World Congress of Herpetology at BCCK welcomes 1,400 experts from 70 countries

KUCHING (Aug 5): Some 1,400 experts from 70 countries are attending the five-day 10th World Congress of Herpetology, now taking place held at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

Hosted for the first time by a Southeast Asian country, the event is co-organised by World Congress of Herpetology and University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

According to Unimas vice-chancellor Prof Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit, the congress serves as a platform to highlight the importance of herpetology within the biodiversity science, and at the same time, it promotes the study of amphibians and reptiles regionally and globally.

“As a leading institution of higher learning in Sarawak, Unimas works with the Sarawak government to align the university’s sustainability, biodiversity and environmental conservation initiatives with Sarawak Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.

“Unimas plays a strategic role in supporting Sarawak agenda in sustainability of biodiversity, deforestation, climate change, green economy policy, smart city, and also the upcoming Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint,” he said in his opening remarks for the congress today.

Ahmad Hata said the university had also worked with Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) to promote sustainability in innovation research, consultation, policy and advocacy works, as well as strategic engagements with industries and communities.

He added that the university had led in the establishment of the Borneo Satellite Network in collaboration with universities in Brunei and Indonesia, meant to address the issues relating to preserving the rich biodiversity of Borneo through the gathering of critical environmental data in a real-time digital platform.

“For Sarawak hosting the 10th World Congress of Herpetology, it is an opportunity for us to showcase and share our initiatives in Sarawak on the global platform in addressing biodiversity and environmental conservation challenges, which will lead to a mutual sustainable solution for bigger global challenges, namely climate change, food security and economic instability.”

Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg officiated at the opening ceremony, where Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Sarawak Datuk Len Talif Salleh was also present.