KUCHING: Sarawak has the highest percentage of forest cover in the country, accounting for 42.4 per cent of the total land area.
According to Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) director Datuk Hamden Mohammad, approximately 62 per cent of Sarawak’s landmass, which is roughly 7.65 million hectares, is covered by forests. Out of this area, 3.95 million hectares are designated as Permanent Forest Estates (PFEs), while more than 872,000 hectares are recognised as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs).
“The Sarawak government plans to expand the PFEs to a total of six million hectares in the future,” Hamden said. “As of May 2023, we have recently designated the Murum Protected Forest (covering 7,236 hectares) and Bakam Forest Reserve (907 hectares), bringing the total number of PFEs in the state to 117.”
Hamden said this during his speech at the Forest Conservation Conference 2023, which was officiated by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg yesterday (June 12).
In addition to their role as production forests, PFEs also serve important purposes such as preserving biodiversity, non-timber forest products, water catchment areas, and providing recreational activities to support conservation efforts beyond TPAs.
“PFEs also have the potential to be designated as carbon storage areas,” he added.
Referring to the Auditor General’s Report Series 2 Sarawak titled Special Audit of Forest Management and Environmental Impact, which was presented at Dewan Rakyat in February, Hamden highlighted that the audit report recognised Sarawak’s sustainable forest management practices.
He further emphasised the importance of Forest Management Certification (FMC) as a key tool for implementing Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) to meet international standards and minimise environmental impacts.
“We are dedicated to certifying all our long-term forest timber licenses. Currently, 20 Forest Management Units (FMUs) and seven Forest Plantation Management Units (FPMUs) covering a total area of 1.78 million hectares and 97,966 hectares respectively have been certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS),” Hamden explained.
He regarded this certification as a significant milestone in promoting SFM and safeguarding the environment.
The inaugural two-day conference, themed ‘Bridging Conservation and Sustainable Development in Permanent Forests,’ is both timely and relevant, he added.
