RAJANG: Sarawak’s commitment to sustainable environmental stewardship is being further strengthened through the active involvement of multiracial communities in the Honorary Wildlife Ranger (HWR) and Environmental Awareness programmes, held over three days at the Rajang Village Community Hall.
These initiatives form part of two key state government projects – the Ecological Fiscal Transfer for Biodiversity Conservation (EFT) and the Mangrove Rewilding Project.
According to Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment, Datuk Len Talif Salleh, the programme brought together participants from various villages, including Gerigat, Selalang, Rajang, Jerijih, Belawai, Semalau, and Sebayang.
“The participants reflected Sarawak’s rich ethnic diversity, comprising Iban, Malay, Melanau and Chinese communities.
“This is part of the state government’s inclusive approach to engage not just community leaders, but the general public as the eyes and ears of the government in safeguarding our natural treasures from irresponsible exploitation,” he told reporters at the closing ceremony on Friday.
Throughout the workshop, participants were introduced to up-to-date information on flora and fauna protected under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance.
The training also included a dedicated syllabus and expert guidance, culminating in an assessment to gauge participants’ understanding.
Len, the Kuala Rajang assemblyman, shared that Sarawak currently has 2,309 registered Honorary Wildlife Rangers, and the state government is keen to see more young people joining the programme to ensure long-term biodiversity conservation.
Meanwhile, SFC General Manager, Abang Arabi Abang Aimran, reported that mangrove replanting activities in degraded areas were also actively being carried out in partnership with the local community.
“We don’t want communities to just be observers – we want them to be conservation actors.
“Through their participation, we are able to build awareness, share knowledge, and foster a strong sense of collective responsibility,” he explained.
According to SFC, the implementation of the EFT project in the Rajang area has led to the identification of over 200 species of flora and fauna, including 73 species of birds and 117 plant species, thanks to collaborative fieldwork with local communities.
This biodiversity data has been integrated into SFC’s e-Biodiversity system – a digital monitoring platform that will soon be expanded under the Wildlife Watch initiative, building on the success of the earlier Croc Watch app.
