Act Now On Coastal Erosion Or Face Heavy Costs - Ahmad Zahid

KUANTAN, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The government will incur costs of up to RM1 trillion if coastal erosion control projects are not implemented immediately, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said it is crucial to initiate these projects early to reduce the risks and impact of disasters, as well as to save on expenses.

This situation cannot be taken lightly due to climate change and global warming, along with projections from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for 2050, said Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Central Disaster Management Committee chairman. 

"Based on SDG projections for 2050, small islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean will be below sea level. This means that coastal areas on both the west and east coasts of the Peninsula, as well as coastal areas in Sabah and Sarawak, will experience erosion.

"In 2050, the estimate is that if nothing is done now, we will have to spend no less than RM1 trillion," he said at a press conference after launching the Halal On Track @ Pahang Programme here today.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

Ahmad Zahid was asked to comment on the RM600 million allocation given to the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) for flood preparedness, which was announced during the Budget 2025 presentation by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

This includes more than RM300 million already allocated for preparations in case of any disaster at any time.

Ahmad Zahid said his team is coordinating with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, with flood mitigation projects being placed under the Department of Irrigation and Drainage and flood-prone areas listed.

Additionally, he said the government has also allocated funds for the construction of permanent evacuation centres equipped with all basic facilities to replace schools and community halls.

-- BERNAMA