Sarawak to remain green for future generations

Nine million hectares out of the total 12 million hectares of the State’s land surface still consists of primary and secondary jungles. Besides, the State has opened up two million hectares of land for palm oil plantation that will put the country green for a long time to come.  Undoubtedly, Sarawak will maintain its character quite untouched for the future generations.

Regrettably, the international environmental movements have been persistent in making all sorts of allegations against the State, not based on accurate information but half-truth or outright falsehood. As a consequence, they succeeded in creating a situation that what the State had intended to do and the perception of the world about us was far apart. For example, in the early 70s, the State Government decided to invite ITTO (International tropical timber organization) to send a delegation to Sarawak to investigate the situation. The findings of the mission marked the beginning of Sarawak’s journey to formulate an integrated body of policies, which have brought Sarawak to what it is today. 

Fortunately, many world renown scientists were prepared to assist the State to formulate forestry policies that place emphasis on sustainable and planned development of the timber resources. One of them, Lord Cranbrooke has to be singled out for mentioned for his exemplary leadership in the mission. Obviously, his very formidable knowledge about the forests of Sarawak in invoking the ITTO studies in the early 60s, helped to produce a more constructive approach for the state in designing its forestry and environment policies. 

Besides, the policies, which emphasise on sustainable and planned development, also provide the framework for similar policies for other countries in exploiting their forestry resources. The state government, on its part, has been taking the necessary measures to implement the recommendations of ITTO in order to have a range of sustainable management of the forestry resources.

The State’s forestry policy has helped local officials to interact with enlightened people from more advanced countries on matters relating to forestry and biodiversity conservation. For example, Sarawak has been able to host a conference for serious participants in the development of modern forestry policies that can be accepted throughout the world.  More importantly, the State has been able to develop the timber and construction industries in a more orderly fashion to ensure that we do not destroy our natural heritage, which can happen due to economics demands.   

Looking back, Sarawak has been able to rely on many friends  in formulating comprehensive policies or coming up with a system, which has been be proven to be quite practical to implement by developing countries.  The highlight of the policy is the combination of the concept of planted with the natural forests to ensure that they get maximum attentions for conservation. More importantly, the State looks into ways of bringing inhabitants of the forests as participants in their development for common benefits.

Essentially, the State must put together all elements in the biodiversity and conservation policies in order to make them more comprehensive and can be adopted elsewhere in the tropical timber world. The policies could help to make the forestry industry to be developed with greater understanding and support of the environmental and conservation movements throughout the world.

The planted forests project, as part of the concept of conservation, is based on    the idea of ensuring that, within an area of 500,000 hectares of forest land, a total of 150,000 hectares will be left as natural forests. Arguably, the ratio of a 1/3 hectare for every hectare of planted forests for conservation is quite high.   However, necessary steps must be taken to ensure a good balance of diversity materials like animals and other creatures in the planted areas. The ratio of 1/3 of the total area of planted forest, to be developed under the biodiversity and conservation policies, will be enforced in the development of planted forests in Bintulu, Tatau and Mukah areas, which have been earmarked for replanting of fast growing species of trees.   

Besides,  the  state government is putting  aside 110,000 hectares  of lands that have been  examined to be  rightly  the Native Customary Right lands, to be subjected to the wishes of  the natives to develop them as estates or plantations on joint venture  with the private  sector.  In this way, the State can ensure that the Ibans and the others, could make full use of their resources, which they have inherited from their ancestors, based on a well managed and sustainable system of development to improve their livelihood. 

 A total of 25, 000 natives will be involved in the area once it is developed.  It will be able to create about 5,000 jobs when the whole area is being planted with the fast growing species of trees. The area will become economically viable consistent with standard of living of the people, who are working in Kuching, Sibu or Miri. The local people will live in an environment that will become the legacy for all Sarawakians in the future.

That is the kind of thing that the State government has been dreaming of for a long time for the people. The government chooses the tree planting project, to be financed by the private sector, primarily to ensure that there is a practical project going on. It can be bankable because of the combination of the enrichment planting and tree planting in the same area.  By allocating 80% of our forest areas for planting fast growing trees, we will be able to expand the timber industry in the future. Still it will not be a pleasure to cut down our forests contrary to the policy of sustainable management of the forests.   

By allocating 20% of the permanent forests for quick breeding species, the State will be able to improve yields from our forests. Hopefully, by the year 2010, after planting the fast yielding trees in Tatau and Mukah, the State will have about 4.5 million cubic metres of wood that can be harvested every year.  Now the State produces slightly over 9 million cubic metres of wood from the permanent forests.

Once the estates can be converted into planted forests, the State will have more timber as the basis for further development of the local timber industries including the manufacture of pulp and paper.  While the permanent forests can produce 40 cubic meters per hectare per year, the planted forests can produce 300 cubic meters per hectare during the same period.  In other words, the planting of high yielding trees in areas that have been earmarked for planted forests provide all the economics that can help to enhance the development of the timber industry in Sarawak towards the year 2030 and beyond.

The State has been receiving a lot of international support in the efforts to formulate policies for the sustainable management of our forests.  Many studies have been undertaken not only on the biodiversity but those on the river basins on how to harvest the forests and adopt better species of trees or quick growing species of trees to be part of Sarawak tree population. All of these are doing quite well because the State Government has been adopting an open attitude. For example, the State welcomes scientists, who are curious to see whether they can contribute to the development of Sarawak biodiversity conservation and the sustainable development of our forests.  Actually, this is a good example of how international co-operation and open approach to the development of policies can benefit developing countries like ours.  

benuasains