Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism
WHILE the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) and the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) remain as Borneo’s more prominent and celebrated forests, it would be an oversight to exclude the equally majestic Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) of Tongod from the list.
Situated north of MBCA and the west of DVCA, the Imbak Canyon is located some 300 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, a road journey that will take approximately seven to eight hours, subject to good road conditions.
Since being gazetted as a Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve by the State Government back in 2009, the ICCA has come a long way, and has reinvented itself as one of Sabah’s most promising tourism products.
The growth of the ICCA can be attributed to the partnership between Yayasan Sabah and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) that was initiated back in 2010.
Since then, the two bodies have taken numerous initiatives to ensure the preservation of the forests, most recently being the establishment of the highly awaited Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC).
In 2013, Petronas approved a RM77 million fund under Phase 2 of the Yayasan Sabah and Petronas partnership to build the ICSC, in line with its intent to solidify the ICCA as a centre of learning for indigenous community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
Construction commenced in 2014 and was completed in November 2016, when the facility was subsequently handed over to Yayasan Sabah.
Among others, the ICSC will serve as a platform for gene bank conservation and the exploration of pharmaceutical and biotechnological potentials.
Last Monday, a group of journalists were invited for a first ever media visit to ICSC, where they had to stay on location for four days under a programme spearheaded by Petronas and Yayasan Sabah.
To learn more about the facilities provided by the ICSC, the manager of ICCA, Dr. Hamzah Tangki, took members of the media for a tour around the newly-built compound.
It is understood that the buildings at the ICSC were designed taking into consideration green elements to ensure minimal carbon footprint.
The establishment of the ICSC will coincidentally elevate Tongod as one of the crucial districts of the State with the ICSC serving as a major infrastructural development.
In line with this, the ICSC will also turn Tongod into a tourist attraction, which will consequently create more employment opportunities, especially in hospitality, tourism, research, etc.
In a nutshell, among the facilities that are available at the ICSC are a laboratory and a library, top class accommodation, a spacious conference room, an EE complex, a cafe, a gallery, a sports complex, surau, a pavilion and forest parks (which features suspension bridges, a herbs garden, nature trails etc.).
Visitors and researchers, who wish to stay at the ICSC, will be surprised to find that that the ICSC has a wide array of accommodation options, from the conventional rest houses and hostels to the luxurious semi-detached houses, studios and even VIP houses.
Thus, it is apparent that the establishment of the ICSC will more than encourage scientists and researchers to work in an environment that is somewhat isolated, considering the fact that the ICCA now has proper accommodations that will provide home comforts to the scientists.
Currently, the electricity supply in the ICSC is sourced from generator sets (or diesel generators), which will run daily, up till 10 pm.
The ICSC, however, is currently working on setting up another alternative energy source, in the form of solar power, which is expected to be completed in October 2017.
Furthermore, adrenaline boosting junkies would be happy to discover that the Kangkawat suspension bridge, the Big Belian Camp and the Big Belian Trail are just around the corner from the ICSC.
If you are in it for the breathtaking views, a visit to the magnificent Imbak Falls is a must, which is another site that is also relatively close to the ICSC.
It is probably not too far-fetched to say that the Imbak Falls is one of the most outstanding waterfalls formation in the whole of Malaysia, located right at the entrance of Imbak Canyon and is about 30 metres wide.
Another intriguing natural wonder that sits just nearby to the ICSC is the Big Belian tree (Pokok Belian Gergasi), a 1,000-year-old tree that stands tall at more than 250 feet.
In its bid to control the number of incoming groups, the ICSC has come up with a policy, whereby any group of scientists, students and researchers who wish to come to the ICSC, must submit their respective proposal and paperwork to the Management Committee (comprising of government bodies and NGOs).
Hamzah, in his welcoming brief, disclosed that a majority of the visitors to the ICSC this year were students.
He further explained that the ICSC facility is more or less the same as the one provided in the MBCA and that the only difference between the two would probably be its respective habitats.
He also reiterated on the importance of having a zoning system in the ICSC, whereby visitors will be prohibited from going to certain parts of the ICSC, for safety reasons.
He said the rules at the ICSC are very strict and that one cannot simply roam around prohibited places as they please. Proper consideration and permission must be given before they can do so.
On a separate note, it is probably safe to say that the gravel road leading up to the ICSC can still be improved further, as adverse weather conditions (i.e. heavy rain) will further affect the road condition.
In line with this, Hamzah revealed that, in the future, there might even be a proper and wellmaintained highway that will lead up to the ICSC, something that will be vital to the future generation.
To ensure that the ICSC and the ICCA are properly governed, the Imbak Canyon Steering Committee was set up in 2010 to oversee the activities of the ICSC, planned under Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Public Awareness and Research.
In addition, Yayasan Sabah will be providing yearly budget to fund the ICSC activities, OPEX (operating expenditures) and maintenance cost of the ICSC and its related facilities.
For more information on the ICCA or the ICSC, the public may visit http://imbakcanyon-borneo. com.my/research-station/.