KOTA KINABALU, Dec 10 — The state government, through the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF-Malaysia) to enhance inclusive conservation practices in Sabah, focusing on biodiversity conservation and maintaining forest ecosystem integrity through responsible forest governance.
In a statement here today, WWF-Malaysia said inclusive conservation involved developing and applying inter- and trans-disciplinary processes, including the living landscape approach to balance the consequences of different visions and interests on the landscape for how forests and nature should be conserved.
“The MoU is expected to improve collaboration between the two parties in enhancing conservation activities of forest protection and quality through the restoration of degraded forest lands, habitats and wildlife corridors, social forestry work, stakeholders and partnerships organizations, including Heart of Borneo (HoB) related activities in transboundary effort between Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia,” it said.
The MoU, which will be in effect for five years, was signed by Sabah Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan and WWF-Malaysia’s CEO and executive director Sophia Lim last Monday.
Lim said the organisation hoped to strengthen WWF-Malaysia’s existing ties with SFD to work in unity with the state government to achieve lasting conservation solutions.
Meanwhile, Frederick said that close collaboration with NGOs and civil societies was the norm, but must be tempered with pragmatism.
