A Holistic Approach to Advancing and Securing ASEAN’s Net-zero Future
Reading Time: 5 minutesPhD student Manuja Dayanath works on the photobioreactor, part of the research aimed at developing sustainable biotechnology applications. Climate change can sometimes feel like a problem too large and distant for ordinary people to grasp. But increasingly, it is showing up in everyday life — in hotter days, heavier rainfall, floods, changing weather patterns and […]
From river menace to green gold: Dalat turns water hyacinth into opportunity
Reading Time: 4 minutesDALAT, Sarawak: For generations, the Batang Oya River has been a lifeline for communities in Dalat, carrying villagers to farms, sago plantations and neighbouring settlements. But the same river has also brought an unwelcome passenger. Thick mats of water hyacinth, known locally as terparok, often drift along the waterways, clogging narrow passages, obstructing boats and […]
When a Glacier Falls: The Science Behind the Kailash Flash Floods
Reading Time: 6 minutesWhat looked like nature’s sudden fury was in fact a complex chain reaction of rock, ice, water and gravity — with a warming Himalaya adding a troubling new dimension. For pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash, the Himalayas are a landscape of faith — immense, silent and seemingly immovable. But mountains move. The deadly flash flood […]
The Science of Haze: When a Fire in Kalimantan Becomes Sarawak’s Air
Reading Time: 5 minutesSarawak under haze: Smoke from fires in neighbouring Indonesia has reduced visibility across parts of Sarawak, highlighting the health and environmental consequences of transboundary air pollution. For communities living near the West Kalimantan border, the annual haze is more than an environmental concern — it affects the air they breathe, outdoor activities and the health […]
Gunung Kanthan: Ancient Limestone, Rare Life and an Uncertain Future
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe ancient limestone hill is home to rare biodiversity and the century-old Sakyamuni Caves Monastery, both now facing pressure from quarrying activities. Environmentalists and civil society groups in Malaysia rarely get a moment to catch their breath. If it is not another dam being built in Borneo, flooding vast tracts of forest and threatening hundreds […]
Sarawak bets on biodiversity to enter US$4.3 trillion global biotech market
Reading Time: 4 minutesSarawak’s rich biodiversity — from its rainforests and diverse plant life to its vast genetic resources — is emerging as a strategic asset in the state’s ambition to capture a share of the global biotechnology market. Sarawak is positioning its vast biodiversity as a foundation for entering the global biotechnology economy, with Premier Datuk Patinggi […]
Concrete jungle, living wilderness: Discovery of rare snake reveals Singapore’s wild side
Reading Time: 2 minutesSINGAPORE — Beneath the glass towers, expressways and housing estates of one of the world’s most densely urbanised cities, nature continues to reveal its hidden wonders. The recent sighting of the elusive blue-necked keelback at MacRitchie Reservoir is a reminder that Singapore’s forests remain home to extraordinary wildlife that survives alongside the city. The rare […]
Rediscovered firefly puts Bukit Kiara’s urban ecology under the microscope
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe rediscovery of a rare firefly, Gombak bent-winged firefly (Pteroptyx gombakia), a species believed to have gone unrecorded for more than a century, has prompted the Malaysian government to pursue a 300-metre ecological buffer around Bukit Kiara Federal Park, highlighting the scientific importance of protecting increasingly fragmented urban habitats. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department […]
CRISPR-Crafted Super Fungi Could Redefine Sustainable Protein Production
Reading Time: < 1 minuteScientists have engineered a groundbreaking strain of fungus that could transform the future of sustainable protein. Using CRISPR gene-editing tools, researchers have redesigned Fusarium venenatum—already known for its meat-like texture and flavour—into a far more productive, nutritious, and environmentally friendly food source. The achievement, reported in Trends in Biotechnology, comes as the world searches for […]
Can Palm Oil Ever Go Green in the Eyes of the World?
Reading Time: 3 minutesMalaysia is one of the largest producers of palm oil, a crop woven into the fabric of its economy and rural livelihoods. But while the palm oil industry is deeply rooted at home, abroad it faces a much more hostile climate — one dominated by headlines about deforestation, habitat destruction, and labour rights violations. So, […]