FOREST sustainability can meet the demands of Sarawakians without jeopardising the state’s future generations, said Datuk Huang Tiong Sii (GPS-Repok).
During the DUN sitting today, Huang said he believed that with the passage of the Bill, the state’s forest carbon activities would run smoothly, providing carbon dioxide storage solutions in Malaysia and the region, as well as assisting Sarawak’s zero-carbon aim.
He added that the Bill’s passage affected all areas of forestry, including forest products, which now included carbon and greenhouse gas stocks as well as inland water.
“It involves economic, social and environmental formations aimed at ensuring the integrity of the planet and improving the quality of life,” he said.
He added that despite the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, current international plans and pledges might push global temperatures up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.
“Sarawak must therefore establish legislation and develop forestry policies to ensure the state’s forests’ long-term viability,” he stressed.
According to him, the setting up of the Amenity Forests, which will be created from forest reserves, protected forests and communal forests or constituted from state land forests, is also timely; they will be used for educational, research and recreational purposes.
“Our forests are a unique and magnificent natural asset that plays a key role in biodiversity preservation and conservation, functions as a carbon filter and serves as a natural carbon sink, and is also perfect for recreational usage and eco-tourism,” he explained.
He expressed his gratitude to Datuk Patinggi Tan Seri Abang Johari Tun Openg for raising awareness about the threat of rising temperatures, droughts and fires to Sarawak’s forest and ecology.
