Seminar to explore Batu Timbang expedition findings

KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Sabah Group will be organising the Imbak Canyon Batu Timbang Scientific Expedition Seminar for two days beginning December 4.

According to the director of Yayasan Sabah, Datuk Sapawi Bin Haji Ahmad, the seminar to be held at the Tun Hamdan Theatre, Menara Tun Mustapha, Likas will be divided into four sessions, namely Physical Science, Social Science and Tourism, Flora and Fauna Diversity.

Thirty-seven papers will be presented by 33 presenters throughout the two-day seminar which is divided into four sessions.

The first session, Physical Science among others, will cover tidal-influence shoreline, the discovery of a new trail and physical development of Batu Timbang, while the second session on Social Science and Tourism will touch on tourism, archaeological survey, homestay potentials besides cultural heritage of the villages surrounding ICCA in Ulu Kinabatangan area.

“Presenters for the Flora themed session will among others explain diversity of vascular plants, forest ecosystem and forest structure, while presenters for the last session, Fauna will cover the diversities of insects, bats, fish and birds,” he explained.

The seminar is the post Imbak Canyon Batu Timbang Scientific Expedition, planned as part of the Yayasan Sabah GroupPetronas collaboration in the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA).

Sapawi said the seminar will be a platform for the expedition participants to present their findings to the research community, students and the public.

With this, it is hoped that more researchers and students would use ICCA as a research destination as a major part of the 27,599 ha ICCA core area and its 107, 656 ha buffer zone, has yet to be uncovered.

A total of 120 participants comprising the Batu Timbang Scientific Expedition, heads of relevant government departments and agencies, institutions of higher learning, NGOs and relevant individuals will be attending the seminar.

The expedition held for ten days from Auguat 16 to 26, was participated by 177 participants comprising representatives from Yayasan Sabah Group, Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Museum and several government departments and agencies, institutions of higher learning and NGOs.

In conjunction with the seminar, the ICCA Strategic Management Plan 2014-2023 will also be officially launched by Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.

Sapawi said the preparation of this management plan was made possible by the financial assistance from Petronas. It is one of the key outputs of the Yayasan Sabah Group-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation partnership.

The document becomes an essential tool to ensure sustainable management at ICCA, and provides a framework for activities to be implemented in the conservation area for a period of 10 years.