SARAWAK’S Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) is set to gain extensive powers and responsibilities as part of the Natural Resources and Environment Bill 2024, ensuring more comprehensive environmental oversight and resource management for the state.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the NREB, established as a corporate body, will play a crucial role in safeguarding Sarawak’s environment.
The Board, which comprises a Chairman, Deputy Chairman, the State Attorney-General, State Financial Secretary, Permanent Secretaries from key ministries, Directors from relevant government departments, and up to five appointed members with expertise, will hold wide-ranging powers to guide the sustainable use of Sarawak’s natural resources.
Awang Tengah explained that these powers include setting guidelines on how resources can be exploited without harm, controlling vegetation destruction, and issuing directives for environmental management across sectors such as forestry, agriculture, mining, and marine resources.
“Among its powers, the Board will be able to determine how natural resources can be used or exploited without causing environmental harm, pollution, or adverse impacts.
“It will also have the authority to control, stop, or prohibit vegetation destruction to prevent erosion and protect our natural resources, rivers, and landscapes.
“The Board is empowered to issue directives on environmental management practices across various sectors, including land use, water source protection, forestry, agriculture, mining, carbon capture, and marine resource exploitation,” he said.
He said this when tabling the Natural Resources and Environment Bill 2024 during the second meeting of the third session of the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today (Nov 12).
Awang Tengah added that the NREB will also oversee the implementation of environmental audits and the reporting of environmental management practices by industries, ensuring adherence to standards that promote sustainability.
In terms of its core functions, the Board will be responsible for setting environmental quality goals, liaising with federal environmental bodies, and enforcing policies on waste management and pollution control.
The Board will also oversee the implementation of systems designed to preserve conservation areas and other specific regions.
Awang Tengah, who serves as the Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, noted that the NREB will play a proactive role in reducing carbon emissions, supported by powers from the Environment (Reduction of Greenhouse Gases) Ordinance 2023.
“This Bill empowers the Board to undertake the necessary measures and initiatives to reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the powers and authorities conferred by the Environment (Reduction of Greenhouse Gases) Ordinance 2023 (Cap. 85) and other written laws,” he added.
Additionally, he said that public education on environmental protection will fall under the NREB’s mandate, with campaigns aimed at fostering greater awareness of the importance of conservation among Sarawakians.
The Board will also take any necessary measures to safeguard the quality of the environment, he noted.
