20,000 mangrove trees planted in Hutan Simpan Tawau
Published on: Tuesday, July 30, 2024
By: Lagatah Toyos
Norsham Abdul Latip with others during the symbolic mangrove tree planting at Hutan Simpan Tawau, Sungai Mangkalitan.
TAWAU: A total of 20,000 mangrove trees were planted through a strategic collaboration between Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, Sabah Forestry Department and Wiwynn Technology Service Malaysia Sdn Bhd in Hutan Simpan Tawau, Sungai Mangkalitan.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said the initiative held in conjunction with the International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystem 2024, marks another significant milestone for mangrove conservation in Malaysia.
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“This large-scale tree planting initiative is part of the Greening Malaysia Programme: 100 Million Tree Planting Campaign, which highlights the powerful impact of public-private partnerships in environmental conservation.
“Such efforts are vital for protecting coastal areas, supporting biodiversity, and combating climate change through carbon sequestration,” he said while officiating the event at Kompleks Marin Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah, Sungai Imam, here, recently.
His speech was delivered by Deputy Secretary General (Natural Resources) of NRES, Norsham Abdul Latip.
Also present were Chief Conservator of Forests, Sabah Forestry Department, Datuk Frederick Kugan; Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Hijau Malaysia, Ts Dr Nurul Muiz Murad and General Manager of Wiwynn Technology Service Malaysia Sdn Bhd (WTSMSB), Dover Liu.
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Nik Nazmi said the Ministry welcomes all programmes aligned with the goals of the “100 Million Tree Planting Campaign” which encourages participation and involvement of all parties including the private sector and corporate bodies to jointly make the national greening agenda a success through financial contributions, sponsorships and planting activities.
“We have witnessed outstanding cooperation from private sectors and non-governmental organisations in embracing forest conservation and rehabilitation.
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“NRES appreciates these invaluable efforts and looks forward to continuing this collaborative journey to raise awareness and protect our precious natural resources,” he said while congratulating WTSMSB for stepping forward for the cause.
He said NRES and its agencies remain committed to supporting and encouraging initiatives that advance the Malaysia Greening Agenda, fostering awareness and deep respect for the nation’s natural resources.
“About 100 million trees were expected to be planted throughout Malaysia by the end of 2025 and as of July 2024, this campaign has successfully recorded the planting of 91.16 million trees across the country covering 1,849 tree species,” he disclosed.
Nik Nazmi added that since 2005, the government took significant steps to conserve and rehabilitate mangrove areas through the Tree Planting Programme with Mangroves and Suitable Species along National Coastlines – an initiatives following the devastating tsunami tragedy on Dec 26 2004.
He said by 2023, an impressive 3,456.74 hectares of coastal areas across the country have been restored with mangrove trees and selected coastal forest species and a staggering 7,938,531 trees have been planted, contributing to the preservation and enhancement of these precious ecosystems.
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