the Malaysian High Commission here Friday.

It was attended by about 80 people, including students, employees of government-linked companies, and staff of the Malaysian High Commission in London.

Also present were Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK and Northern Ireland Datuk Zakri Jaafar, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)  Chief New Energy Officer Mohd Zarihi Mohd Hashim, Sarawak Energy Berhad Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Sharbini Suhaili and a delegation from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA)

Fadillah, who arrived here from Turkiye on Wednesday for a three-day working visit, earlier performed Friday prayers with the Malaysian Muslim community at Malaysia Hall.

During his visit, Fadillah led the Malaysian delegation to the Summit of the Future of Energy Security held at Lancaster House, which was held for two days starting Friday.

Elaborating further, Fadillah said that flood mitigation efforts must be carried out urgently, as significant climate change is currently affecting Malaysia’s weather patterns, leading to various natural disasters, including floods caused by intense rainfall.

“Our focus now is on mitigating floods due to climate change.  Thunderstorms, strong winds, and other extreme weather events now result in a day’s rainfall equaling what used to fall in a month. Places that have never experienced floods before are now inundated,” he added.

He stressed the need to minimise the impact of floods on the people and the country, noting the heavy financial losses incurred.

"We have to make sure we can reduce the impact of floods on the people, the financial impact not only on the people but also the country, because during a major flood, we lost RM3 billion, including for recovery and so on," he said.

In addition, Fadillah reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to achieving 70 per cent renewable energy by 2050, from 28 per cent currently.

-- BERNAMA