(Seated from left) Emannuel Ze Meka, Sapuan and Professor Dr Qu Quilin signing on behalf of ITTO, Sarawak Forest Department and APFNet respectively, witnessed by Awang Tengah (standing centre).


Awang Tengah (fourth right), flanked by Emanuel on his right and Dr Qu, launching the Pulong Tau National Park buffer zone management project.

MIRI: Sarawak welcomes local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are sincere in wanting to contribute towards sustainable forest management and conservation efforts.

Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this willingness to work with NGOs was also recommended by the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).

He said this at a tripartite agreement signing ceremony for the Sungai Medihit Watershed Project and the launching of Pulong Tau Buffer Zone Project,

Sarawak Forest Department director Sapuan Ahmad, ITTO executive director Emannule Ze Meka, and Professor Dr Qu Quilin from China-based Asia Pacific Forest Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) inked the agreement here yesterday.

The agreement was for the funding and implementation of community-based sustainable forest management in Sungai Medihit Watershed in Ulu Limbang.

In welcoming the collaboration with APFNet, Awang Tengah said he hoped the Sungai Medihit Watershed project would lead to more similar projects in the state.

Sarawak’s interest in sustainable forest management was first rolled out in the 60s when Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud was the Minister of Forestry.

“He (Taib) invited the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) to undertake forest inventory in the state and suspended all logging licences to facilitate this exercise,” said Awang Tengah.

When Taib became the chief minister, he invited ITTO in 1989 to study Sarawak’s sustainable forest management.

Some of ITTO recommendations were adopted to strengthen the state’s legal and institutional instruments while bio-diversity conservation included the establishment of Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Pulong Tau National Park.

Awang Tengah said Sarawak was confident of having one million hectares (ha) of Totally Projected Areas (TPAs) by 2020, with the possibility of raising it to 1.5 million ha.

To reduce dependence on natural forest, the state aimed to have one million ha of tree plantations, while a wildlife master plan had been drawn up for systematic and proper management of the flora and fauna.

The state had also presented a report on ITTO activities in Sarawak and signed MoUs with a consortium of Japanese universities to undertake research in the TPAs at the 48th session of the International Tropical Timber Convention (ITTC) in Yokohama in 2012.

The strict enforcement against illegal logging and log smuggling also underlined the state’s resolve to protect its natural resources.

Emmanuel, in his speech, gave his thumbs up to the state for the watershed and buffer zone projects.

He commended the state for actively engaging the stakeholders in various sustainable forest management and conservation projects in collaboration with ITTO.