KUCHING: Sarawak’s forestry sector aims to be globally recognised in sustainable management and biodiversity conservation while enhancing the rapid growth of its timber industry.
Permanent secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources (Mudenr), Datuk Zaidi Mahdi, said this was in line with one of Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030’s aspirations to make Sarawak a centre of excellence in biodiversity conservation.
“The strategy is to discover and document the rich flora and fauna in Sarawak, hence, the Sarawak government welcomes collaborations from other countries, such as the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (Satreps) project, a collaboration between the Sarawak government and three Japanese agencies, namely the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and Kyoto University.”
He said this in his speech read by Mudenr Administration, Management Service and Finance head of department Hairani Mohamad Ismail when officiating at the opening of a Satreps-Pubs workshop here on Tuesday (Nov 16).
Zaidi explained that the Satreps project was focused on the development of a management system for multiple utilisation of biodiversity in the state’s tropical rainforests.
“New approaches are required to help the government better understand and manage our resources to better respond to changes and challenges in biodiversity and environment.”
He also highlighted that ecosystem data and scientific approaches had been proven useful in many scientific research, studies and disciplines to identify changes and prediction for better future management.
“It is hoped that at the five-year mark of the project, the output will be used to develop a protected area management system and promote the intellectual use of biodiversity; develop infrastructures supporting scientific research activities; and implement educational and awareness programmes for biodiversity science.
“Biodiversity conservation is a joint effort with all stakeholders, involving government agencies, international counterparts, local communities and private sectors with capabilities, knowledge, tools, and networks to better manage our natural resources for now and the future generations.
“Sarawak has a long history of research collaboration with various Japanese research groups. With the Satreps project in Sarawak, it is hoped that the collaboration between government agencies and respective Japanese counterparts will increase our scientific and technological capacity through active research engagement, knowledge exchanges and technology transfer.”
