PADAWAN: Sarawak is set to explore forest landscape restoration with Japan in an effort to restore degraded forests in the state.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked for that purpose at the state-level International Day of Forests 2022 celebration held at the Industrial Forest Research Centre (IFRC) here on Tuesday (June 28).
Sarawak Forestry Department was represented by its director Datuk Hamden Mohammad while Japan Malaysia Association (JMA) was represented by its president Ogawa Takakazu.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was present to witness the signing of the MoU which will also see the two parties collaborating to strengthen environment conservation awareness activities for the purposes of environmental education and community participation.
The ceremony was also witnessed by the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Takahashi Katsuhiko who is on a two-day working visit to the state.
JMA has worked in the Bakam Government Reserve, Gunung Aping Forest Reserve, Sabal Forest Reserve and others.
There were also three other MoU and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the department and other agencies namely, with Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM); with Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), and with World Wildlife Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF).
The respective MoU and MoA are related to future cooperative efforts for forest conservation.
