Malaysian forestry expert Associate Professor Dr Roslan Ismail was recently recognised by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his involvement in a comprehensive assessment of climate change research 17 years ago, writes SUZIEANA UDA NAGU

TWO decades ago, few have heard of climate change and even fewer fully understood the disastrous impact it could have on mankind if timely steps were not taken.

But Malaysian forestry expert Associate Professor Dr Roslan Ismail had the foresight to be involved in a research project on greenhouse gas emissions and their potential impact on global climate.

Roslan was one of the forest sector analysts involved in the Tropical Forest Research Network (F-7) between 1991 and 2000.

During his nine-year stint with F-7, Roslan headed a study on carbon dioxide emissions in Malaysia and collaborated with top forestry researchers from the United States, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Mexico.
The 55-year-old also presented papers at F-7 meetings held in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Bangkok, Mexico City, Bogor, Geneva and Manila, and co-chaired a workshop held at University of California, Berkeley.

For Roslan, currently Dean of the Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (MIIT) in Universiti Kuala Lumpur, his participation in F-7 was one of the highlights of his career.

“I worked with some of the most influential people in the forestry area. The experience I had gained during those nine years was priceless,” says Roslan, who himself is a respected figure in the international and local forestry circles.

Roslan was recently recognised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC or the Panel) — a scientific body commissioned to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity 20 years ago by the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme — for his involvement in F-7.

F-7 was formed as part of the research activities of IPCC and coordinated by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In the nine years of its establishment, F-7 had identified and documented forestry mitigation options said to be the most important for individual developing countries and local communities; determined the amount of sequestration and emission reductions that can be achieved through these options, as well as estimate the costs that are associated with them.

Last year, IPCC together with former United States Vice-President Al Gore received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to “build and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures to counteract such change”.

IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri considers the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Panel a “testament to the dedication and commitment of the experts who have produced rigorous and comprehensive assessment of climate change research”.

Believing that the honour must go to all scientists and authors who have contributed to the work of the Panel, IPCC created an approved facsimile of its own Nobel Peace Prize certificate and combined it with a document which recognises the contribution of those involved.

Some 2,000 scientists and policy experts from 120 countries were engaged in documenting studies on global warming.

“But only those who have contributed substantially to the work of IPCC were provided with a copy of the certificate,” says Rajendra in his letter to certificate recipients which include Malacca-born Roslan.

Roslan never dreamt that he would be so honoured. Being selected for F-7 some 17 years ago was its own reward.

Working with experts from abroad had introduced Roslan to a work culture which he immediately adopted.

“They were professionals and dedicated to their duties. I made many friends from the group,” he adds.

The exposure Roslan had gained from his F-7 stint opened the door to more opportunities.

Roslan, who began his career at Forest Research Institute Malaysia in 1979 as a forest biometrician system analyst, sat on various international and national committees on the environment and information technology — his other passion — during and after the F-7 project.

He was appointed adviser on numerous forestry and IT-related projects with the World Bank, International Tropical Timber Organisation, UN Commission on Sustainable Development and UN Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, among others.

Roslan has served MIIT since last year.

He brought to MIIT a great wealth of knowledge in IT and forestry.

The Nobel Peace Prize has inspired Roslan to reunite with some of his F-7 colleagues to revive certain studies on tropical forest.

Roslan would like to further investigate land-based development and its effect on climate change in developing countries.

He plans to incorporate IT elements into the study, something which may not be possible some two decades ago.

“The timing is right because I am now in academia and heading an IT institute,” he says, adding that climate change is an area of study that local scientists should pursue.

Studies have shown that forests are a major source of carbon dioxide emissions in developing countries, including Malaysia. In most cases, it far exceeds the carbon emission from the energy sector.

“Malaysia needs an updated projection of its carbon endowment and how it manages it,” adds Roslan.