PRIME Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the Malaysian government will strive to ensure that the country’s water resources is managed sustainably and that water must be treated with respect.

He said this will contribute to the overall achievement of the national key performance index of 99% water supply coverage, 80% connected sewerage services and the national target of 25% in reducing non-revenue water by 2030.

However, he said the impact of climate change might affect the capacity to meet water demand and the implementation of water infrastructure projects.

“The impact of climate change on water resources alters the availability, quantity and quality of water supply cycle while contributing to extreme weather, causing long drought and extreme flood disaster,” he said in his speech before opening the International Greentech and Eco-products Exhibition and Conference 2020 (IGEM 2020) organised virtually, today.

To pay the way forward, Muhyiddin said the government had plans to explore other alternatives or unconventional water resources, such as groundwater abstraction, rainwater harvesting or even storm water harvesting using off-river storages and coastal reservoirs.

In the same development, towards having a sustainable development, Muhyiddin said the government, spearheaded by the Environment and Water Ministry (KASA), was also in the midst of preparing an environmental sustainability roadmap, a document with clear targets and indicators towards a green and sustainable pathway for the decade spanning 2020 to 2030.

Towards achieving the same objective, the prime minister said the government had also launched the Green Technology Master Plan (GTMP), which strategically outlines approaches up to the year 2030 for green technology development with the purpose of creating a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.

“We have also galvanised several cities in Malaysia to set a low-carbon vision and developed a low-carbon action plan,” he said, adding that a total of 52 local authorities were now part of the Low Carbon City Framework Programme that encourages strategies and actions to reduce carbon emissions. 

Organised by KASA, IGEM 2020 is a multiplier of business opportunities that serves as an integrator of diverse possibilities and accelerator of impactful change. It is a major channel to convene governments, policymakers, corporations, and individuals onto a single platform, opening up new avenues and introducing innovative solutions to meet the escalating global economic and climate-change scenarios. – Bernama, October 19, 2020.