KOTA KINABALU: A plan to set up ecological linkages connecting the national parks in Sabah, as a way to further strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts in the State is expected to materialise soon, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
He revealed that a 15-month long study carried out since 2010 for the setting up of the linkage, to be known as Kinabalu Eco-Linc (Kinabalu Ecological Linkage), was nearing completion.
“The whole idea is to provide a link or connectivity between both protected areas so that they can boost each other’s potentials,” he said after officiating at the opening of a two-day final stakeholders workshop for the study here, yesterday.
The plan was to link Kinabalu Park in Kundasang and the Crocker Range Park in Tambunan, which are currently separated by a distance of up to 10 kilometres at the closest points, through enhanced ecological connectivity between the two parks.
The challenge is the plan would affect approximately 11,000 people living at over 20 settlements situated within the area.
“The Kinabalu Ecolinc plan is vital towards the realisation of the full potential in all aspects within these protected areas, including tourism. The plan should be accepted by all parties as an initiative for biodiversity conservation and a move towards empowering the village people to look after their own forests,” said Masidi.
He added the linkage would only involve areas densely covered with pristine forests along a ridge that lies within the village reserve areas (native customary reserves).
The government, he added, was working together with the villagers involved under this initiative.
“The government prefers that this initiative not involve any gazetting of a new forest reserve, because we rather look at this as a joint effort between the government and the village people themselves.
“We would rather take it as an effort on the part of the village people themselves to look after their own village surrounding environment, with the government assuming the role of a facilitator. We trust the village people because they have been living there for generations,” he said.
The 15-month long study is undertaken by ERE Consulting Group Sdn Bhd.
The other objective of the project, said Masidi, was to ensure that the quality of environment in the areas already inhabited by the natives would not be degraded.
Continue reading at: Ecological linkages to connect National Parks in Sabah
.He revealed that a 15-month long study carried out since 2010 for the setting up of the linkage, to be known as Kinabalu Eco-Linc (Kinabalu Ecological Linkage), was nearing completion.
“The whole idea is to provide a link or connectivity between both protected areas so that they can boost each other’s potentials,” he said after officiating at the opening of a two-day final stakeholders workshop for the study here, yesterday.
The plan was to link Kinabalu Park in Kundasang and the Crocker Range Park in Tambunan, which are currently separated by a distance of up to 10 kilometres at the closest points, through enhanced ecological connectivity between the two parks.
The challenge is the plan would affect approximately 11,000 people living at over 20 settlements situated within the area.
“The Kinabalu Ecolinc plan is vital towards the realisation of the full potential in all aspects within these protected areas, including tourism. The plan should be accepted by all parties as an initiative for biodiversity conservation and a move towards empowering the village people to look after their own forests,” said Masidi.
He added the linkage would only involve areas densely covered with pristine forests along a ridge that lies within the village reserve areas (native customary reserves).
The government, he added, was working together with the villagers involved under this initiative.
“The government prefers that this initiative not involve any gazetting of a new forest reserve, because we rather look at this as a joint effort between the government and the village people themselves.
“We would rather take it as an effort on the part of the village people themselves to look after their own village surrounding environment, with the government assuming the role of a facilitator. We trust the village people because they have been living there for generations,” he said.
The 15-month long study is undertaken by ERE Consulting Group Sdn Bhd.
The other objective of the project, said Masidi, was to ensure that the quality of environment in the areas already inhabited by the natives would not be degraded.
Continue reading at: Ecological linkages to connect National Parks in Sabah
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