KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to consider the recommendations of the Water Council to address the drought situation in the state.
State Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said a meeting with the council is scheduled for tomorrow to discuss the water crisis.
"The impact of the drought is already visible, with river levels dropping to between 10 and 40 per cent.
"We have requested all agencies and departments under the State Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Industry Ministry (MAFFI) to provide their latest reports," he told the media after witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between a Chinese company and MAFFI for a flood mitigation-related project.
Kitingan, who also serves as the state MAFFI minister, highlighted several districts such as Papar and Tambunan as being adversely affected by the dry spell, as their water sources primarily rely on rivers.
He said rice cultivation is undeniably one of the crops affected by the El Nino phenomenon.
Regarding assistance from the federal government, Kitingan noted that the meeting tomorrow would address recommendations and additional financial needs.
Earlier, he said that addressing flood mitigation would lay the groundwork for other infrastructural and economic developments in the state.
Kitingan highlighted that this initiative would equip the Sabah Rice and Paddy Board (LPBS) with the necessary infrastructure to fulfill its objectives towards ensuring food security for
Sabah.
"Improved water irrigation systems, particularly for rice fields, will not only boost rice production but also increase the income of rice farmers.
"This will raise our self-sufficiency level and fortify our food security.
"This will significantly reduce our reliance on costly rice imports, thereby saving hundreds of millions of ringgit annually."