Striking balance between conservation, growth

Azlan Othman

Brunei Darussalam has been capable of keep a excessive forest cowl of 72 per cent of its whole land space, which could be attributed to robust conservation and safety efforts in addition to reforestation initiatives.

Nonetheless, the restricted manufacturing forest space is a serious problem for the forestry sector because the Sultanate strives to realize financial diversification by means of incremental improve in gross home product (GDP).

This was stated by Everlasting Secretary on the Ministry of Major Sources and Tourism (MPRT) Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab at a webinar yesterday to mark Worldwide Day of Forests on March 21.

“We perceive that forest is a vital factor that may straight contribute to the nation’s initiative on financial diversification and GDP progress.

“Therefore, the MPRT by means of its Forestry Division is dedicated to implementing a sustainable forest administration (SFM) system to make sure steady sources for the timber trade in addition to the advantages of our future generations,” she stated.

The everlasting secretary continued, “We have to revisit our logging and sawmilling industries, and encourage corporations to extend their manufacturing efficiencies and promote timber product diversification.”

Hajah Tutiaty believed that there’s a have to improve the processes and improve funding in superior machineries and applied sciences, whereas creating the human sources and using expert employees.

She additionally vouched that the federal government will proceed to produce timber to satisfy native demand by means of tree plantations and enrichment programmes for logged-over forests.

The everlasting secretary stated, “Tree planting has all the time been a well-liked initiative all over the world. Aside from supporting the forestry trade, it’s also an vital part in carbon sequestration and local weather change mitigation.”

On the nationwide degree, she stated, the federal government has launched Brunei Darussalam Nationwide Local weather Change Coverage (BNCCP) with the MPRT being the lead company for the second technique – forest cowl – by growing the Sultanate’s carbon sink by means of afforestation and reforestation programme with the goal of planting half one million new bushes by 2035.

Earlier, Forestry Division Director Hajah Noralinda binti Ibrahim stated Worldwide Day of Forests goals to boost consciousness on the significance of all kinds of forests and encourages nations to undertake native, nationwide and worldwide efforts to organise actions on forests and bushes.