Environment across Malaysia
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MSU holds two-day SDG-ESG symposium in Shah Alam
Management and Science University (MSU) held the SDG-ESG Synergy Symposium with Times Higher Education on 3 and 4 September at the Performing Arts Theatre on its main campus in Shah Alam. The symposium brought together leaders from higher education, government and industry to discuss the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles. MSU also shared 950 SDG-related initiatives documented between 2022 and 2025 and its placing in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Rankings 2026.
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Nepal flood death toll passes 1,410 as rescuers search hydropower tunnels
Rescuers in Nepal are still searching hydropower tunnels for survivors two weeks after flooding triggered by a glacial collapse on the China-Nepal border killed more than 1,410 people. Nepal has recovered 1,367 bodies with 5,132 missing, while China reports 43 dead and 519 missing. Authorities are asking overseas relatives of the missing to submit DNA samples, and thousands displaced are living in camps.
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Keningau quakes expose gaps in Sabah fault mapping, geologist says
A series of small earthquakes in Keningau has shown that the district's fault systems are far less mapped than those in Ranau, geologist Prof Emeritus Dr Felix Tongkul said. He said the tremors are small and no major quake is imminent, but called for more detailed studies and stronger seismic monitoring in Sabah's interior.
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Kedah's Padang Terap volcanic ash site listed as geological heritage
White volcanic ash from Sumatra's Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago is still visible in Kampung Padang Nyior, Padang Terap, Kedah. The 1.2-hectare site was gazetted as a Kedah geological heritage site in 2015, but the landowner says upkeep has lapsed due to age and lack of funds.
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August ties July 2023 as hottest month on record, Copernicus says
Scientists at the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service say August was the joint hottest month ever recorded, tying July 2023, with global temperatures 1.65C above pre-industrial levels. Western Europe had its warmest summer on record and sea surface temperatures hit an August high of 21.07C. The findings were reported from London.
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Safoda Eco Forest Park in Kinarut holds tree-planting for clean air
Safoda Eco Forest Park in Kinarut held a tree-planting ceremony on Tuesday for the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. The event, sponsored by the Japanese community through JICA, brought together students, educators and representatives from Japan and Sabah amid ongoing haze in Sabah and Sarawak.
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Abang Johari: Haze cooperation with neighbours handled via Asean, diplomacy
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said cooperation with neighbouring countries on transboundary haze is being handled through Asean mechanisms and diplomatic channels. He spoke in Kuching after launching the Sarawak SHInE International Conference, as Sarawak continues to experience haze linked to fires in Indonesia. Serian, Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman have been worst hit, with schools closed and a brief state of emergency declared in Serian from Sept 4-7.
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Malaysia offers Indonesia help to tackle forest fires, transboundary haze
Malaysia has offered to help Indonesia tackle forest and land fires and reduce the risk of transboundary haze pollution. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the assistance includes aerial firefighting such as water bombing by helicopter, amphibious aircraft support and cloud seeding. The offer was made in a letter to Indonesian Environment Minister Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat and will be coordinated under the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
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Dzulkefly: Haze raised on sidelines of ASEAN health ministers meeting
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the transboundary haze issue is being discussed on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, though it is not on the formal agenda. He said the matter could be carried forward at a senior officers' meeting, and that Malaysia has raised it with Indonesia but is still awaiting confirmation before deploying firefighting assets.
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Nepal seeks US$5bil for reconstruction after glacier floods
Nepal plans to ask wealthy nations and international agencies for US$5 billion to rebuild after Himalayan glacier floods that killed at least 1,300 people. The government will present the need as a climate justice issue in talks with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and donor countries ahead of Prime Minister Balendra Shah's UN speech on 24 September.
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NRES: National Climate Bill balances mitigation, adaptation
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) said the proposed National Climate Change Bill (RUU PIN) is a legislative framework covering both climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. It complements existing policies and will be supported by the National Adaptation Plan (MyNAP) and a Climate Change Fund. The statement was issued in response to views that the Bill prioritised mitigation over adaptation.
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Yayasan JCorp plants 300 coral fragments at Pulau Aur
Yayasan Johor Corporation is continuing its Coral Reef Restoration Programme at Pulau Aur, Mersing, planting and restoring 300 coral fragments over a three-day programme starting 4 September. This brings the total to 550 fragments restored since 2023, in collaboration with Reef Check Malaysia, with a target of 70 per cent coral survival after 12 months.
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Rain eases haze, no area records very unhealthy API this morning
Rain since yesterday evening helped reduce air pollutant levels, and as of 6am Thursday no area recorded a very unhealthy Air Pollutant Index reading. Twenty-one areas still recorded unhealthy readings, with Sarikei (192), Serian district police headquarters (191), Samarahan (183) and Kuching (174) highest in Sarawak, while peninsula areas included Batu Muda, Batu Pahat, Seremban, Nilai, Cheras and Alor Gajah. The public is advised to cut outdoor activity where readings remain unhealthy.
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Report: Fashion industry emissions up almost 14% in two years
Global greenhouse gas emissions from the apparel sector rose 6.3% in 2024 after a 7.5% increase in 2023, according to a new report by the Apparel Impact Institute. The rise is driven partly by higher production of virgin polyester, which remains cheaper than recycled fibre. The institute warns the sector could face a 34% profit drop by 2030 without faster decarbonisation.
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Forest fire at FRIM Bidor research plot fully extinguished
A forest fire affecting a research plot at the FRIM Research Station (SPF) Bidor in Perak was fully extinguished yesterday afternoon. The operation involved multiple agencies including the fire department, and an impact assessment on the affected plot will be conducted.
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Indonesian forest fires produce world's highest carbon emissions
Forest and peatland fires in Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia, have produced the world's highest carbon dioxide emissions, reaching 19.7 million metric tons in the first week of September. The situation is worsened by the Super El Nino phenomenon, with the city of Pontianak recording a hazardous air quality index.
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Four Indonesian volcanoes spew ash, disrupting flights in East Nusa Tenggara
Ash from four Indonesian volcanoes, including Mount Ili Lewotolok, Mount Dukono, Mount Ibu and Anak Krakatau, was detected on Wednesday. Ash from Ili Lewotolok caused the temporary closure of Wunopito Airport in Lewoleba, disrupting air travel in East Nusa Tenggara. Airports closed due to Anak Krakatau's ash have since reopened.
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Terengganu proposes 2-year closure of 4 Redang coral sites after 80% damage
Four snorkelling and diving sites around Pulau Redang in Terengganu have been proposed for a two-year closure to allow severely damaged coral reefs to recover. The proposal, submitted by resort operators and Reef Check Malaysia, cites over 80% coral damage at the sites, primarily due to human activities like tourists touching corals and boats dropping anchors. State tourism committee chairman Datuk Razali Idris said the proposal will be discussed with federal agencies.
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Five baby orangutans rescued in Odisha, India; trafficking from Southeast Asia suspected
Five baby orangutans were rescued from a forest in Balasore district, Odisha, India, during a routine patrol. Authorities suspect they were smuggled from Southeast Asia as part of an international wildlife trafficking operation, and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is investigating. The animals are now in quarantine at a zoological park in Odisha.
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Climate Reality training in Singapore gathers 800 Southeast Asian advocates
A two-day Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training began in Singapore, organized by Al Gore's nonprofit. The event brought together about 800 participants from Southeast Asia to discuss the region's energy transition and climate finance. Half of the participants are aged 30 or younger.
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Malaysia offers assets to Indonesia to fight haze-causing fires, awaits approval
Malaysia is ready to send assets to help Indonesia tackle forest fires contributing to the haze, pending Jakarta's approval. The government has prepared a list of assets, and preparations for Malaysia Day celebrations in Kuching are being adjusted to be held indoors due to the haze.
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Orangutan dies in Ketapang, believed first casualty of Kalimantan forest fires
An adult male Bornean orangutan named Sempurna died in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, hours after being rescued on August 30. It is believed to be the first known orangutan death caused by the forest and land fires that have hit the region for over a month. An autopsy found pathological changes in its lungs, suspected to be linked to smoke exposure.
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Chee Soon Juan criticises National Day Rally speech, questions cash handout approach
Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan has criticised Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's National Day Rally speech, saying money alone cannot solve the anxieties of younger Singaporeans. He cited the planned development of Maju Forest and concerns about mental health and population density as key issues the speech failed to address.
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FoE APAC urges Indonesian plantation firms to be held accountable for transboundary haze
Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific (FoE APAC) has called for companies with operations in Indonesia's plantation and forestry sectors to be held responsible for the smoke pollution from forest and land fires. Pollution from burning areas in Kalimantan is reported to have spread to Malaysia and the Philippines, with Sarawak among the worst affected states in Malaysia since early August. FoE APAC also urged the Indonesian government, the UN and ASEAN to take stronger action.