LIMBANG: Shared responsibility in preserving the environment and ensuring river safety became the main focus of the Environmental Awareness, River Safety and Cleanliness Programme with the community held at Rumah Tom, Tanah Merah, Nanga Medamit.
The programme, organised by the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Sarawak in collaboration with various government agencies, was officiated by Batu Danau assemblyman Datuk Paulus Palu Gumbang on Saturday.
Paulus said that Sarawak’s rich biodiversity, such as its tropical forests, fertile land and rivers that served as vital resources for local communities, must not only be appreciated but also protected from pollution and the increasingly evident impacts of climate change.
“Unpredictable weather changes such as prolonged drought and sudden floods are now directly affecting agricultural yield, community safety and food sources,” he added in his speech.
He said Sarawak had implemented various environmental policies and laws, including the requirement to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for development projects that might impact the local ecosystem.
He added that this step was crucial to ensure development was carried out in a planned manner without damaging natural resources that were a heritage for future generations.
“However, policies and laws alone are not enough without community awareness and action.
“Therefore, I call on the community at Rumah Tom as well as all residents of Nanga Medamit to play an active role in keeping rivers clean, reducing single-use plastics, practising waste separation and avoiding open burning,” he said.
He also encouraged youth to become agents of change through involvement in ‘gotong-royong’ (community clean-up activities), conservation initiatives and spreading environmental awareness messages through social media.
