High Commissioner H.E. Dr. Mariyam Shabeena Ahmed attended the 2nd International Conference on Tropical Sciences, held on 16-17 October 2024, in Kuching, Sarawak, where she participated as a panellist during the “Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Development in the Tropics.”
During the panel discussion, the High Commissioner addressed the challenges confronting tropical small island states like Maldives, including climate change, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and extreme weather events. She outlined the urgency of these issues, which pose existential threats to island nations, while also suggesting ways to counter them. The High Commissioner spoke about the strategies such as coastal protection, adopting nature-based solutions, expanding renewable energy use, and diversifying the economy to reduce dependence on tourism and fisheries. Additionally, she highlighted the need to build resilience through science-based policies, international collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
The panel discussion, which included H.E. Ary Norton de Mura Quintella, Ambassador of Brazil to Malaysia, and H.E. Lisualdo Menezes Coimbra Gaspar, Ambassador of Timor-Leste, was moderated by H.E. Dr. Shazelina Zainul Abidin, Undersecretary of the South and Central Asia Division of Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During her visit to Sarawak, the High Commissioner toured the Borneo Culture Museum, where she discussed cultural exchange opportunities, and met with Professor Dr. Ahmad Hata bin Rasit, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), to explore potential collaborations in higher education and research.
