SAWIT KINABALU SG. PIN CONSERVATION AREA:….

Group photo of the workshop participants:  Frederick Kugan (seated centre), Rosila Anthony (seated on the left) and Nazlan Mohamad (seated on the right).

……..THE VITAL LINK TO SYNERGIZE FOREST CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN KINABATANGAN RIVER CORRIDOR THROUGH THE SABAH EU-REDD+ PROJECT

SANDAKAN :  Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) under the Sabah EU-REDD+ Project “Tackling Climate Change through Sustainable Forest Management and Community Development” recently made a momentous gathering in a workshop with key stakeholders for the consultation and experts’ reviewer group to deliberate on the development of the 2,632ha of Sg. Pin Conservation Area Management Plan (CAMP) development for conservation purposes by Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd which also acts as a wildlife corridor connecting to the larger Kinabatangan Wildlife Corridor.

The EU-REDD+ Project is a 6 years project (2014-2019) funded by the European Union (EU), with a specific objective to contribute to the sustainable and low carbon development in the State of Sabah and is currently working on three (3) pilot site in Kg Gana, Kota Marudu, Kinabatangan and Kinabalu Ecolinc area.

The workshop is also part of the commitments under the MoU made between Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd and SFD on the establishment of conservation areas within Sawit Kinabalu Group’s Estate (Sg Pin Estate) during the International Heart of Borneo (HoB) Conference in October 2017 and has since started working with the EU-REDD+ project to better manage their conservation area.

The workshop was officiated by Frederick Kugan, the Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (Planning & Management) who is also the Sabah EU-REDD+ Project Director and was attended by representatives from District Office (DO) of Kinabatangan, Fisheries Department Kinabatangan.

Unit Pemimpin Pembangunan Masyarakat (UPPM) Sukau, MPKK Kg Mengaris and Kg Batu Putih, MPKK Chairman of Kg Tanjung Bulat, Head of Village Kg Tanjung Bulat and Kg Mengaris/Batu Putih, Sawit Kinabalu Group, Environmental Protection Department (EFD), Kinabatangan Tourism Association (KiTA), Lamag Wildlife Adventure Sdn. Bhd., Aurora D’ Muara Kampung Stay, Tung Hup Plantation Sdn Bhd, KOPEL Bhd, KOPETA Bhd, Tian Siang Holding Sdn. Bhd, Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) Kinabatangan, Health Department Kinabatangan, PoNGO Alliance, Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) and representatives from Forest Research Centre (FRC), Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and Forest Resource Management (FRM) of SFD, the EU-REDD+ Project and District Forestry Officers (DFOs) of Deramakot and Kinabatangan.

The workshop main objective is to gather the inputs from the relevant stakeholders for the Sg Pin Conservation Area Management Plan development based on the data gathered from the scientific expedition which was held on the 29th April to 04th May 2019. 

The assessment and formulation of the Sg. Pin CAMP was done by a multidisciplinary team from SFD specializing on forest ecosystem, flora and fauna diversity including large mammals, birds, insects, fish diversity, socio economics, environmental impact and the potential conservation value within the targeted area of 2,632 hectares Sg. Pin Conservation Area.

Once finalised, the 10-years CAMP will then be handed over to Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd management by November 2019.