Sabah continues to protect biodiversity, ecosystem — CM
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah remains committed to protecting its biodiversity and ecosystem, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
He disclosed that to date over 21 percent of the state’s land are gazetted as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs), arguably the largest in Malaysia.
This percentage exceeds the International Union for Conservation of Nature target of 10 per cent and even the Convention on Biological Diversity target of 17 percent of various types of ecosystems.
“We are on track to expand the size of our TPAs to 30 per cent of Sabah’s land mass within a decade,”he said when officiating at the International Conference on Bridging Heart of Borneo (HoB) Landscapes and Beyond through Healthy Watershed Corridors held here yesterday.
Musa said that both the federal and state governments are placing efforts in the conservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity which is reflected in the government’s commitment to various initiatives such as the Heart of Borneo and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Malaysia’s commitment on biodiversity management is strengthened through the country’s involvement in various multilateral environmental agreements and regional conservation initiatives, he added.
According to him, the State Government through the Sabah Forestry Department has always been committed to the Heart of Borneo initiative and has in fact designated about four million hectares of the state’s landmass, mainly comprising important inland and highland forest ecosystems, as part of this programme.
The initiative is very much in line with the mission of the Sabah Forestry Department to effectively plan and implement the management of the state’s forest resources in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management, incorporating biodiversity conservation, Musa stressed.
HoB member countries, according to Musa, recognize the interconnection of forests, wetlands and coral reefs, and the necessity to maintain ecological corridors between terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
“The health of watershed corridors between the HoB landscapes and reefs are vital to ensure that clean water reaches the people, and also to wetlands and marine ecosystems where wildlife is abundant.
Likewise, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands within HoB landscapes and beyond are indispensable for supporting life, and must be conserved and restored. The earthquake in June this year has not only affected livelihoods of those living within and adjacent to the highlands of Mount Kinabalu, but has also severely affected rivers and water sources.
“While this was a natural disaster, we should draw lessons that reasons such as poor management of resources have an adverse impact on our environment,” he said.
Musa said that another contribution towards the success of Sabah’s efforts in conservation is the commitment to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
There are six Ramsar sites in Malaysia and the Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands in Sabah is the largest, covering three forest reserves, he said, adding that a 10-year management plan has been jointly formulated by the State Government through the Sabah Biodiversity Centre, Natural Resources Office and Forestry Department in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to manage this site.
“This conference aims to look into bridging HoB landscapes and beyond through healthy watershed corridors. You are here to deliberate, demonstrate and to identify synergies on existing initiatives related to watershed conservation within ecological corridors from HoB landscapes to the sea, that bring beneficial outcomes for the well-being of the people in Sabah and those within this region.
“I am pleased to learn that the conference will cover the South East Asia Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP) initiated by The Royal Society, the work of Forever Sabah under the Ridge to Reef approach, and the introduction of the Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) jurisdictional approach in addressing sustainable practices in the palm oil palm sector.
“I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate Sabah’s commitment on sustainable development. We took a bold step by approving the CSPO jurisdictional approach for Sabah at the Cabinet meeting last month, as announced recently,” Musa said.
He added that although a significant contributor to the economy, palm oil has a large footprint and is commonly linked with habitat loss and wildlife conflicts.
“As a responsible government, we need to strategize and build resilience to ensure our main industry remains relevant and highly competitive in future. We believe this can be achieved through jurisdictional certification and we are prepared to work with stakeholders such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to explore ways in ensuring that palm oil produced and processed in Sabah is in full compliance with certification standards,” he stressed.
This however, Musa opined, must be done in a pragmatic, practical and implementable manner so as to provide our growers, especially smallholders, credibility and assurance in global markets.
“Sabah must be rewarded for doing good and I hope we will receive support for this very important commitment.
“Although much has been achieved, we will not be complacent. Sabah will continue to adopt best practices in natural ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. We also value the need to have wide stakeholder participation, and for this reason we adopt partnerships at the local and international levels as part of our efforts to institutionalize the conservation and management of natural ecosystems,” he said, adding that the MoUs that were about to be entered with various organisations yesterday morning, was testament for such engagements.