KUCHING: Sarawak no longer relies on timber logging as its primary source of income, but instead focuses on forest conservation and environmentally-based revenue.
State Forestry Department director Datuk Hamden Mohammad said that over 50 years ago, timber was the main source of the state’s income.
“However, now we prioritise forest conservation and seek new methods such as carbon trading and payment for ecosystem services that do not harm the existing ecosystem,” he said to the press at his Hari Raya Open House, which was attended by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg yesterday (April 8).
He added that Sarawak, which covers 12.4 million hectares of land, with 62 per cent still forested, aims to designate 6 million hectares as Permanent Forest Reserves and one million hectares as Totally Protected Areas (TPA).
“To date, we have achieved 900,000 hectares for TPA, which includes national parks, wildlife protection areas, and nature reserves. Only 100,000 hectares remain to achieve the target,” he added.
Meanwhile, he also said that to ensure sustainable forest management, the Sarawak Forestry Department is prioritising the use of advanced technology for monitoring vast forest areas.
One such initiative involves a collaboration with the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) Japan through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year.
“Technologies from Japan, such as satellite monitoring that can detect climate change and natural disasters earlier, are being studied for application in Sarawak.
“We have sent researchers and experts to collaborate with NIST, and I will lead a delegation to Japan on April 21 to assess the progress of this collaboration,” he said.
He added that this strategy is in line with the state government’s goal of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to ensure physical development in Sarawak continues to balance with environmental sustainability for the benefit of future generations.
