Realising the importance of rehabilitation efforts for the Lower Kinabatangan, Sawit Kinabalu Group, a state-owned oil palm company has further agreed to set aside their land for another 10 years for reforestation and conservation works.
Source: WWF Malaysia / 29 August 2008
Kota Kinabalu – Realising the importance of rehabilitation efforts for the Lower Kinabatangan, Sawit Kinabalu Group, a state-owned oil palm company has further agreed to set aside their land for another 10 years for reforestation and conservation works.
The rehabilitation efforts continue with the signing of the third Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between WWF-Malaysia and Sawit Kinabalu Group through its subsidiary company Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd yesterday.
Sawit Group agreed to continue with its commitment setting aside 20km strip of land along the Sungai Kinabatangan riverbank, covering 1,260 hectares of their plantation area for rehabilitation purposes following an encouraging success of the rehabilitation works between both parties which started in 2003.
The inking of the understanding is also seen as a catalyst to achieve the objectives of the Sabah Corridor Development blueprint which part of the vision is to protect the environment to enable sustainable growth in industries such as ecotourism, agriculture and manufacturing as well as to leverage on Sabah’s biodiversity to flourish.
The memorandum among others aims to demonstrate the viability of restoring forest vegetation cover in deforested land with special emphasis to flood-prone and riparian land and as a model site for rehabilitation works in Lower Kinabatangan.
It will also serve as a model for rehabilitation of riparian and wetland habitat that will enhance the value of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and Forest Reserves in the Lower Kinabatangan which will indirectly benefit the community at large.
“We are hoping the memorandum will hasten the realisation of the Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life,” Managing Director of Sawit Group, Salim Mohamad said, while adding that the oil palm company is also looking forward to develop a nature-based tourism location within their plantation area.
Commending efforts made by WWF on rehabilitation and conservation of the biodiversity in Sabah, Salim said that it is vital to continue with such an effort for the benefit of future generations.
At the signing ceremony, WWF-Malaysia was represented by Borneo Programme Senior Manager, Maria Christina Fung, witnessed by the Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Programme Team Leader, Julia Majail while Sawit Group was represented by Salim Mohamad and witnessed by its Financial Controller Mary Ku.
For further information, please contact:
Rahmawati A. Samsiar, Communications Officer, Kinabatangan-Corridor of Life Programme, WWF-Malaysia
Tel: +6088 262 420 (ext 51), Mobile: +60 16 8811072, Fax: +6088 242 531
E-mail: [email protected]
