RM6 mln boost for HoB initiative
KOTA KINABALU: Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment has received an allocation of RM6 million for the implementation of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Declaration initiative in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Its minister, Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the allocation will be utilized as much as possible in an effort to preserve biodiversity through protected forest areas network, forest management and sustainable land use in Sabah.
For the record, total area of Heart of Borneo in Malaysia is 6.8 million hectares, where about 4.2 million hectares (61%) of it is located in Sabah.
“The government is committed in increasing the Fully Protected Areas to 30 percent or at least 2.1 million hectares by 2025 as well as restoring destroyed forests through forest restoration programs.
“The Sabah Heart of Borneo Project was first implemented in 2008 in the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The total allocation that has been channelled to the Sabah Forestry Department from the 9MP to the 11MP is RM54 million,” he said.
Commenting on the achievements of the project, Jafry said to date the fully protected area in Sabah has increased to 1.1 million hectares. Meanwhile, 22 outdoor field posts have also been built in hotspot areas within the HoB area for monitoring purposes.
To date, about 26,000 hectares of forest have been rehabilitated and scientific expeditions have also been conducted in 36 forest reserves.
Subsequently, the forestry department has also implemented four Forest Management or Conservation Plans and 10 worldclass international conferences involving participants and presenters from abroad, local universities, the private sector and government agencies.