Government finalising national clean air action plan to address air quality issues

KUCHING: The government is finalising the National Clean Air Action Plan 2025-2040 (NCAAP) that is aimed to address the challenges related to air quality in the country.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii said NCAAP which is developed in the earlier Clean Air Action Plan 2010 is designed to enhance Malaysia’s ambient air quality and serves as a guiding document to drive unified and comprehensive efforts toward achieving better air quality.

“The development of NCAAP 2025–2040 involves collaboration with various stakeholders, such as government bodies, the private sector, industry players, non-govermental organisations, educational institutions, and others,” he said in his speech at the opening ceremony of 13th Asian Aerosol Conference (AAC) 2024, here today.

The deputy minister noted that urban areas are expanding quickly due to economic growth, increased population, and migration from rural areas to cities, resulting in high aerosol concentrations.

He said the increased concentrations of atmospheric aerosols, especially those originating from biomass burning, fossil-fuel combustion, andindustrial emissions have become the main climate issue in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.

“With ongoing research and collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and international partners, Malaysia is well-positioned to make significant strides in understanding and managing the complex issues related to aerosols,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said Sarawak’s unique geographical landscape provides an opportunity to study the effects of aerosols on climate change and atmospheric processes.

“We are actively collaborating with international research institutions to develop climate adaptation strategies that consider aerosol-climate interactions, which are crucial for predicting rainfall patterns, extreme weather events, and forest health,” he said in his speech to officiate the event. His text of speech was read by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

Themed ‘Synergizing Aerosol Science, Technology, Policy, and Practice Towards Sustainable Solutions’, the conference garnered over 400 scientists, industry leaders, government agencies, and policymakers from 36 countries to address critical issues in aerosol science.

Running from Nov 3 until 7, the event is organised by the Clean Air Forum Society of Malaysia (MyCAS) and the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly (AARA).