Uh oh, things aren’t looking too well for Cameron Highlands 🙁
It appears that due to global warming and El Nino, Cameron Highlands’ temperature is rising at an alarming rate and it is affecting many vegetable farms. To make matters worse, the heavy rainfalls of La Nina at the end of the year may trigger landslides that can destroy vegetable plots and endanger lives.
According to climate expert Professor Datuk Dr. Azizan Abu Samah, global warming caused a 0.5°C rise in temperature around the world over the past 10 years and studies show that the temperature in Cameron Highlands has risen from 0.2°C to 0.3°C.
He added that most of the legislation on keeping a balanced development in Cameron Highlands have been made, but nobody is enforcing it. “If we are able to manage the development well we can have the cake and eat it too. But we must not be too greedy,” said Azizan in an interview.
On the other hand, there is a 70% chance of La Nina hitting Cameron Highlands between October and December during the north-east monsoon season.
Heavy rainfalls and major clearings of forests for vegetable farming can lead to severe landslides, especially at slopes with a 25-degree inclination. Experts said that forests are better “exporters” of rain than vegetables because the vegetable soil gets saturated quickly and it cannot hold water.
Azizan said:
“It is a major disaster that can kill. You are talking About tonnes and tonnes of soil moving.”
Already, there has been a landslide in Kuala Terla, a small town in Cameron Highlands, just days ago.
Known for its cold weather, breathtaking hilltop sights, tea leaves, and strawberry farms, Cameron Highlands produces 600 tonnes of greens every year and it is one of Malaysia’s most popular travel destinations.
Sources: The Star (1), The Star (2).
