Photo courtesy of Save Rivers shows the Batu Seman area in the UBFA.
KUCHING (July 7): Environmental group Save Rivers welcomes the US$200,000 (more than RM800,000) contribution from Switzerland to fund the conservation of the Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA).
Save Rivers chairman Peter Kallang said the announcement by Beat Jans, who is the Mayor of Basel in Switzerland, about the US$200,000 contribution to International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) was ‘good news to all of us in Sarawak, Malaysia and beyond’.
It is stated that the conservation of UBFA – also known as ‘Baram Peace Park’ – would be run under the ITTO.
“Although this area is located in Upper Baram, the social, environmental and economic benefits deriving from the project would not be limited to the Upper Baram,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
In a press statement, Jans had said that the government of Basel decided to support the project in view of the push to sustain the livelihood of the indigenous communities across UBFA, and also to honour the lifetime achievement of Bruno Manser, a Basel-born environmentalist.
Back to Peter, he said the ITTO project would signify the collaborative efforts of Sarawak’s Forest Department, the communities across the Upper Baram, as well as the relevant non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil societies (CSOs).
“So all the efforts initiated by all those involved since its proposal more than six years ago, are now slowly developing into reality.
“So, my congratulations to all members of the team,” added Peter.
Malaysia, in its commitment for biodiversity in conformity with the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), recognises the Indigenous Communities Conservation Area (ICCA) in its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.
“The concept of the UBFA is guided by ICCA focus on the social and environmental priorities,” said Peter, also a member of ICCA.
The UBFA development under ITTO would cover an area of 283,500 hectares across the upstream region of the Baram River system, and should benefit 24 indigenous communities there – comprising the Penans, the Kenyahs, the Kelabits and the Sabans.
The UBFA consists of a core zone of 79,000 hectares of primary forests, a buffer zone of secondary forests, and an agricultural zone, which has been traditionally used by the communities for paddy cultivation.
The UBFA was submitted by the Malaysian government to ITTO and approved by the 56th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council in November last year.
“The total budget for the project is US$2 million. Malaysia is covering US$1.2 million, leaving the remaining US$800,000 to be funded internationally,” said Peter.
On UBFA’s moniker ‘Baram Peace Park’, he said it began as the ‘Penan Peace Park’ when the indigenous folk first submitted the plan to the government around 2012.
The second time, said Peter, the Penans submitted it to former chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, who then suggested that the area be expanded to include other communities such as the Kenyahs, Kelabits and Sabans.
He said starting from that time, Save Rivers and the Penan community had been using the name ‘Baram Peace Park’.
“When Sapuan Ahmad was the Forest Sarawak director, he suggested the name ‘Baram Eco-Community Forest Area’ but following his retirement, the ‘Upper Baram Forest Area’ was suggested by the department itself,” added Peter.