Awang Tengah (left) tours an exhibition during the opening ceremony.
KUCHING (July 14): Conservation and economic growth must not be treated as competing priorities, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said conservation was an investment in Sarawak’s natural capital, which supports water security, food production, renewable energy, climate resilience, sustainable tourism, scientific research and new economic opportunities.
“They must reinforce one another through responsible policies, sound governance and long-term planning,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Malaysian Conservation Conference 2.0 at a hotel here yesterday, where he represented Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Awang Tengah added biodiversity conservation remains a strategic pillar of Sarawak’s development agenda under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which integrates sustainability across key sectors while safeguarding natural resources for future generations.
The conference brought together government agencies, conservation practitioners, researchers, academic institutions, industry representatives and development partners to advance practical and sustainable solutions for biodiversity conservation.
Themed ‘Powering Conservation with a Green Economy’, MCC 2.0 2026 focused on five strategic areas namely Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilisation; Circular Economy; Implementing Conservation; Climate Change and Nature; and Conservation Finance.
Awang Tengah (seated centre) and others pose for a group photo.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) in a statement said the state currently has a Permanent Forest Estate covering almost four million hectares.
This is complemented by 71 national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries covering approximately 2.1 million hectares across terrestrial and marine ecosystems, it said.
SFC said the state government remains committed to expanding terrestrial protected areas beyond one million hectares.
“Sarawak’s conservation achievements have also gained international recognition through Gunung Mulu National Park and the Niah National Park Caves Complex as Unesco World Heritage Sites, Bako and Lambir Hills National Parks as Asean Heritage Parks, and the Sarawak Delta Unesco Global Geopark.
“This commitment was further strengthened by the recent recognition of Bukit Lima Nature Reserve in Sibu by the Malaysia Book of Records as Malaysia’s ‘Largest Protected Urban Peat Swamp Nature Reserve’,” said SFC.
Covering approximately 301 hectares, the Bukit Lima Nature Reserve represents a significant natural asset and carbon repository situated within an urban environment, it said.
SFC pointed out that Sarawak’s conservation agenda is further supported by the Sarawak Biodiversity Master Plan, Sustainable Biodiversity Financing Handbook and Biodiversity Credits Framework, which seek to strengthen biodiversity protection and broaden participation in long-term conservation financing.
It added on-the-ground initiatives include the deployment of approximately 21,000 reef balls since 2018 to enhance marine habitats along Sarawak’s coastline.
SFC also said Sarawak is also advancing nature-based solutions involving forests, wetlands, mangroves and coastal ecosystems, while ensuring that carbon initiatives maintain environmental integrity and deliver equitable benefits to local communities.
“Innovation will remain a key enabler of conservation outcomes. Technologies such as satellite monitoring, drone surveillance, digital mapping, artificial intelligence and environmental data analytics are increasingly being utilised to strengthen ecosystem monitoring, combat illegal activities and support evidence-based policymaking,” it added.