‘State can mitigate impact of mega projects’
NREB and Federal Department of Environment (DOE) have developed strong synergy, in complementing and supporting each other to safeguard and mitigate all environment concerns in Sarawak.
KUCHING: Sarawak has the mechanism to manage, mitigate and reduce the impact of rapid and vast development on the environment.
Natural Resources and Environment Board ( NREB) quality environment controller Peter Sawal emphasised the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance (NREO) was formulated because of the state government’s commitment on environmental protection and management.
“NREB and Federal Department of Environment ( DOE) have developed strong synergy, in complementing and supporting each other to safeguard and mitigate all environment concerns in Sarawak,” he said.
Peter highlighted this in his address at the Chief Minister’s Environmental Award ( CMEA) 2015/2016 held at Imperial Hotel here on Wednesday night.
“The implementation of past development and now the socioeconomic transformation have profound effects on our air, water and land ecosystem,” he noted.
The development, he revealed, include implementation of sensitive mega projects such as large scale plantation, forest harvesting, mining, commercial and infrastructure development, Pan Borneo Highway and hydro
Peter Sawal, Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) quality environment controller
dam projects.
“I am reminded of Tok Nan’s (the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) advice to never compromise on the importance of environment and strictly conduct our duties, responsibility without fear or favour, as accorded in the Ordinance,” he said.
“We have also learnt from the mistakes of many less developed and developing countries which are now grappling with adverse and serious environmental degradation,” he added.
NREB, Peter emphasised, was keenly aware of the future facing Sarawak and as such came up with a Strategic Plan 2016-2020.
“We are confident that this Plan will help establish NREB as reputable and respected enforcement agency in the state, in providing the much needed environmental policy and technical supports, as focal agency on environmental related matters, engage effective inter- agency collaboration with agencies and research institution on the promotion of green initiatives, and most importantly assisting the industries towards self-regulation,” he said.
In addition, he shared that NREB has continously improved their service delivery through the adoption and implementation of various quality systems standard such as MS ISO 9001- 2015 for EIA Process, Innovation and Creativity ( KIK), NREB Integrity Plan as well as NREB Balance Score Card.
On the CMEA, Peter highlighted that the award demonstrated the commitment of local corporations and agencies to collaborate and participate in environmental related programmes.
“We have received tremendous response from corporate and private sector and the number of entries has increased to 78 this year from 73 in 2014,” he said.
The theme ‘ Environmental Stewardship Begins with Me’ for this year was a reminder to commercial bodies of their responsibility towards achieving long term goal of sustainable development he said.
The CMEA was organised by NREB and Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).
During the event the organizers arranged for Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg and wife Datin Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang to mark their 40th wedding anniversary by cutting the anniversary cake.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Ghani, Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Assistant Environment minister Datu Len Talif Salleh, Assistant Resource Planning Minister Datuk Naroden Majais and SCCI president Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Abang Openg were also present.