By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar
KUALA SELANGOR, May 11 — The Selangor Forestry Department is closely monitoring forest areas that are at risk of easily catching fire, due to the hot and dry weather affecting Malaysia at the present.
Its director Azhar Ahmad said the hot area data analysis system is being used as the department's reference point for integrated monitoring, to detect the possibility of fire due to extreme weather.
He has also instructed his subordinates to be prepared in hot spot areas, and use drones if the location is too far away.
"When information is received, we carry out monitoring and patrolling on the field, according to the specified area," Azhar said.
He was speaking during a site visit session by delegates of the National Dialogue Global Environment Facility Cycle-8 (GEF-8) to the Raja Musa Forest Reserve yesterday.
A total of 80 delegates from various agencies, including from abroad, took part in the visit which aims to foster awareness of the conservation and preservation of peat swamp forests in Selangor.
In its report, the Malaysian Meteorological Department expects a 57 per cent probability of El Niño occurring between June to September this year, and an increase to 62 per cent from September to November.
The phenomenon occurred as a result of a sudden increase in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean, causing the climate system to change to hot and dry with less rainfall.
