A recent study has resulted in an action plan for cities in Southeast Asia to curb increasing local warming as a result of climate change.
Associate Professor GM Shafiullah from Murdoch University's School of Engineering and Energy and Dr Kamrul Hassan from the College of Business were two of the four chief investigators of the project titled 'Are City Climate Plans Adequate for Mitigating Weather Extremes? An Investigation of South Asian Cities.'
Led by Curtin University and funded by DFAT-P4I, the study analysed existing climate policies of four cities: Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Quezon City.
By identifying their drivers, barriers and gaps between policy and practice, the research team proposed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) that leverages ecosystem-based solutions and strives to both achieve and net-zero target and create climate-resilient cities.
Ecosystem-based solutions can take various forms, and focus on conserving and sustainably managing restoration of ecosystems like forests, mangroves, and grasslands to reduce impacts of climate change.
The investigators presented the outcomes of their project at an international symposium in May of 2024, which provided a platform for knowledge sharing among project partners, city government representatives from all four Southeast Asian cities and Australian stakeholders.
Associate Prof Shafiullah said given the gaps in current climate plans, the issues had to be addressed from all angles.
There is a pressing need for a new climate action plan by fusing a multidisciplinary approach encompassing social, policy and climate science," Associate Prof Shafiullah said.
Dr Hassan presented the results of cost-benefit analyses and willingness to adopt ecosystem-based solutions to climate change.
"In the long run, the benefits of ecosystem-based solutions outweigh the costs, and therefore, they can be applied as sustainable solutions to climate change," Dr Hassan said.
Investigators from Curtin University presented the findings of other milestones of the project.
Several distinguished guests were in attendance at the symposium, including the Honourable Reece Whitby MLA, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Action, as well as Reuben Kooperman, Honorary Consul-General of Thailand in Perth; Madam Nur Eliza Jemal Zainal, Consul-General of Malaysia in Perth; Listiana Operananta, Consul-General of Indonesia in Perth; YB Tuan Leong Tuck Chee, Local MLA for Pandamaran Constituency, Malaysia; Professor Parisa A. Bahri, Pro Vice-Chancellor, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Murdoch University; Dr Terri Trireksani, Head of Accounting and Finance, College of Business; Mayor Patrick Hall, City of Canning; and Claire Murray, Director, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade WA State Office.
Professor Parisa Bahri said the significance of sustainability cannot be overstated in today's world, particularly in the context of climate change.
Murdoch University's strategy highlights sustainability as one of its primary pillars, and its focus is on integrating sustainable practices across operations, education and research.