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sabah development corridor _168


CHAPTER 7

Embracing the Future by Conserving

Age-Old Natural Endowment


CHAPTER 7

Conserve and Protect the Environment for

Future Generations

7.1 Overview of Sabah’s Forest Reserves and Biodiversity

Protecting the environment is one of the three principles of this Blueprint to enable

sustainable growth in industries such as eco-tourism, agriculture and manufacturing,

as well as to leverage Sabah’s biodiversity to flourish. In the case of Sabah, biodiversity

is a vital asset and major natural endowment of the state. Here in the north of Borneo, the

range of flora, fauna and coral life is one of the most extensive in the world.

Clearly, maintaining the health of the environment through conservation of land, forests

and biodiversity is vital to the SDC. Environmental monitoring, land-use planning,

education and awareness, and mitigation measures to address possible environmental

impacts are key areas of focus for managing the environment during the implementation

of the SDC Blueprint.

Geographically, Sabah is fortunate to have two-thirds of its borders as coastline - over 1,440

km in length, with the South China Sea to the north-west, the Sulu Sea to the north-east

and the Sulawesi Sea to the south-east.

Apart from the mainland, Sabah also has over 497 islands36, including Malaysia’s only

oceanic island, Sipadan Island. In terms of physical characteristics, Sabah has a rugged

topography. It has cultivated coastal plains, while further inland it has forests and mountain

ranges.

A part of the state also features an enormous swampy, forest-covered flood plain along

with the longest river, the Kinabatangan, which is dotted with ox-bow lakes and limestone

outcrops, and contains the richest natural freshwater fisheries in Malaysia.

36 Jabatan Pemetaan Malaysia


As of 2005, 59% of Sabah’s land mass was covered with forest. The composition of Sabah’s

forest (known as forest estate) is listed in Figure 7.1. The forest of Sabah is classified into

seven classes. The Class II Commercial Forest Reserve (or Production Forest) has the largest

hectarage (2.7 million hectares), followed by Class I Protection Forest Reserve and Class V

Mangrove Forest Reserve.

Figure 7.1: Permanent Forest Estate in Sabah (2007*)

Note: *Includes areas to be gazetted as PFE

Source: Forestry Department Sabah

In terms of biodiversity, there have been numerous research studies conducted to determine

the status of Sabah’s biodiversity in the past three decades. Table 7.1 details some of the

works initiated pertaining to this subject matter.

Protectionforestreserve

Class I

Commercialforestreserve

Class II

Domesticforestreserve

Class III

Amenityforestreserve

Class IV

Mangroveforestreserve

Class V

Virginforestreserve

Class VI

Wildlifereserve

Class VII

Total

348,016

2,682,636

7,355 21,284 320,522

92,401132,653

3,604,867

Permanent Forest Estate in Sabah (2007)

Hectares


Table 7.1: List of Authors and their Research on Sabah’s Flora and Fauna

Source: IDS (1998) ”Sustainable Utilisation of Non-Timber Forest Products: Issues and Prospects”

Sabah’s rich flora and fauna must be protected for future generations.

AuthorsNo. Number of

Species

Research Items

10,000 – 20,000

220

900

449

155

140

145

103

4,000

Flowering plants (represent

5-6% of the world’s total)

Wild land mammals

Butterflies

Birds

Freshwater fishes

Frogs

Snakes

Termites

Vascular plants

Van Steenis (1950), Kiew (1984),

Mat Salleh et al., (1992)

Payne et al., (1985)

Otsuka (1988)

Rajaratnam (1997)

Inger and Chin (1990)

Inger and Stuebing (1997)

Inger and Tan (1996)

Thapa (1981)

Beaman and Beaman (1990)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.


7.2

7.2.1

Key Challenges

Sustainable Utilisation and Harvesting of Natural Resources

As the state develops, a number of critical challenges will impact the stability of the

environment in Sabah. The environment will continue to be strained if economic

development is not planned with sustainability in mind. On the outset, the key challenges

that need to be tackled include: sustainable harvesting of natural resources (especially

timber), lack of integrated approach to conservation, habitat fragmentation, inadequate

wastewater treatment systems, pollution from industries and absence of statutory

regulation on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

Forest Activities

For the last three decades, the volume of logs extracted from the natural forest has been far

greater than the natural timber regeneration rate. This conventional practice has over time

reduced the raw material supplies to feed downstream industries, resulting in the substantial

closure of various timber processing mills throughout the state.

Mindful of the issue, the Sabah Government has taken a positive step by embarking on

a sustainable forest management policy where only the tree growth volume is extracted

from the forest. Following a lengthy effort and substantial amount of investment, Deramakot

Forest Reserve was certified and internationally recognised as the first natural forest managed

in a sustainable manner. Moving forward, more forests would be harvested based on the

Deramakot model to encourage sustainability.

Fishery Activities

Related to the excessive harvesting of natural resources is the need to contain the risks of

excessive fishing which impacts the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry.

This has a direct impact on the fishery industry resulting in the need for the Sabah State to

import fish, with an associated loss in foreign exchange and reduction in food security.

The use of destructive fishing methods such as small-sized nets, illegal pump boats, fishing

using electricity and poison, encroachment of medium-sized trawlers on inshore waters and

incidental catching of endangered marine species such as dugong and turtles are urgent

issues confronting Sabah’s fishing industry.

Environmental protection efforts will continue to focus on prevention against incidental

catching of endangered marine species and illegal, destructive fishing methods such as fish

bombing which destroys precious coral reefs.


Agriculture Activities

The development of industrial crop plantations such as oil palm, if unregulated in the

absence of systematic management, will have significant bearing on the environment. Oil

palm plantations located too close to a river system and road side, without proper provision

for riparian and buffer zones, would result in environmental impact such as riverbank

erosion, surface water run-off with fertilisers and herbicides flowing into the river system,

water pollution and loss of riverine biodiversity.

In some cases, fragmented development of agriculture activities without proper planning

and management could result in habitat fragmentation which is a threat to wildlife

movement and survival.

The absence of a riparian reserve or buffer zone along river systems is a threat to wildlife

communities inhabiting the river ecosystem. Irresponsible agricultural development has in

the past extended up to the riverbanks. In addition, open burning activity on private land

adjacent to forest reserves and land clearance adds to biodiversity loss.

Swamp and Mangrove Areas

The biggest threat to swamp and mangrove areas is the complete clear felling of tracts of

the swamp especially along the coastline and along the river banks. Activities resulting in

such clearing include (a) property development by reclamation of swamps; (b) aquaculture

in earthen ponds; (c) bunding and draining of swamps for the planting of oil palm; and (d)

resort development where construction is extended to the edge of the river bank.

During the SDC implementation period, there will be systematic planning against future loss

of biodiversity in terms of terrestrial (including forest and peat swamp) and marine (including

mangroves) biodiversity.

Biodiversity on land in Sabah is contained in the forest37. Thus, every hectare of forest

converted to alternative land-use may result in loss of biodiversity from that hectare. In the

past, repeated logging has resulted in the loss of biodiversity, in favour of weedy “pioneer”

plants.

It is fortunate that no species has yet become extinct in Sabah, but there have been historical

losses of intra-species genetic diversity. Some plants and invertebrate animal species

most sensitive to disturbances are likely to drift to extinction in the absence of active

forest restoration efforts. This is an area that will be mitigated through the SDC plan.

37 Several different types including (lowland dipterocarp forests, hill dipterocarp forests, conifer forests, lower montane

forests, upper montane forests, peat swamp forests, freshwater swamp forests, kerangas forests, kerapah forests,

transitional forests, mangrove forests and forests on ultrabasic soils).


7.2.2 Industrial Pollutants (‘Brown’ Environmental Issues)

Aside from the ‘green’ environmental issues highlighted in the previous section, there are

several key risks in terms of the ‘brown’ environment which are associated with industrial

development. Programmes will be designed to mitigate these risks which include inter alia:

• Enhancingthetreatmentofpalmoilmilleffluent(POME)byprovidingincentivesfor

companies to adopt cleaner technologies

• Enforcingrequirementsforbufferzonesonriversnearplantationestates

• StrengtheningDOEmonitoringstationsalongmajorriversinSabahtocheckagainst

excessive sedimentation

• Ensuringstringentadherencetozoningandbetterwastetreatmentinindustrialestates

(for example, food separated from heavy industries)

• Ensuringsystematicmanagementoforganicwasteinindustrialfarms(forexample,

checking against manure dumped into rivers and streams)

• Allocatingmoreresourcesforefficientsolidwastehandlingsystems

• Providing facilities in Sabah to handle scheduled waste (used oil and toxic waste

among others)

Lack of Integrated Approach to Conservation

Currently, there are active programmes across the full spectrum of conservation needs

which are anchored by the respective government agencies (Forestry Department and

Sabah Parks among others), local district councils and NGOs. While this has served the state

thus far, moving forward, there is a need to bind these conservation efforts into an integrated

approach towards environmental monitoring, conservation and enforcement. This would

ensure better co-ordination, systematic planning and better utilisation of conservation

resources.

Currently, there is an overlap in jurisdiction and responsibility for natural resource

management. National Parks and Forest Reserves cover similar assets where the

boundaries of the land between park and forests are often not clear-cut.

Elements of the integrated approach should include:

• Integratedenvironmentalinformationmanagementsystem

• Integrated water resources management spanning catchment areas, water supply

and enforcement against water pollution


• Overallprogrammemanagementoversightanchoredbykeygovernmentagencies,

for instance the Department of Environment (‘Brown’ environment) and Environment

Protection Department (‘Green’ environment)

• Cleardefinitionofscopeandtargetedoutcomesforeachrespectivestakeholder

7.2.3

7.2.4

Habitat Fragmentation

Inadequate Wastewater and Sewerage Treatment Plants

Apart from logging and conversion of former forest to alternative land uses, there is an

additional threat to biodiversity and the survival of large animals – fragmentation of forest

habitat into small patches. The empirical rule is that the larger a piece of forest, the more

species it contains. If large tracts of forest are divided by land-use changes, it is just a matter

of time before large animals, naturally rare species and species sensitive to change will drift

to eventual extinction. Only very large areas of continuous forest (for example, greater than

1 million hectares) in good condition will be able to retain the full complement of their original

species composition.

Inadequate sanitation facilities in major urban centres such as Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and

Tawau have a direct bearing on the environment. Most urban towns in Sabah lack centralised

wastewater and sewerage treatment plants. This is compounded by the lack of maintenance

of the present wastewater treatment system, such as leakages in the main sewerage lines

due to aged sewerage pipes and insufficient funds.

With regard to sanitation and public health in rural districts, (for example, Sipitang, Kudat

and Tambunan) gravity water and rain are the main sources of treatment for sewerage in the

villages.

The capacity of the current water treatment and processing plants will be enhanced to take

into account planning for adequate waste treatment systems in major island resorts and

diving sites such as Sipadan Island and the various marine parks across Sabah.


7.2.5

7.3

Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Strategies

Currently there are insufficient guidelines and enforcement capacity relating to the following:

• Excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers on plantation estates

• Conformance to relevant state legislation with regard to riparian reserves

(in the vicinity of rivers), buffer zones and social displacements

• Bestpracticesorcodeofconductforaquaculture

• Agricultureenactmenttoregulatepesticideuse,whichlimitstheexportpotentialof

agriculture products

Measures will be put in place to mitigate the above pollution risks during the SDC

implementation. These measures are not meant to impede the agriculture sector but are in

line with the overall vision to develop Sabah into a centre of excellence for sustainable

agriculture practices. There may be initial costs to plantation owners but this will be

mitigated by access to more discerning markets and possibility of commanding

premium pricing in future.

Co-ordination with the State Department of Agriculture will be undertaken to address the

above issues, leveraging on standards issued by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm

Oil (RSPO). If necessary, these standards can be translated into law with a management

authority to address such issues like implementation of better practices, control over toxic

chemicals used in agriculture, and so forth.

To enhance the conservation and protection of the environment in Sabah, a number of

strategies need to be developed:

• Formulate a State Policy on the environment in line with the National Policy on

the same

• Enhancemonitoringandenforcement in termsofcapacitybuildingandmanpower

training

• Manage development impacting the rainforests, marine life, wildlife and water

resources

• Designate or gazette specific areas as ‘Special Management Areas’ within

which all development will be regulated to comply with best practices in terms

of sustainability; key sites are Kundasang and Kinabatangan


• Ensurebetterinfrastructureplanning–inparticular,thereshouldbe“ecologicalcorridors”

mandated or restored across major roads

• Explore the use of unused land in rural areas and clearly demarcate environmentally

sensitive areas

• PartnerwithhighqualityNGOsandlargecorporationsforfunding,capacitybuildingand

positive perception management

• Cultivate and increase awareness, education and training for the general public,

tourists and industry

Figure 7.2: Summary of Key Strategies for Balanced Conservation of Environment

7.4 Programmes and Projects

The following section depicts the main programmes and projects currently on-going

that contribute towards preservation of Sabah’s environment for future generations. New

conservation programmes will be planned in line with the strategies that are identified

in this Blueprint.

Education and awareness

Infrastructure

Sustainable development

Forests

Biodiversity

Physical conservation


7.4.1 Heart of Borneo

On February 12, 2007, a tri-country declaration was signed between the Governments of

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve the ‘Heart of Borneo’ – one of

the most important centres of biological diversity in the world, covering around 220,000

square kilometers of equatorial rainforests. While Borneo has a long history of research and

exploration, there are still thousands of plants and animal species yet to be discovered.


Sabah has one of the most diverse biological resources in the world.

The ‘Heart of Borneo’ initiative seeks to manage and conserve the second largest

contiguous forest landscape in the world by leveraging on trans-boundary collaboration

of governments, engaging local interests in short- and long-term planning, and securing

sustainable and long-term finance, with the co-operation led by the Bornean governments

and supported by a global effort.

‘Heart of Borneo’s’ Vision is to:

…co-operate in ensuring effective management and conservation of a network of protected

areas, productive forests and other sustainable land-uses within the area called ‘Heart of

Borneo’, thereby maintaining Bornean natural heritage for the benefit of present and future

generations, with full respect of each other’s sovereignty and territorial boundaries, and also

without prejudice on the on-going negotiations on land boundary demarcation.

as signed by the three Ministers during the ‘Heart of Borneo’ Declaration

February 2007, Bali

The initiative is aimed at conserving and sustainably managing the biological diversity of

the ‘Heart of Borneo’, especially the endangered orang utan, elephant, rhinoceros, bay cat

(catopuma badia) and banteng.


7.4.2 Kinabatangan Corridor of Life

The Kinabatangan Corridor of Life (KCoL) includes a floodplain stretching from the upland

forests of the Deramakot Forest Management Unit to the coastal mangroves at the mouth of

the Kinabatangan River. The 27,000 hectares below the Kinabatangan floodplain was declared

a protected area in 1997 and later upgraded to Wildlife Sanctuary in 2001 through the efforts

of the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).

Aerial view of the Kinabatangan River.


This sanctuary is home to many rare and endangered species, including the proboscis

monkey, elephant, orang utan, rhinoceros, and a great variety of birdlife. It is arguably the last

forested floodplain in Asia and Malaysia’s largest floodplain which acts as a water filtering

system to the environment and water catchment area to the Eastern Sub-Region.

At present, WWF Malaysia has two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with oil palm

plantations in Kinabatangan. With the MoU, efforts are being made to return parts of the oil

palm land back to the natural forest to provide a Corridor of Life for wildlife within the area.

The intent of the Corridor of Life is to create an area of sustainable development where

industries (currently palm oil and tourism), local communities and nature can thrive together

in harmony. It is already a tourism and agriculture icon for the region.

There is a need for effective management of land, water and the aquatic environment in

Sabah with particular attention to the Kinabatangan floodplain. The management of the

Kinabatangan Basin will take into account the wide range of ecological, economic and social

factors and needs. There is an urgent call for better co-ordination and co-operation among

relevant agencies involved in water resources and environmental management. To this end,

the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (Sabah) is developing an Integrated River Basin

Management (IRBM) Plan for the Kinabatangan River Basin with assistance from WWF.

The IRBM Plan incorporates sustainable management of land and water resources and the

environment in a total system. IRBM is a method for resolving land-use and water-related

issues in a sustainable manner.

A programme to acquire and/or offer incentives that would enable Sabah to restore the

KCoL by restoring natural vegetation along the river banks will also be considered. Some

of the restored forests should strictly be for biodiversity conservation purposes, which will

support responsible eco-tourism and bio-prospecting, while other parts could be used for

sustainable wood production.

7.4.3 Sulu Sulawesi Marine Eco-Region

The Sulu Sulawesi Marine Eco-Region (apex of the Coral Triangle) is a seascape that stretches

from Southern Philippines to Sabah, Sulawesi and Eastern Kalimantan. It is part of the Coral

Triangle which is well known as a centre of marine biodiversity globally.


Marine life thrives in the waters of Sabah.

There are efforts underway by the various governments involved, to manage and protect

these areas in better ways. Towards this end, currently there are multiple international

organisations also working in the Coral Triangle, which is an area of extreme global

importance for fisheries and other marine resources.

7.4.4 Marine Parks as World Heritage Sites

Marine parks such as Sipadan Island and Tun Sakaran Marine Park (encompassing eight

islands) should be gazetted as World Heritage Sites.

Sipadan Island

Sipadan Island’s uniqueness and remarkable geological features, diversity in species of hard

and soft coral reefs, and other marine flora and fauna have led to it becoming a world-class

diving destination.

Marine parks offer visitors an opportunity to appreciate Sabah’s marine ecology first-hand.

Tun Sakaran Marine Park

This park is unique as it contains people living within its boundaries and is a multiple-use

area designed to protect biodiversity and manage fisheries. Residents of the park are


allowed to fish and grow seaweed in designated zones. It is the only marine protected area

in Sabah to include private land and to cater for various types of resource use not permitted

in other marine parks.

The stunning coastlines of Manukan Island.

These marine parks are managed by Sabah Parks with the following objectives, namely to:

• protecttheenvironment

• safeguardlivelihoods

• promotesustainableuseofnaturalresources

• encourageenvironmentallysensitivedevelopment

• buildpublicawarenessontheimportanceoftheparks


7.4.5

7.4.6

Semporna Islands Darwin Project

Tun Mustapha Marine Park

Following the successful completion of the Sipadan Island Project, Sabah Parks and Marine

Conservation Society are now working together on a new programme called Community

Action for Sustainable Use and Conservation of Coral Reefs which was launched in 2005.

This is known as the Semporna Islands Darwin Project, acknowledging the link with

the previous project and the initiative through which it is funded. The project is being

implemented within the Marine Park, but will have a wider impact by building the capacity

to apply similar concepts in other sites in Sabah.

The waters surrounding Pulau Banggi, Balambangan and Malawali, including Teluk Marudu

and the northeast coast of Sabah, contain significant global biodiversity. The area constitutes

Malaysia’s second biggest concentration of coral reefs and hosts other significant habitats

such as the nationally rare sea grass beds and extensive mangrove forests.

Currently, this area is heavily threatened by over-fishing, destructive fishing and uncontrolled

coastal development. Recent studies also suggest that fish resources are heavily over-used

and tropic structures severely degraded.

In 2003, the Sabah Government declared its intention to gazette the area as a marine park.

The proposed Tun Mustapha Marine Park will be a revolution for marine conservation

and fisheries management not only in Sabah but also Malaysia. This project aims to support

the development of the park and ultimately, restore fish populations and a healthy ecosystem

to these globally important reefs.

This project is intended to create greater awareness as well as support for the development

of the park and its objectives of protecting biodiversity, restoring fisheries and enhancing

community livelihoods. The project will:

• Engage local communities inmarineconservation, includingconsultationsonpark

zoning and management plans and establishing a community-based small Marine

Protected Area

• Enhance the biological baseline that has been in development for three years and

establish a monitoring system to track the success of management programmes

• Maintainandenhanceinstitutionalsupportfortheparkanditsdevelopmentprocess


7.4.7 Yayasan Sabah Conservation Areas - Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon

In 2003, Yayasan Sabah voluntarily designated the Imbak Canyon as a Conservation Area for

the purposes of research, education and training, similar to Maliau Basin and Danum Valley.

Currently, both Maliau Basin and Danum Valley are classified as Class I Protection Forest

Reserve, while Imbak Canyon is still part of Yayasan Sabah’s one million hectares of Class II

Commercial Forest Reserve.

With a total of approximately 133,000 hectares of protected areas, the Yayasan Sabah

conservation areas (Maliau Basin, Danum Valley and Imbak Canyon) have a significant

bearing on the protection of Sabah’s endangered animal species such as the elephant,

orang utan, rhinoceros, bay cat, banteng, proboscis monkey and an array of bird species

endemic to Borneo. These protected areas are also home to several different and rare forest

habitats as well as a myriad of flora species ranging from orchids and pitcher plants to an

array of undiscovered plant species.

Danum Valley

Maliau Basin


The Yayasan Sabah conservation areas are considered vital for:

• Seedsourceorgenebanktofacilitateforestrehabilitationandrestoration

• Research,education,trainingandeco-tourism/wildernessrecreation

• Protectionandconservationofrichbiodiversityandpristineforesthabitats

• Preservationandconservationofculturalheritage

• CatchmentareasfortheKinabatanganRiver

• WildlifeCorridorlinkingDanumValley,ImbakCanyonandMaliauBasin

7.4.8 Carbon Sequestration Projects

In December 1997, more than 160 countries participating in the Framework Convention on

Climate Change adopted the Kyoto Protocol with the aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions. The Protocol requires industrialised countries to reduce its emissions of six GHGs

by the period of 2008-2012 to a specified level relative to 1990 emissions. To achieve this,

the Protocol provides three mechanisms that would allow transfer or crediting of emission

reductions achieved in other countries:

• Developedcountriesmayshareemissioncreditsresultingfromjointimplementation

(JI) of projects that result in net reductions of GHG emission

• A clean development mechanism (CDM) establishes funding of approved projects

in developing countries to promote sustainable development and also generate

emission credits

• Creditsorallowancesmaybetransferredthroughinternationalemissiontrading.For

example, one industrialised country can purchase emission reduction credits from

another

In Sabah, the potential for managing carbon levels through forestry is significant.

Sequestration of carbon can be achieved via forest preservation thus reducing

deforestation through a number of ways: using forest management techniques to enhance

existing carbon sinks; creating new carbon sinks by planting on pasture, agricultural land,

or degraded forest sites; and storing carbon in wood products38.

38 Kinsman, J. and Kaster, G. (1999). Flexibility Mechanisms for Dealing with Air and Climate Change –

Emissions Trading and Carbon Sequestration. In Proceedings of the Electric Utilities Environmental

Conference, Tuscon, AZ, 1999.


Sabah is one of the leading states in Malaysia in terms of carbon sequestration. There

are a number of international collaborations for carbon trading and sequestration

projects which have been carried out to date, including:

• UtiliTree Carbon Company which funded a Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) Project

on 2,500 acres with Rakyat Bersatu Sdn Bhd (RBJ)/Yayasan Sabah in collaboration

with New England Power Company, FRIM, CIFOR and Rainforest Alliance

• Infapro-Innoprise/RBJ and Face Foundation39 on a carbon sequestration project to

rehabilitate 25,000 hectares of logged and degraded forest in Yayasan Sabah’s forest

concession

7.4.9 Rhino Rescue Programme

The total population of the Bornean subspecies of the Sumatran rhino (dicerorhinus

sumatrensis harrissoni) is estimated to be fewer than thirty.

The Bornean rhino species is under the threat of extinction.

The Bornean rhino population has declined as a consequence of a long history of hunting

and subsequent habitat conversion, fragmentation and isolation caused by rapid agricultural

development. However, guaranteeing the subspecies’ protection from poaching is no longer

sufficient to ensure its survival.

Lack of breeding and in-breeding (demographic hazards inherent to small and broadly

dispersed populations) now present the most immediate threat. The immediate goal is to

prevent the extinction of the dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni and increase its population.

To achieve this objective, it will be necessary to establish a closely-managed rhino population

in a designated area and to get as many of the rhinos to breed.

39 FACE (Forests Absorbing Carbon-dioxide Emissions) Foundation of the Netherlands is an organisation set

up by the Dutch Electricity Generating Board.


7.4.10 Philanthropists, Corporations and NGOs

The state has been collaborating with philanthropists, the corporate sector and NGOs to

provide technical expertise, technologies and funding vital for protecting and conserving

Sabah’s natural resources.

It is the intention of the SDC to attract further assistance from philanthropists, corporations

and NGOs. Following are some examples of various initiatives and programmes currently

being implemented:

• YS/INIKEA–Aforestryresearchprojectonrehabilitationofdegradedforestbetween

ICSB and the Sow-a-Seed Foundation established by the IKEA group of Sweden

• RBJ/NEPRIL–AforestryprojectontheuseofReducedImpactLogging(RIL)between

RBJ and New England Power Company (NEP) of USA

• UNDP-GEF/DANIDA–ApeatswampforestprojectinKliasfundedbyUNDP/GEFand

with additional support from Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA)

• JICA/BBECProgramme–Aprogrammetoestablishsustainableapproachesforthe

conservation of the endangered and precious biodiversity and ecosystems of Sabah

• UNDP-GEF/IDS Demo Plot – A programme to promote sustainable utilisation of

biodiversity resources through domestication of valuable plants and herbs at SAIP,

Kimanis

Biotechnology offers numerous possibilities to conserve biodiversity, the environment and

animal species, through new developments in water treatment, renewable energy, tissue

culture, artificial insemination and others. Environmental conservation is absolutely

essential to ensure sustainable development, while biodiversity is the key to the future of

high-growth biotech industries. Sabah has strengths in these areas as it possesses some of

the richest biodiversity in terms of fauna and flora in the world. It is therefore vital for the

SDC to develop the necessary human capital to enable the people of Sabah to benefit from

biotechnology, inter alia, through its applications in initiatives to conserve biodiversity and

reduce carbon emission.

Sabah already has rudimentary framework and experience in related biotech initiatives

through agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Yayasan Sabah,

Forest Research Centre (FRC), UMS, SAFODA and IDS. As a matter of fact, the FRC, Sabah

Fisheries Department and IDS have already been receiving biotech R&D grants from

MOSTI.

7.4.11 Sabah Bio-X Programme


The Sabah Bio-X Programme is designed as a cross-disciplinary, collaborative network

of research centres of excellence in biodiversity and biotech, and transcends tourism,

conservation, agriculture and manufacturing interests. It is based on a decentralised

structure where the nexus links the dispersed research activities which are on-going

across Sabah. Its focus areas include water treatment and environmental management,

agriculture biotech, food biotech, bio-prospecting for active ingredients from plants, animal

biotech, marine biotech, healthcare and medicine, and industrial biotech. The Sabah Bio-X

Programme offers a common platform to engage biotech researchers and tap the expertise

in Sabah. This will enable the SDC to have quick access to biotech talents, knowledge of

biotech research frontiers and available funds.

This programme shall complement the State Government’s initiatives as spelt out in the

Sabah Biodiversity Enactment 2000 and implemented through the Sabah Biodiversity

Council. In order to add value to its rich biodiversity, Sabah requires a systematic

programme covering research to development up to commercialisation. Sabah should

therefore leverage existing conservation work as a sustainable force to draw research

and commercialisation activities into Sabah. To cultivate the biotech sector in Sabah, the

State Government had formulated and launched in early 2007 the Sabah Biotechnology

Action Blueprint to provide a road map and policy framework for the industry.

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