THE forest carbon activities will generate tradable carbon credits, thereby contributing to a new source of income for Sarawak.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said that Sarawak will continue its new approach to forest management through forest carbon activities aimed at protecting (protection) and conserving (conservation) logged forest areas and degraded forests.
“As of Nov 2024, one carbon license and seven forest carbon study permits have been issued, covering a total area of 183,625 hectares.
“To enhance forest carbon management in Sarawak, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Sarawak Forest Department and the National University Corporation Kyushu University, Japan, for “Collaboration and Cooperation to Develop Scientific, Academic, and Educational Efforts on the Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Functions, including for Forest Carbon Activity in Sarawak,” was signed on July 23, 2024.
“The forest carbon initiative is a new step that will have a positive impact on local communities in both the short and long term, in terms of job opportunities and carbon trading, through its two phases of implementation,” he said.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development said this in his ministerial winding-up speech today.
Additionally, he said that the first phase involves forest carbon studies, including participation in research to assess biomass in carbon stocks, field data collection, tree measurements, and soil sampling.
“The second phase of implementing forest carbon licenses will create job opportunities in nursery preparation, tree planting, monitoring, boundary marking, data collection, agroforestry, and eco-tourism infrastructure development.
“These activities support sustainable forest preservation and provide benefits for the state’s economic development and local communities through job opportunities among those living in areas surrounding the licenses.
“The benefits of the carbon initiative are also intangible, such as a healthy ecosystem and environment, which cannot be measured solely in dollar and cents,” he said.
