KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) will help to develop a research management system for the Sarawak TROPIcal Peat Research Institute (TROPI).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this was in view of the big data facilities needed by TROPI.
“I would like in view of the big data facilities needs of TROPI to take the opportunity to announce the commissioning of SDEC to assist in TROPI’s digital transformation by developing for the Insitute a Research Information Management System, or RIMS – which will speed up the work process, minimize errors and archive the generated data.
“These baseline data are vital as we move forward towards environmental sustainability.
“With RIMS in place for TROPI’s improved efficiency, Sarawak will, at the same time, be able to attract further global research collaboration,” Abang Johari said this during the AsiaFlux Conference 2022 gala dinner held at TROPI on Tuesday evening (Sept 20).
Recalling back his previous visit to Finland in 2017, he said he had the privileged seeing the University of Helsinki’s SMEAR II station (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) at the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station, adding “Scientists at this EU-funded research station conduct multidisciplinary research on the role of forests and peatlands in climate change, focussing on forests, peatlands and the atmosphere.”
Being the only state in Malaysia that has three Eddy Flux Towers on tropical peatlands that have been generating significant volumes of raw eddy flux and meteorological data for more than 10 years, Abang Johari said this is an outstanding achievement.
“TROPI has collected data both manually and through a standalone system. For that, I applaud the consistency, meticulousness, and efforts of TROPI in collecting these data sets years before many realized its value.
“Collecting, processing and archiving the data from the three towers for the last 12 years has required big data facilities.
“TROPI needs to manage the complex workflow process, data entry, data processing and data storage, especially for the Peat Carbon Inventory, as part of Sarawak’s initiative to regulate and measure forest carbon activities for achieving environmental sustainability,” he said.
Among those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan; Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi, Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk John Sikie; Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh; Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Ta Ann Holdings Berhad Executive Chairman Datuk Amar Abdul Hamed Sepawi and other distinguished guests.
