THE government would spend US$3 million (RM14 million) in grants from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to develop the national adaptation plan (NAP) on climate change, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said.

He said the ministry was pursuing approval from the GCF to develop the NAP, which was crucial to formulate a resilient climate change agenda for the country.

“We had our mitigation plan. With regard to adaptation, this is the national framework to inform how we deal with adaptation measures, and it will be prioritising health, agriculture and food security, forestry, biodiversity, water resources and security, as well as infrastructures and cities,” he said in a panel during the Adaptation and Resilience Day of the Malaysia Pavilion at COP28.

The GCF was established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to support projects, programmes and policies in developing countries.

The minister said the NAP, together with funding from international grants, would help Malaysiadesign cities, plan physical development, and protect forests to meet challenges resulting from climate change.

The idea of rolling out the NAP for climate change was announced in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) mid-term review released by the Economy Ministry in September.

Nik Nazmi’s ministry is working with Germany’s development agency, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), to develop the NAP proposal for the GCF’s approval.

Nik Nazmi said governments have limited fiscal space to deal with adapting and building resilience to climate change issues. – Bernama, December 5, 2023.