KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) has set up a multi-departmental task force to tackle the effects of climate change, says mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah.
“This task force will recalibrate and expand our climate action, address trends and stakeholder needs, and integrate climate action into other sectors' strategies,” he added at the launch of DBKK's Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Report for Climate Change Actions 2024-2030, here on Thursday (June 27).
He said climate change and the effects of global warming on the city needed greater participation by all lawmakers and stakeholders, with recent rainfall patterns and disaster response efforts highlighting the challenges faced.
Rising sea levels were also a threat to Kota Kinabalu as a coastal city, he pointed out.
“This underscores the vulnerability of our urban sectors such as transportation, infrastructure and natural resources to rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as extreme weather.
“Urgent action is required by all parties to address these issues,” he said.
Sabin said that ever since Kota Kinabalu gained city status in 2000, DBKK has aimed to transform it into a clean, green and liveable nature resort city, with the efforts outlined in the Kota Kinabalu Local Plan 2030 (KKLP 2030) draft and Pelan KK 2035.
Touching on the report launched today, he said it built upon previous commitments and paved the way for the city to be climate-resilient by 2050.
Earlier, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir, himself a former mayor here, said cities were on the frontline of the global climate crisis, uniquely positioned to lead the charge in driving climate action.
“Kota Kinabalu, nestled by the sea, faces significant environmental challenges and must urgently address the impacts of climate change,” he said.
Drainage issues and flooding were among the major impacts of environmental issues on the city in recent years, he added.
