KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to continue better and more sustainable development practices by collaborating with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia.
The state, through the Town and Regional Planning Department (TRPD), signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WWF-Malaysia with the aim of achieving sustainable development through an integrated spatial planning.
Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, who is also state Local Government and Housing Minister, said spatial planning should be integrated and holistic.
He said an integrated plan involved the coordination of different land uses, such as housing, transportation, industry, recreation, agriculture and natural resources, to create a balanced and livable environment.
“It is also to help ensure that land and resources are sustainable, equitable and efficient,” he said at the MoU signing ceremony here on Tuesday (Oct 10).
“Spatial planning is critical for Sabah to help the state deliver economic, social and environmental benefits by creating more stable and predictable conditions for investment and development,” said Joachim.
“It is to help secure community benefits from development, promote prudent use of land and natural resources for development as well as to overcome the risks caused by climate change, for example sea water rise and extreme weather,” he added.
He commended WWF-Malaysia’s ongoing sustainable development efforts in the state, including those that support the state government’s policy to fully protect and conserve 30% of land, out of which 50% covers natural forests.
“To achieve the objectives of spatial planning, my ministry will work closely with WWF-Malaysia and other stakeholders in preparing the needed documentations,” said Joachim.
He called upon all stakeholders, state agencies and local authorities to work together to achieve this objective.
According to WWF-Malaysia, integrated land-use planning applies nature-based solutions to ensure that essential forest habitat continues to be safeguarded.
It is to ensure that key species like the Bornean orangutan and Bornean elephant would not be displaced as a result of encroachment and forest conversion for agriculture use as well.
“To reduce land-use conflict, WWF-Malaysia through the Sabah Landscapes Programme advocates for integrated land-use management within its priority landscapes,” said its conservation director Dr Henry Chan.
He said this MoU is part of the programme’s Living Landscape approach that aims to achieve and maintain a delicate balance between economic development and the protection of forests and its inhabitants.
Through the approach’s three pillars - Protect, Produce and Restore - the programme works on protecting forests, wildlife and freshwater ecosystems, supporting the movement towards the sustainable production of palm oil through certification as well as restoring forests through the establishment of wildlife corridors,” he said.
Dr Chan said this MoU would allow both the TRPD and WWF-Malaysia to work in partnership to support and review the Sabah Structural Plan 2033 and the Town and Country Planning Ordinance (Sabah Cap. 141).
It would also support the preparation of district plans for Tawau, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Kalabakan, he added.
He said further to this, the benefits of an integrated spatial planning also extends towards addressing the effects of climate change where it plays a key role in ensuring the resilience of built environments including roads and public infrastructure are not located in areas that are exposed to the high risks of climate change hazards.
