KOTA KINABALU, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Sabah now has two Biosphere Reserves following Kinabatangan’s recognition as a Biosphere Reserve under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the recognition marked another significant milestone in the state’s ongoing efforts to preserve environmental sustainability and biodiversity at the global level.
He said with this globally recognised status, the Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve is expected to attract international attention in areas such as research, education, nature-based tourism, and opportunities for global collaboration.
“The Sabah government will continue to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts. Expand community awareness, and enhance strategic partnerships to ensure that the benefits of this recognition are widely and sustainably realised,” he said in a statement here today.
Hajiji said the State Cabinet endorsed the intention to nominate Kinabatangan as a Biosphere Reserve on March 30, 2022, and the nomination dossier was approved on Aug 7 last year.
“The selection process, which took place over two years from 2022 to 2024, was led by Sabah Biodiversity Centre in strategic collaboration with various ministries, government departments and agencies, non-governmental organisations, industry stakeholders, and local communities.
“The prestigious recognition was declared during the 37th Session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, held on Sept 27 in Hangzhou, China,” he said.
With this designation, Kinabatangan is now the second Biosphere Reserve in Sabah, and fourth in Malaysia, after Tasik Chini in Pahang (2009), Crocker Range in Sabah (2014) and Penang Hill in Penang (2021), the statement said.
The Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve spans an area of 413,866 hectares and is a natural treasure trove rich in unique biodiversity and invaluable cultural heritage.
Stretching across 560 kilometres along the Kinabatangan River, it is a vital habitat for 315 bird species, 100 reptile species, 33 amphibian species, 127 mammal species and more than 1,000 species of vascular plants.
The site is also home to several endemic, rare, and endangered species, including the Orangutan, Bornean elephants, the proboscis monkey, the sun bear, the clouded leopard and eight hornbill species native to Sabah.
There are 759 Biosphere Reserves across 136 countries worldwide.
--BERNAMA
