Kota Kinabalu: WWF-Malaysia has called for the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan to be inclusive of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) said this could be undertaken through a continuous effort to achieve the SDGs’ key commitments to biodiversity in the five-year plan soon to be unveiled by the State Government.
The NGO’s State conservation head, Dr Robecca Jumin, said the State Government’s action of getting feedback through its website not only promotes inclusivity but also a sense of shared ownership with the people.
For its part, she said WWF-Malaysia reiterates its call for a New Deal for Nature and People (NDNP), where nature is protected and restored for the benefit of both the planet and the people.
“(Thus), the NDNP calls for no more loss of natural habitats, zero extinction of wildlife, as well as halving the negative ecological impacts of production and consumption,” she said in a statement.
Key suggestions submitted by WWF-Malaysia through the website concern tourism, industry, agriculture, infrastructure and sustainability, among others.
“A sustainable tourism industry that supports conservation should be a key aspect of tourism, where tourism activities are planned, managed and undertaken in a way that avoids damage to bio-diversity, is environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially equitable.
“For the industry, a green recovery should be a top priority where post-Covid-19 investment decisions should integrate climate considerations.
“Potential investments should be analysed through the lens of climate and natural risks and opportunities to ensure more sustainable long-term commitments,” she added.
Robecca also added that there should be sustainable practices for fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture activities, which are confirmed through international certification standards.
The practice of integrated land use planning and management will also ensure better and more efficient use of land.
As for the well-designated infrastructure, it is an enabler for sustainable development and is particularly important in a post-Covid-19 world.
“Many countries in the world have launched green recovery plans to pivot towards sustainability; including green infrastructures connecting people, goods and services.”
Those commitments, she said, include 50 per cent natural forest cover, 30 per cent Protected Areas, 13 per cent marine protected areas, and total Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil jurisdictional approach.
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