Awg Tengah: S’wak steadfast in cutting down on logging activities

KUCHING (June 28): The state government through the Sarawak Forest Department is steadfast on cutting down logging activities to about two million cubic metres each year and ensuring adherence to forest management certification criteria.

According to a Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) report, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan emphasised the importance of aligning the state’s forest management with international standards which in turn allows timber products to be marketed competitively globally.

“So far, there are 26 Forest Management Units and seven Plantation Management Units that have been certified, covering an area of 2.38 million hectares and encompassing a region of 97,966 hectares.

“This demonstrates the continuous commitment of the Sarawak Forest Department towards sustainable forest management,” he said at the department’s excellence service award and retirement appreciation dinner at a hotel here on Thursday.

Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development, said the state government is also aiming to boost income from forest resources by adopting more sustainable methods.

He urged all parties involved to collaborate towards realising the state’s Sustainable Development Goals and to back the cutting down of greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by the year 2030 as stipulated in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

“A range of green development efforts have been carried out, encompassing hydropower, solar energy, biomass, biofuels, hydrogen, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

“This commitment has received positive feedback from global industry players – opening up new investments, business and employment opportunities in Sarawak,” he added.

Also present were Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development permanent secretary Datu Abdullah Julaihi; Sarawak Forest Department director Datu Hamden Mohammad; Sarawak Land and Survey Department director Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmod; Controller of Environmental Quality Sarawak Jack Liam; and other distinguished guests.