Cameron Highlands Might Not Be Able To Grow Strawberries Anymore Due To Global Warming
The rise in global temperature caused by uncontrolled deforestation and greenhouse gases affects the strawberry harvests in Cameron Highlands.
Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) committee member, Roy Margaret, warned the public about the effect of global warming on the strawberry harvests in the highlands
As the microclimate of the famous tourist attraction has been significantly increasing over the past three decades, Roy warned that "strawberries might disappear one day" if this phenomenon continues.
According to him, global warming affects not only the size of the strawberries, but also the types of crops. It is understood that the temperature has increased by 7.5°C in the chilly highlands over the past three decades.
"The size of the strawberries has already been affected and they will be much smaller in the future," he said, reported New Straits Times.
"When the weather becomes hotter like in the lowlands, the types of crops here will also change."
This is because strawberries thrive in a temperate climate.
Image via TM Yap
Uncontrolled deforestation and unregulated traffic are responsible for global warming, according to Roy and Angela Marina Hoon, an experienced tour guide
"Forests help regulate the temperature. However, uncontrolled land clearing would lead to soaring temperatures, not to mention other environmental damage, such as floods and landslides, which are already happening," Roy said.
Meanwhile, Hoon claimed that the increase in the number of vehicles in Cameron Highlands resulted in greenhouse emissions.
"We can see many vehicles even on weekdays, and traffic congestion in some parts of Cameron Highlands is now very common. Can you imagine how much greenhouse gas comes from running engines?" she asked.
Another tour guide claimed that overdevelopment in Cameron Highlands could negatively impact the tourism industry of the highlands
K Kaliyanna, stressing the importance of preserving natural environments, said, "We need to strike a balance between development in agriculture and preserving nature. What is tourism without the flora and fauna that Cameron Highlands is known for?"
The change in the types of yields for strawberries has also forced some strawberry traders to resell imported strawberries and stingless bee honey in Cameron Highlands.
The impacts that global warming has on Cameron Highlands strawberry harvests and the tourism industry, in general, prompted these experienced tour guides to advocate for stopping unregulated land clearing and overdevelopment of the highlands.
In May, an environmental advocate went viral for explaining why Kuala Lumpur is not a liveable city:
In a study published in July 2019, Kuala Lumpur is expected to face severe droughts and extreme weather by 2050:
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