10 February 2026 (Tuesday), George Town, Penang
Opalyn Mok, Malay Mail
GEORGE TOWN, Feb 10 — Almost 40 years ago, the temperatures around George Town hovered between 21° Celsius and 28° Celsius but today, the average temperatures in the heritage city is between 28° Celsius and 37° Celsius or higher.
High carbon emissions coupled with urbanisation in the past decades have contributed to the increase in urban heat, not only in George Town, but the cities in the country.
Think City Board of Director Suryani Senja Alias has likened the rising heat in Penang to that of an urban desert.
“We don’t have to go to Dubai in the summer, we can feel it in Penang,” she said in her speech at the PNBCAP Awards ceremony and MOU signing between Think City and Penang Green Council.
The Penang Nature Based Climate Adaptation Programme (PNBCAP), supported by the Adaptation Fund and UN-Habitat, is Malaysia’s first comprehensive climate adaptation programme focused specifically on urban areas.
It is implemented in partnership between the Penang Island City Council, the Penang Department of Irrigation and Drainage and Think City.
