LAST year was the hottest year on record for Cameron Highlands, with the average daily temperature being 18.91ºC, says the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.
According to its deputy minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii, temperatures at the hill resort rose by 0.86% in the past decade.
“Between 1991 and 2020, the average daily temperatures there were 18.05ºC.
“The highest temperature recorded there was 27.9ºC on May 19, 1998,” he said during Question and Answer Time.
Separately, he said 689 landslides were recorded in Cameron Highlands from 1961 until now.
Huang said the Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) has produced a Slope Hazard Map and National Slope Risk Map which identify 45 critical and high-risk slopes there.
“The department has been conducting annual monitoring at 19 critical slopes there since 2021.
“Early warning systems have also been fitted at five of the slopes,” he said, adding that the information is relayed to related agencies and departments for slope management and preparedness in tackling possible landslides.
Huang said the ministry, together with other stakeholders, is also developing a comprehensive adaptation strategy to tackle the impact of climate change.
He was responding to Tan Kar Hing (PH-Gopeng) who asked about the temperatures in Cameron Highlands for the past decade alongside the number of landslides recorded and efforts to monitor high-risk slopes.
On another matter, he said the Geology and Geoscience Investigation Bill is scheduled to be tabled next year.
“JMG is always committed to evaluating the effectiveness of existing legislation to ensure they are relevant in tackling the effects of climate change,” he said.
He was responding to a supplementary question by Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN-Padang Serai) who asked whether the government intends to review existing laws regarding geological disasters in line with current challenges, including climate change.
The Bill aims to replace the Geological Survey Act 1974 to fulfil current requirements more efficiently.
