The recent super typhoon Haiyan has caused devastating damage to most parts of the Philippines and yet the local citizens have to endure another tropical storm that is expected to make landfall in less than 24 hours. In Malaysia, the recent disaster at Cameron Highlands hydroelectric dam has also caused deaths due to the unforeseeable continuous heavy rains and the dam had no choice but to release the water.

These disasters are a preamble on what is in store for coastal communities in Malaysia especially in the East Coast of the peninsula and Sabah if we are not serious in finding ways to adapt to the impact of climate change.

We have seen no specific measures in terms of policies, laws or education of the public to adapt to the impact of climate change despite the present prime minister has made a pledge back in 2009 to reduce its carbon dioxide emission up to 40 percent by the year 2020 compared to the 2005 levels subject to assistance from developed countries.

Although we are a relatively safe country that is free from natural disasters compared to our Asean neighbours, our weather system still highly influence by the monsoon season. Major flooding in the northern and southern region of the peninsula in recent years has left substantial damage to the local citizen life and the trend is predicted to be continued.

According to the recently published IPCC 2013 Climate Change report, exceptional rainstorms are “very likely” to become more intense and more frequent over mid-latitude countries and the wet tropics. The area encompassed by the monsoon systems is likely to increase over the 21st century, and monsoon rainfall is likely to intensify. The monsoon season is likely to lengthen in many regions.

The strongest-ever recorded typhoon, Haiyan, has gave us a harsh lesson and inconvenient warning that we are truly running out of time and we must walk the talk now instead of pointing fingers at each other during all the climate talks.

Make emergency response plan a must-have drills at all community level in order to face any natural disaster that is caused by the weather uncertainty nowadays so that the damage will be minimised. Weather forecast system must be improved and upgraded in order to be able to provide the most accurate information to the people even during the worst weather.

FOON WENG LIAN is secretary-general of the Water and Energy Consumers Association of Malaysia (Wecam).