Urban tree falls to be studied for links with climate change, says Nik Nazmi

The Star

After launching the Alam Be-Leaf Mangrove Planting Programme on Sunday (May 12), Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said a holistic approach will be taken to address the danger of falling trees in cities across the country and its possible connection to climate change.  Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y2zzk3as   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00 [Street noise]

00:10 Wai Bee, returning to the topic of trees, in light of the recent amount of trees falling in KL

00:15 and especially in Penang, there's been a lot of big trees falling and causing injuries,

00:19 is there a possibility that climate change could be helping to cause more of these trees to collapse now?

00:24 Like eroding the soil and things like that?

00:26 Well, we don't have conclusive answers now, but obviously we are looking into it.

00:31 We know that it's a serious issue and it's, you know, you have, you, you, different people have different views.

00:37 Some people, you know, you cannot cut trees at all costs, especially the big ones,

00:41 because it takes maybe some of them hundreds of years to reach that level.

00:45 But of course then there's issue of safety and all that.

00:47 So I understand the debate.

00:49 I think for us, is of course, because a lot of trees are in the local government area, is under PBT.

00:56 So they have their own guidelines.

00:58 Normally they engage with Arborist, the tree experts.

01:01 So, but we have to look at it in total.

01:03 We will get Jabatan Perutanan to be involved to provide their feedback.

01:08 Yes, I mean, maybe, I mean, it's possible thing that changing weather patterns and all that is another issue that we have to seriously look at.

01:15 But obviously, you know, we, ideally we want to preserve as much trees as possible,

01:19 because to reach those stage, it takes many, many years, decades, if not more.

01:23 So how can we do so?

01:25 But if then it causes harm, then we have to treat it or do something.

01:29 I mean, I know that sometimes, you know, Arborist and all that, they treat first.

01:32 But if worst case, then only they cut lah.

01:35 And if cut, then you have to replace.

01:36 That is the ideal.

01:37 But even replace, to reach back to that same size, it will take many, many years.

01:41 So I think we will look at it holistically.

01:43 Obviously, I mean, we do not want, I mean, we try to avoid injuries or deaths, as we've seen, to happen.

01:50 Because, you know, that's something that really unfortunate.

01:52 But we need to look at it holistically.

01:54 [ Foreign Language ]

02:03 [ Silence ]

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