Sarawak to cut logging to 2 mln cubic metres, ensure forest management meets global standards

Awang Tengah (fourth left) presenting an award to a recipient during the Sarawak Forest Department’s Excellence Service Awards and Retirement Appreciation dinner at a hotel on June 27, 2024. Photo credit: Ukas

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 28: The Sarawak government, through the Sarawak Forest Department, is committed to reducing logging activities to around two million cubic metres each year by ensuring adherence to forest management certification criteria.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan stressed the importance of Sarawak’s forest management certification status to meet international standards, in order to allow timber products produced to be competitively marketed 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 to sustainable forest management,” he said in his speech when addressing the Sarawak Forest Department’s Excellence Service Awards and Retirement Appreciation dinner held at a leading hotel here, on Thursday (June 27).

Awang Tengah, who also serves as the Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, however emphasised that the government also aims to boost income from forest resources by adopting more sustainable methods.

He affirmed Sarawak government’s commitment to implementing sustainable development agenda and supporting the goal of reducing 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, including hydropower, solar energy, biomass, biofuel, hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

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

Also in attendance at the event were permanent secretary to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datu Abdullah Julaihi, Sarawak Forest Department director Datu Hamden Mohammad, Land and Survey Department Sarawak director Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmod, and Controller of Environmental Quality Sarawak Jack Liam.