International Women’s Day – Our Future Generation Needs our Cares

While today we are celebrating the International Women’s Day, we also want to remind you there are many wonderful women who are working day and night to sustain the environment healthier and cleaner for future generation. Happy women’s day to all beautiful ladies in SPM.

Rapid urbanisation could end up in various forms of pollution and climate change impacts that could result in extreme weather, especially in cities, thus resulting in urban heat islands phenomenon (UHI). Kuala Lumpur (KL) is already experiencing some of the impacts of climate change and UHI. The highest temperature of the hottest month (Feb/Mar) is about 32-40°C and the coolest month is in December with approximately ±31°C. UHI is one of the many areas of deterioration of the environment due to the development and human activities. Environmental temperatures affect human well-being and, in extreme circumstances, affect human health. Rapid urbanisation contributes to air pollution and climate change. A significant presence of aerosols and smaller particulate matters (PM0.1, PM1) in the urban air is alarming. Urban heat island has marked effects on the natural and cultural environment, on building arrangement, social networks, as well as on work, socialization patterns and physical health Stress, mental health issues were widely reported to be associated with heat islands effect. The frequent presence of haze in the city affects road users’ vision, traffic, flood and health of city dwellers causing more respiratory related cases. These concerns create a substantial need for a cooling KL city.

We are looking at future cities and healthier environment for future generations as the global warming and climate change become a recent issue. A grand challenge programme which a community engagement based project on urban heat island phenomenon using local climate zone (GC002A-15SUS) was initiated by Dr Nasrin Aghamohammadi and Prof Wong Li Ping from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, and Prof Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman and Assoc Prof Dr Rafidah Md Noor, Assoc Prof Dr Norhaslina , and Assoc Prof Dr Wan Nor Azriyati Wan Abd Aziz from other faculties in the University of Malaya in 2015. This programme will find out the hot spot and green lung of the city, terrific congestion to suggest a healthy route for drivers. The knowledge, attitude and practice of the public about heat wave and energy saving is evaluated. The need assessment of the society towards greener better Kuala Lumpur will be investigated.

Written by Dr Nasrin Aghamohammadi

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