Sabah’s conservation rated ‘satisfactory’
Published on: Sunday, December 22, 2019
KOTA KINABALU: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Biodiversity Conservation in Multiple-Use Forest Landscapes (MFL) in Sabah, Malaysia, ended with “Satisfactory” score under the UNDP-GEF Terminal Evaluation, for significant beneficial results it produced.
The final workshop that was held here recently marked the end of this ambitious project initiated seven years ago.
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According to a statement, the project received a ‘Satisfactory’ score under UNDP-GEF Terminal Evaluation, for has produced significant beneficial results including in the expansion of protected area and ecological connectivity for wildlife and use of cutting edge scientific research data in forest landscape management planning.
Initiated on June 22, 2012, the “Biodiversity Conservation in Multiple-Use Forest Landscapes (MFL) in Sabah, Malaysia” project was funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by Sabah Forestry Department.
The ambitious project of 261,264ha landmass connects the three renowned protected areas in Sabah namely Maliau Basin Conservation Area (58,840 ha), Danum Valley Conservation Areas (43,800 ha), and Imbak Canyon Conservation Areas (16,750 ha).
In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on Goal 13: Climate Action and Goal 15: Life on Land, the project’s objective focused on bringing multiple land uses under a common and integrated management umbrella in order to mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem functions and resilience.
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The workshop for the “Biodiversity Conservation in Multiple-Use Forest Landscapes (MFL) in Sabah, Malaysia” sees the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) handing over the project outputs and other key documents to the Natural Resources Office on behalf of Sabah’s government.
Among some of the key documents handed over includes the 10-Year Integrated Landscape Management Plan (ILMP) 2020-2029 for the Kalabakan Multiple-use Forest Landscape; which has been extended to the Sabah Chief Minister and the Yayasan Sabah Director for their reference and guidance on the management of the 261,264 ha forest landscape in near future.
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The final draft Ecosystem Conservation Authority Enactment 2020 is expected to be finalised during the next State Legislative Assembly.
Upon approval, the new enactment will allow Sabah to impose and collect the Ecosystem Conservation Fee as a source of funds for the ecosystem conservation programme in Sabah that will complement government expenditure for carrying out ecosystem conservation activities. Other documents handed over included the draft Policy on Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), Guidelines for Operationalising Proposed Ecosystem Conservation Programme (ECP), draft Policy on Managed Retention of Sabah’s Forests: Moving Toward Biodiversity Net Gain, and outline of guidelines to accompany the draft Policy on Managed Retention.
The officiating speech, delivered by Frederick Kugan on behalf of the State Chief Conservator of Forests, highlighted several challenges faced during the initial stages of the project and extended his appreciation to UNDP and other project stakeholders from governmental agencies and NGOs for their strong support in making the ambitious project possible.
Through its seven years of implementation, Sabah’s MFL project has produced significant output for the state, some of the key achievements include classification of 149,277.37 ha for Totally Protected Area that contribute to Sabah government’s goal to increase its Totally Protected Areas to 30pc or 2.1 million hectares of Sabah landmass by 2025.
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