Extent Of Local Impact Of Climate Han Little Known
By Khairunnisa Ibrahim

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Local climate expert said that the rapid rate of carbon emissions and deforestation are to be blamed for a warmer planet, but there is a lack of scientific studies at the national level to discover the trends and impacts of warming on the local or regional scale.

Dr Haji Sidup Hj Sirabaha, the head of Climate Data and Information Centre, said that Brunei has yet to acquire the latest technology and sophisticated computer modeling used in the more developed nations to conduct climate analysis and predictions.

Analyses on a local scale can be carried out based on empirical data to compare the long term temperature fluctuations, he said. However, more resources, information and indepth analysis are needed to provide stronger results.

The recent report by the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change identifies human activity as the `very likely' cause of global warming. " There has always been a difference of opinion about the cause of global warming," Dr Side up said, pointing out that there were two camps of opinion - the sceptics and the believers.

The IPCC, produced by 2,500 scientists in more than 100 countries, now gives the latter group an upper hand in terms of scientific evidence. Despite the lack of local scientific bases for the report's findings, Dr Sidup said he believes anthropogenic or man-made emissions are responsible for global warming. "There has been an unprecedented level of man-made emissions since the Industrial Revolution which contributes to warming of the surface of the earth. At the same time, deforestation has also been rampant," Dr-Sidup said.

"Trees act to regulate the climate and retain water," he said, noting that rapid deforestation has contributed to land degradation and desertification. Further exacerbating the Earth's problems.

More than anything, the study highlights the urgency for immediate action to curb a worsening of the warming trend, he said. While some believe that the true extent of global warming will not be realised in our lifetimes, "we need to act now", he stressed, because otherwise future generations will be the ones direly affected.

"We need to undertake 'no regret measures' that anticipate a warmer world and attempt to diminish the causes for it," Dr Sidup went on to say.

He added that locally, there are already a lot of things that can be done, starting with the promotion of energy efficiency and changing attitudes to think and behave in a sustainable manner.

"This is not just for our sakes, but for those of (future generations)," he stressed.

He added that it is also important to cultivate awareness and understanding, especially in young children.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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