A comprehensive environmental policy to make Penang’s future sustainable and green is on the way.
Climate change is here. Penang was hit by one of the worst floods in its history on November 4 last year. The 15-hour storm paralyzed the state, causing huge floods and uprooting trees. A record 372mm of rainfall was charted, with winds blowing at 64kmph, and all worsened by a high tide.
Many attributed the freak weather, among other factors, to the effects of Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam. Seven lives were lost, while 12,662 victims from 3,068 families were evacuated.
Penang then quickly got down to the hard and painful work of recovery. The state government allocated RM100mil to help the flood victims and organized relief efforts throughout the state.
For the last 30 years, fighting climate change has become a long-term goal for cities all around the world, and Penang is no exception. Hence, in March last year, the Penang State Economic Planning Unit, Penang Green Council (PGC) and Penang Institute mooted the Penang Green Agenda (PGA), a two-year policy-planning project aimed at formulating strategies and building resilient communities in Penang to meet and adapt to future environmental challenges by 2030.
