Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project achieves a milestone

KOTA KINABALU: The Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project has had its first Monitoring Report verified, an achievement that demonstrates that it meets internationally recognised standards for its Climate, Community and Biodiversity progress.

This milestone enables the conservation initiative, which is protecting and restoring 83,381 ha of tropical rainforest in the Tongod and Kinabatangan districts in Sabah, to generate its first tranche of Verified Carbon Units (VCU).

The project has been developed as a public private partnership between the Sabah Forestry Department, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd of Yayasan Sabah, and Permian Malaysia, a subsidiary of Permian Global.

Permian Global has provided all the investment for the project. The project has been carried out in a very transparent manner involving state authorities and local NGO, especially operational support from the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) and communityfocused organisation, the PACOS

Trust. The forest area, which was selectively logged in the past, has been protected from further logging or degradation and can now regenerate.

The core objectives of the project are:

1. Ensure the forest’s carbon remains stored in the living biomass to help combat climate change

2. Safeguard a thriving biodiverse landscape and conserve important endangered species

3. Improve the livelihoods, well-being and sustainable economic opportunities of the local communities

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, who is also chairman of Yayasan Sabah Board of Trustees said, “With the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project, Sabah is in a position to be a world leader in delivering effective and impactful forest carbon projects. As a public private partnership, it is important that endeavours like these not only provide ecosystem protection but also support the people of Sabah, especially those most directly affected.

To this end, we are grateful to be working with partners that are just as dedicated to this holistic approach to project development.”

Ivy Wong, Chief Executive of Permian Malaysia, said “we have been honoured to collaborate with such dedicated and responsive partners on the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project and to see all our efforts recognised through this thirdparty verification to protect such an important and charismatic ecosystem.

“Tropical forest protection is essential for mitigating climate change. To be truly effective, integrity must be built into every aspect of the development process.

An important part of is ensuring local communities are involved and have the means to improve their well-being, so that protection of nature is integrated into their livelihood opportunities,” explains Wong.

For more information about the project, please visit https://permianglobal.com/ projects/kuamut-rainforestconservation-project/.