Penans glad over the forest certification
Published on: Saturday, November 08, 2014
MIRI: Penans living deep in Kubaan-Puak forest management unit (FMU) in Upper Baram are curious with the new way of timber harvesting which has set the State government, industry players and conservationists all abuzz.The forest dwellers have heard about it in recent years and also through officials from the Sarawak Forest Corporation and WWF-Malaysia. One of the approaches is High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs) assessment.
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Another approach is through natural forest certification which was announced by Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem in August and timber companies in Sarawak have to comply to remain relevant. The forest certification ensures sustainability of the natural resources and environment, which sees a growing demand in the international scene. Formerly nomadic, the Penans in Kubaan-Puak forest FMU have learned to settle like other indigenous groups only in the past decade. It is their home, playground and kitchen and therefore, the community is concerned with the forest's well-being.
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"We want to be included in dialogues on how logging activities would be carried out in Kubaan-Puak, which is our home and livelihood," said 39-year-old Penan community leader, Asai Berat from Long Siang. "Changes in forests will have impact on us because the most important value in our lives is found in the forests. The forest provides our needs," he said. "Life in rural areas are not based on money but our surroundings – the forests."
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The Penans are also excited with the prospect that forest certification will be implemented in Sarawak.They told this to a high-level German delegation who were in the State for a four-day working visit in August. Four out of seven Penan settlements in Kubaan-Puak FMU attended the dialogue session with the Germans, SFC and WWF in Mulu. The eight-member German delegation led by Member of Parliament, Cajus Caesar, was on a follow-up trip with Malaysian authorities on the implementation of sustainable forestry and conservation of biodiversity and wildlife.Kubaan-Puak is a key area connecting Mulu, Pulong Tau and Gunung Buda national parks. These areas form an integral part of the Heart of Borneo Corridor Initiative that seeks to restore landscape connectivity from Brunei to Sabah and Indonesia through Sarawak to conserve biodiversity and protect the ecosystems of Borneo.During the dialogue session with the Germans and representatives from WWF-Germany and Malaysia and SFC held in Mulu, Asai said if their surrounding forests are healthy, they can gather food sources easily. "Rivers are like our blood. If rivers are clean, we can drink the water but if rivers are polluted, we'll be in trouble,: he said. "Rivers are just like our blood, if our blood is dirty, we will fall sick."Selapan Malin, 43, a village elder from Ba' Selulung said they realised that change and development were imminent in the rural landscape. "We are concerned with the destruction of forests but we noticed that in recent years, the way timber is being harvested has improved and less damaging."He said timber industry has two sides – the good and bad. "One of the benefits is logging tracks which allow us to send the sick to the nearest hospital with the help from logging companies," he said.Caesar said the delegation could assist the Penans to improve their livelihood through agriculture and eco-tourism activities if they are keen to be involved in these fields. He said the Germans, through its Ministry of Food and Agriculture, German Forestry Council and WWF, are always on the community's side and would help support their needs such as capacity building in environmental conservation, agriculture and eco-tourism activities. Caesar said the delegation commended Sarawak government's conservation efforts, adding that the German government is keen to do its part for the environment in this part of the State as well. German Forestry Council President George Schirmbeck thanked State authorities and WWF for working in the area and with the Penan community in creating a balance between development and conservation. Kubaan-Puak FMU is located 17km away from the eastern boundary of Mulu National Park in Miri. It covers an area of 32,023ha. It is a timber-licensed area forming part of the six million hectare network of Permanent Forest Estates (PFE) of Sarawak. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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