THE Sime Darby Foundation (SDF) is planning to address the post-2020 global biodiversity framework by carrying out various conservation programmes all around Malaysia.
Among some of SDF’s efforts include the SDF’s Environment Pillars initiative of planting over 1.5 million trees in conservation areas in the country.
“We believe that forest restoration is key in tackling the climate crisis and biodiversity conservation. Our tree-planting projects have turned deteriorating forests into areas of biodiversity value for flora and fauna,” said SDF chairman Tan Sri Imran Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar.
He also stated that SDFs multi-year project that was in collaboration with the Sabah Forestry Department and Sime Darby Plantation (SDP) to restore orangutan habitat in Ulu Segama managed to restore 4,487 hectares of heavily degraded forest areas by planting over 300,000 trees.
Additionally, the foundation’s most ambitious reforesting project to date was its collaboration with Nestlé Malaysia, where 750,000 trees were planted along the lower Kinabatangan River and resulted in a dynamic wildlife corridor for iconic Bornean wildlife, including elephants and proboscis monkeys.
“As the world reels from the impact of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to address biodiversity and climate change in our efforts to reset out relationship with nature,” said SDF CEO Dr Yatela Zainal Abidin.
“In all the projects supported by the Sime Darby Foundation, we put the needs of local communities on the same level of importance as conservation,” she added.
Yatela also mentioned that in addition to terrestrial conservation, the foundation works with the Marine Research Foundation (MRF) which specialises on seascape level conservation and Reef Check Malaysia which works to increase the ecological resilience of coral reefs around Malaysia.
She highlighted that the work at MRF helps in developing sustainable fisheries through bycatch mitigation by working with local fishermen and relevant authorities.
For example, at Tioman Island, the initiatives for reef conservation and the social resilience of its community is aimed at making Tioman the first sustainable island on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Beyond these initiatives, the foundation is collaborating with the Global Environment Centre (GEC) in a mangrove conservation and sustainable livelihood programme in the state of Perak.
The programme’s duration from 2020 to 2023 is expected to benefit more than 9,000 community members.
SDF believe that the inclusion of local communities in conservation projects creates a sense of their ownership of the project which leads to long-lasting impact.
Global leaders are expected to convene at the 15th meeting of the United Nation’s Biodiversity Conference on Biology Diversity (COP15) that will take place in Kunming, China in 2021, in hopes to come up with an aggressive plan of action on biodiversity. – Dec 25, 2020
