Global Warming in Brunei
Global Warming Exhibition Set - 6/4/08
BRUNEI is organising a joint exhibition programme with Thailand to raise awareness on environmental issues and possible solutions to save the earth from the adverse effects of global warming.
Titled "Thailand and Brunei Darussalam: Only One Earth, Care and Share" and themed "Global Warming", the exhibition in Bangkok coincides with the celebration of World Environment Day on June 5.
"Environmental issues, especially global warming, has become a major global concern, (thus) there is a need for Brunei Darussalam and Thailand to share the task of educating the public through various awareness programmes initiated by the government and non-governmental agencies of both countries," the press statement added.
The national flower of Thailand, Ratchaphruek, and the national flower of Brunei , the Simpur, both of which have yellow petals, are used as symbols for the exhibition.
Bruneians Lack Environmental Awareness: Local Scholar - 10/29/07
According to Dr Azman Ahmad, the Dean of Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bruneians lack a satisfactory level of understanding of environmental concerns.
"The level of knowledge or perhaps the intensity of enthusiasm over environmental issues, in general, and on climate change, in particular, may not be significant among the populace of Brunei Darussalam," he said.
Dr Azman, who also teaches and guides researches on the environment, said that this lack of understanding is demonstrated by the fact that environmental terms such as 'global warming' and 'climate change' may not be fully appreciated by a section of the community.
Dr Azman said: "Open burning is still a common practice in Brunei during land clearing activities for development for agriculture, as well as at construction and rubbish dumping sites, even though it is prohibited."
The dean further explained that while smoke emitted from open burning contributes to haze at the local level, when coupled with forest fires, which occur frequently in neighbouring countries, the atmospheric pollution extends over the entire region. This leads to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which brings about global warming and changes to the climate.
