Sabah’s role in ensuring Malaysia 50pc covered in natural environment
Sabah has contributed to ensuring that Malaysia is still more than 50 per cent covered in the natural environment, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
She said the State did so with its more than 20 per cent protected terrestrial areas surpassing the Aichi Target of 15 per cent by 2020.
“However, like many other regions, we are consistently trying our best to make it a reality to contribute to the achievement of the global movement to achieve 30 per cent of terrestrial and 30 per cent of marine areas conserved by the year 2030,” she said at the 14th Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserves Network (SeaBRnet) Meeting, here, Monday.
“Generally, for Malaysia, particularly for Sabah, the key focus sector on economic growth has strategised approaches to accelerate development focusing on the productive growth sectors – agriculture, industrial and tourism in Sabah”, she said, is primarily on nature-based tourism.
“Therefore, the Ministry has a considerably huge task to ensure Sabah’s biodiversity and natural environment are sustainably conserved, charting ways for the three pillars of sustainability, the environment, social and economic development, to thrive in harmony,” she said.