62 species of dragonflies found in Imbak Canyon, Danum Valley

KOTA KINABALU: Sixty-two species of dragonflies were found in Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley during the recent Yayasan Sabah Batu Timbang Scientific Expidition, where some of it are endemic to Sabah.

One of participants of the expedition, Dr Choong Chee Yen, said one particular species, Telosticta Janeus can only be found in Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley.

“According to the previous research on this area, there are 68 species of dragonflies recorded but during this recent trip I only managed to identify 62.

This is due to limited time, but from my observation the population of dragonflies there are healthy,” he said.

Continue reading at: 62 species of dragonflies found in Imbak Canyon, Danum Valley

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Imbak Canyon has untapped tourism potential

KOTA KINABALU: While nobody can deny that Imbak Canyon is a potential product to be developed as a tourism site, the number of arrival of domestic visitors is still low.

During the recent Yayasan Sabah and Petronas Batu Timbang Scientific Expedition, a researcher who focused his data collection on tourism potential, Jarry K Lajanga, said there was a need to promote Imbak Canyon to the locals.

“Proper planning needs to be done to ensure our locals can appreciate what we have in Imbak Canyon. We want our locals to see what we have here so that they will understand more about conservation efforts and everyone can become a part of it.

“Apart from waterfalls, flora and fauna, trekking… there is so many to add to the bucket list.

In my personal opinion, more promotion needs to be done to attract our locals to add Imbak Canyon as one of their must-visit places.

Continue reading at: Imbak Canyon has untapped tourism potential

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Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

WHILE the Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) and the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) remain as Borneo’s more prominent and celebrated forests, it would be an oversight to exclude the equally majestic Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) of Tongod from the list.

Situated north of MBCA and the west of DVCA, the Imbak Canyon is located some 300 kilometres away from Kota Kinabalu, a road journey that will take approximately seven to eight hours, subject to good road conditions.

Since being gazetted as a Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve by the State Government back in 2009, the ICCA has come a long way, and has reinvented itself as one of Sabah’s most promising tourism products.

The growth of the ICCA can be attributed to the partnership between Yayasan Sabah and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) that was initiated back in 2010.

Since then, the two bodies have taken numerous initiatives to ensure the preservation of the forests, most recently being the establishment of the highly awaited Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC).

In 2013, Petronas approved a RM77 million fund under Phase 2 of the Yayasan Sabah and Petronas partnership to build the ICSC, in line with its intent to solidify the ICCA as a centre of learning for indigenous community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Construction commenced in 2014 and was completed in November 2016, when the facility was subsequently handed over to Yayasan Sabah.

Among others, the ICSC will serve as a platform for gene bank conservation and the exploration of pharmaceutical and biotechnological potentials.

Last Monday, a group of journalists were invited for a first ever media visit to ICSC, where they had to stay on location for four days under a programme spearheaded by Petronas and Yayasan Sabah.

To learn more about the facilities provided by the ICSC, the manager of ICCA, Dr. Hamzah Tangki, took members of the media for a tour around the newly-built compound.

It is understood that the buildings at the ICSC were designed taking into consideration green elements to ensure minimal carbon footprint.

The establishment of the ICSC will coincidentally elevate Tongod as one of the crucial districts of the State with the ICSC serving as a major infrastructural development.

Continue reading at: Imbak Canyon Study Centre boost for research, tourism

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Sabah sees growth in protected areas through heart of Borneo

SANDAKAN: Sabah has doubled the ‘Totally Protected Areas’ from 800,000 hectares to 1.55 million hectares, about 21 per cent of the state, since the inception of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative in 2007.

Sabah deputy state secretary Datuk Joseph Guntavid said the areas include the classification of new Class One Protection Forest Reserves, totalling some 137,000 hectares in the HoB linking key conservation areas such as the Danum Valley, Imbak Canyon and Maliau Basin.

“The State Government has also pledged to further increase its Totally Protected Areas to 30 percent or 2.1 million hectares of the state’s total land area over the next 10 years,” he said at the opening ceremony of the Ninth HoB Trilateral Meeting, officiated by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Ir. Hamim Samuri here, today.

The HoB initiative is a government-led and NGO-supported programme initiated by a joint declaration by the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei in 2007.

Joseph added that the State Government has set aside 53 percent or about 3.9 million hectares of the state’s land mass as protected areas in the form of forest reserves, state parks, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation areas.

Joseph, who is Sabah HoB Committee Chairman, said much has been accomplished in the state through the HoB, including awareness raising through the annual HoB conference.

Continue reading at: Sabah sees growth in protected areas through heart of Borneo

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Sustainable forest plan for interior Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: A comprehensive plan is being drawn up for the sustainable use of land in Sabah’s interior that is about 10 times the size of Penang island.

The ambitious plan would place an area of at least 260,000ha, including key conservation areas as well as land being used as forest and oil palm plantations, under a “common and integrated” strategy.

The Forestry Department recently placed advertisements calling for consortiums or companies to provide experts specialising in landscape modelling and environmental economy for the project.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan said the project was crucial as it encompassed a land mass connecting three key protected areas.

These are the 105,443ha Maliau Basin, Danum Valley (42,800ha) and Imbak Canyon (16,750ha).

The project also partly covers the Kalabakan and Gunung Rara forest reserves that are part of the state-owned Yayasan Sabah sustainable forest management licence agreement area.

“Among the things we want to see under this project is the providing of corridors of forests in this area connecting Danum, Imbak Canyon and Maliau Basin for the benefit of wildlife,” said Mannan, whose department is spearheading the project.

Called the Biodiversity Conservation in Multiple-use Forest Landscapes, the plan would address multiple uses of the land to ensure that any activities there were sustainable.

Apart from the three conservation zones, the area would also include parcels of land that had been earmarked for forest rehabilitation, timber production as well as industrial tree plantations including oil palm cultivation.

“We are confident that what we are doing in Sabah can eventually become a model for other areas in South-East Asia,” Mannan said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sustainable forest plan for interior Sabah

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Eye on Imbak Canyon

A new research centre makes Imbak Canyon its focal point.

DEEP in the heart of Ulu Kinabatangan in Sabah’s south-eastern region is a canyon valley so remote and inaccessible that it has, for years, remained little-known, even to the people of the nearest village of Kampung Imbak in Tongod.

Because of that, this wilderness has remained untouched – it is one of the last unlogged contiguous lowland dipterocarp (a family of tropical hardwood trees with two-winged fruits) forest left in the state today.

In 2003, the Yayasan Sabah Group designated it as the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, solely for research, education and training, and as a seed source or gene bank. In 2009, all 30,000ha of the area were accorded Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserve status.

The area merits protection as it is a crucial corridor link between two important protected areas: Danum Valley and Maliau Basin. This link facilitates movements of wildlife like the pygmy elephant, orang utan, bearded pig, clouded leopard and even the critically-endangered Sumatran rhino (footprints were previously detected there).

Its pristine state makes it ideal for research into non-destructive use of an undisturbed forest, for instance in carbon sequestration (removing carbon dioxide and storing it in the soil). It also serves as a catchment area for the Imbak River which merges with the Melian River before spilling into the Kinabatangan, Sabah’s principal waterway.

Yet, just a few decades before, the forest had been vulnerable; it was within the logging concession given to Yayasan Sabah. Fortunately, a scientific expedition by Sabah Forestry Department in 2000 helped saved Imbak Canyon as it showed the area to have abundant biodiversity. Two other scientific studies were conducted after that, in 2004 and 2010.

Rich wilderness

Imbak Canyon, together with Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and the coastal forest of Tumunong Hallu, form part of the one million hectare of concession known as the Yayasan Sabah Forest Management Area. Half of this is Class 1 (Protection) Forest Reserves consisting of the mentioned conservation areas and other logged sites now given the Class 1 category. The other half consists of Class 2 Commercial Forest Reserves, which can be logged.

Petronas is funding the conservation of Imbak Canyon. In 2010, the oil and gas company allocated RM6mil for a three-year commitment to manage the area in a sustainable manner. So far, there has been public awareness campaigns, wildlife surveys, studies on climatology, hydrology and ethnobotany (relationship between humas and flora) as well as construction of an information centre, a jetty to ease transportation of crops by villagers who farm at the forest fringes, and a research station.

Dr Waidi Sinun, Yayasan Sabah conservation and environmental management division group manager, says Imbak is special for different reasons – one being the shape of the canyon and its 25km-long, mountain-bounded valley. It is visible from the air, just like Maliau Basin and Mount Kinabalu.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics & Vid) at: Eye on Imbak Canyon

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RM77 million to develop Imbak Canyon Studies Centre

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman expressed confidence the Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC), currently being developed in Ulu Kinabatangan, will grow into an internationally renowned centre of excellence for research, training and education environmental conservation.

The project he officially launched here yesterday is scheduled for completion in 2016 and poised to become the central hub for research and studies on environment and biodiversity for Ulu Kinabatangan, where the world-famous Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA) is located.

Speaking at the launching-cum-breaking of fast event, Musa expressed hope that programmes to be conducted at the ICSC would receive support from all parties, to ensure that all the facilities to be made available at the centre could be fully utilized.

In this regard, he called for a long-term participation from the Malaysian Academy of Science to help develop suitable activities for ICSC, similar to The Royal Society United Kingdom which has been involved with research, training and educational activities at Lembah Danum since over 30 years ago.

The chief Minister said the State Government was committed and proactive in conserving the State’s natural resources, where priority would be given to any conservation projects regardless of their scale.

However, he reminded that in ensuring a continuous and effective Borneo conservation programme is not an easy task and that strong support and participation from all stakeholders are vital for its success.

“It requires expertise, experience, commitment and a huge funding. As such, I would like to take the opportunity to record appreciation and gratitude to Petronas for its contribution of funds amounting to RM77 million for developing the ICSC with Yayasan Sabah.

“The State Government will continue to further strengthen its effort to ensure the success of this project in the hope that ICSC will open a new chapter in our endeavour to preserve our unique heritage for the future generations,” he said.

The ICSC is a project implemented under the second phase of Yayasan Sabah-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation Partnership, a collaboration formalized in 2010.

Continue reading at: RM77 million to develop Imbak Canyon Studies Centre

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Guidelines on tourists’ safety in Sabah to be drawn up

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun will be sitting down with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and the State tourism players to formulate comprehensive guidelines that would benefit all.

Asked about the action his ministry would be taking against errant tourism operators for allowing their guests to go inland to search for wild pygmy elephants, Masidi said they were looking at relevant laws which would enable the government to prohibit tourism players from letting their guests go near the wildlife.

Unfortunately, he said, the guideline on the matter was not clear.

“Hence, we would be having a discussion with SWD and the industry players to formulate comprehensive guidelines that would be a win-win to all,” he told reporters after launching the Stakeholder Validation Workshop Imbak Canyon Conservation Area Strategic Management Plan 2014-2023 held at the Pacific Sutera here yesterday.

Masidi also said that they were aiming at making the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the enforcement agencies clear.

At the same time, Masidi reminded tourism players in Sabah that it was dangerous to allow their guests to go inland to look for the elephants.

“Elephants are very dangerous,” he said, adding that the fatal accident involving an Aussie tourist should serve as a reminder to all on the risks involved.

Continue reading at: Guidelines on tourists’ safety in Sabah to be drawn up

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Sabah committed to Heart of Borneo

KOTA KINABALU: The State government is committed to achieving the objectives of the Heart of Borneo initiative, which includes conserving and efficiently managing rich biodiversity within contiguous tropical forests on the island of Borneo.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman said under the various government programmes, it is important to utilise natural and social capital for economic development in an innovative way to generate new physical and financial capital.

“As there is growing concern on over-exploiting natural assets, we have to ensure that such development is done in a sustainable manner, giving priority to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.

“It is also important for us to work hand-in-hand with various stakeholders and sectors in achieving this goal,” said Musa at the launching of the “International Conference on Heart of Borneo’s Natural Capital: Unleashing their Potential for Sustainable Growth in Sabah” at Sutera Harbour Resort (SHR) here yesterday.

Musa who is also Finance Minister was happy to note that the Sabah Forestry Department has taken the lead in implementing various conservation efforts and activities under the Heart of Borneo initiative in partnership with international and local agencies, as well as local communities.

“The implementation of this initiative takes cognisance of local sensitivity and culture and adheres to existing legal instruments and policies. It is tailored to the current condition and availability of means of implementation,” said Musa.

Through the Heart of Borneo, he said Sabah increased Totally Protected Areas to 1.3 million hectares or 18 per cent of the State’s land area, surpassing the IUCN target of 10 per cent for countries.

“We have also improved the connectivity of existing protected areas, particularly the super corridor linking Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley within the greater Ulu Segama Malua, now dubbed as the ‘Green Heart of Sabah’, and we have further promoted Sustainable Forest Management,” disclosed Musa.

He added: “In addition, we have reinforced protection with the establishment of 14 Field Outposts and Wildlife Protection units.”

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah committed to Heart of Borneo

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A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part III)

Pilot project to manage multiple-use forest landscape in the works

KOTA KINABALU: The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) with the support from relevant government department (i.e. Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD)) are in the midst of preparing a five to 10 years programme as a pilot project to manage multiple-use forest landscape and secure the Sabah Mega Biodiversity in Gunung Rara and Kalabakan.

Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) conservation and research head, Raymond Alfred said in a statement that under the programme, each plantation would be needed to establish their own wildlife conservation unit.

Among others, the programme aims to initiative a monitoring programme to assess the status of elephant population.

It also hopes to start the honorary wildlife warden programme as well as manage and restore degraded forests corridor, particularly those within the DaMaI (Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon) corridor.

Additionally through the programme, they also hoped to initiative enforcement using MIST and provide mitigation training and management measures to reduce human – elephant conflicts, he said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part III)

Also Read: A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part II)

Also Read: A Journey to Save the Bornean Elephant (Part I)

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Sabah’s Imbak Canyon contains a wealth of information

THE early morning mist envelopes the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA). The chirping of birds, the call of gibbons and the sound of rushing water from a river are beautiful and unforgettable.

This writer recently went to the Gunung Kuli Research Station, located at the ICCA, the remaining part of unspoilt lowland rainforest in the heart of Sabah.

A trip to this pristine forest is incomplete without understanding the beauty of wildlife and trees.

The water in the Imbak River is crystal clear. In addition, a number of freshwater fish live in the river and other streams.

In 2010, a 10-day research expedition was organised at the Gunung Kuli Research Station. More than 100 researchers took part in the research expedition.

Imbak Canyon

During their expedition, researchers found 50 species of medicinal plants and 28 species of orchids in the conversation area, which spans 30,000 hectares.

The Imbak Canyon is a priceless heritage site, which had been transformed into a Forest Conservation Area in 2010.

According to Dr Waidi Sinun, Yayasan Sabah’s group manager (conservation and environmental division) at the ICCA, the ICCA had been developed into a conservation area by Yayasan, Sabah Foundation, in 2003, for research purposes.

Today, the area is managed by the foundation.

Forest

Imbak Canyon is a 25km long valley in central Sabah. It is surrounded by sandstone cliffs that are more than 3,700 feet tall.

The Imbak Canyon forest consists of shrub communities as well as low forest communities.

Recognised as a genetic seed bank, Imbak Canyon is home to more than 317 species of plants, out of which 32 species are found in Borneo, with only six species present in Sabah.

According to Waidi, there are six different species of primates in Imbak. They are the Borneo gibbon, the long-tailed Macaque, the Silvered Langur, the Red leaf monkey, the Proboscis monkey and the Pig-tailed monkey.

Waidi said the ICCA will combine Maliau Basin and Danum Valley so that a full-fledged research facility can be developed for biodiversity studies.

Partnership

Efforts to develop the ICCA into a world class education centre were intensified after the launch of the Yayasan Sabah-Petronas Imbak Canyon Partnership last year.

Petronas contributed RM6 million to create a master plan for Imbak Canyon.

At the proposed Imbak Canyon Studies Centre (ICSC), there will be a laboratory, research and staff quarters, an observation tower, conference rooms, galleries and a nursery.

The facilities available at the Tampoi Base Camp in Imbak Canyon are not sophisticated. Currently, the base camp has hostel-type accommodation with washrooms, a camping ground and a dining area.

Petronas’ contribution is indicative of the organisation’s desire to conserve Imbak Canyon’s unique biodiversity, and to make it a central research hub for studies on environment and biodiversity.

Support

"It is important to get the support of various organisations so that the Imbak Canyon can be developed into a conservation area to protect wildlife in Maliau Basin and Danum Valley.

"Equatorial rainforests, including the Imbak Canyon, play an important role in reducing the amount of carbon in the environment," said Mohammad Medan Abdullah, Senior General Manager at the Petronas Group’s Corporate Affairs Division, at the launch of the YS-Petronas Imbak Canyon Conservation Partnership.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Sabah’s Imbak Canyon contains a wealth of information

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Government willing to spend to get DaMaI recognised as a World Heritage Site

KOTA KINABALU: The state government is prepared to pay the necessary cost to ensure Danum Valley, Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon (DaMaI) get recognised as a World Heritage Site (WHS).

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the issue of money was secondary to the protection of the three sites which housed many of Sabah’s endangered animal species such as the elephant, orang utans, Sumatran rhinos, banteng and an array of bird species endemic to Borneo.

“Money can be found but once these treasures are destroyed, it will be gone forever. There will be no replacement. We need to ensure they remain protected,” he said during the workshop on the nomination of DaMaI as a WHS at a resort near here yesterday.

Earlier during the workshop, patrons were told that the cost of nominating a site for WHS would probably reach millions of ringgit.

“The state government is very keen to protect the three sites because there are none that are as wonderful as these, not just in Malaysia but in the entire world. We need to look beyond our own life in order to safeguard this,” he said.

He also mentioned that a lot of outstanding issues still needed to be resolved and that the journey towards getting DaMaI listed would be a tough one

“It was easy with Mount Kinabalu — there are still a lot of things to prepare. UNESCO has also become more selective, strict, and those with WHS status has to be of exceptional quality. This means it is going to be more difficult to ensure we get nominated,” he said.

As for the issue of getting the three sites nominated as a national heritage site, Masidi said it should not be a problem for the state.

He added that the National Heritage Department would not manage or own the sites recognised as a national heritage site.

“There will be no change in the way it is managed. It is just an accreditation.”

Meanwhile, Masidi said the state’s quest for WHS recognition for DaMaI was good for Sabah and for the country.

“If Sabah is out of Malaysia, it will have no Mount Kinabalu, it will have no Sipadan. About 22 per cent of Malaysia would be lost,” he said.

He also mentioned that getting DaMaI recognised would put the country and Sabah on the world map.

“We are not well known. Some people think Malaysia is in Africa. And Sabah is always related to Kuwait. We need to be known.”

Meanwhile, National Heritage Department director general Professor Emeritus Dato Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid said DaMal would not be listed as a World Heritage Site prior to 2015.

This is because Malaysia has become a WHS committee since last year, she said in her speech during the DaMaI WHS nomination workshop held at a resort near here.

“A country remains in the committee for four years and during that period, it is disallowed from nominating any site within its own territory,” she explained.

Continue reading at: Government willing to spend to get DaMaI recognised as a World Heritage Site

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Venturing the Lost Valley of Imbak Canyon

It is a promising day and chilly at the same time as we are to set foot at the long lost Valley of Imbak Canyon, a 30,000 hectares Class 1 (protection) Forest Reserve, right at the heart of Sabah, Borneo Malaysia neighboring Tawai Forest Reserve, Danum Valley Conservation Area and Maliau Basin Conservation Area.

Just the mentioned of the name frozen us and somehow place a question mark at the end of everything. Is it ganna be like what we have seen on photographs and stories we heard from the prior expeditions? There’s just one way to find out, see for ourselves and get the feeling into our bones.

The group is composed of people with quite a different interest but has one definite goal,  Nature and Adventure, a packed up term that requires a deep sense of natural history and likewise a tight stomach for the adventure part. The participants are from Sabah Tourism Board, Sri Pelanconagan Sabah,  North Borneo Safari, individual photographers, naturalists, photo journalists, travel writers, 4W drivers, IT’s, and nature guides of course.

Well, let’s just say they are the adventurers and hope we can justify what it bears.

The journey starts from exploring Tawai Forest Reserve, Telupid, approximately 138 km west from Sandakan town.  The plan of the day is towards Tawai River and the ‘microwave’, not far from the central town but not a tourist destination so we are not to expect loads of people. We drive deep into the forest and trek down the remaining 20 minutes to reach our destination, passing by colourful species of pitcher plants; such a welcoming sight!

Though the trekking is short, it is hot despite the fairly abundance trees around! And the sight of the crystal clear river speeds up our step, too desperate to cool down

Few metres away sits a waterfall, a little treasure of Tawai.

Wanting more of fresh water, the group continues swimming on the wider part downstream. The complexity of its natural environment plus the challenge of surviving the high temperature must have been the reason why the place has been bragly chosen as the backdrop of the Eyeworks Norway filming “Girls in the Wild”.

As much as we like to spend another couple of hours cooling, acrobating and diving with the freshwater fish, we need to reach the microwave uphill before sun set. Dragging our feet behind, we trek back and gear up until we reach the pick of Tongkungon Hill.

The 7 m high Forest Fire Observation Tower gives a perfect platform to get a wider view of the forest ranges and the Telupid community with its winding Labuk River.

Standing nearby are telecommunication towers thus the name ‘microwave’.

As the western horizon leaves the last shadow of its fiery orange, the east is firing some lightning, so we head back and settle for the night. The day was more than fulfilling and tomorrow will ganna need twice the energy.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Venturing the Lost Valley of Imbak Canyon

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Primates at Sabah’s Imbak Canyon at risk of being hunted

KOTA KINABALU: A lesser-known conservation area in Sabah is proving to be an important wildlife habitat with a 15-day research expedition finding movements of orang utan in the area.

Researchers are now worried that the primates and other wildlife in the Imbak Canyon are at risk of being hunted by encroachers in the 30,000ha conservation area that is about the size of Penang island.

The survey programme's consultant Dr Rahimatshah Amat said cameras stationed at several locations caught images of limbs very similar to that of an orang utan, as well as proof of encroachment and poaching activities.

“Though there is no full picture of the primate itself, the image of a hand caught on some of our cameras along the eastern part of Imbak Canyon towards Danum Valley indicated a population of the animal,” he said.

He said colonies of the orang utan were also discovered along the west side of Imbak Canyon along with the movements of individuals during the survey conducted from July 5 to 20.

“However, we are not sure whether these movements were those of the primates or people,” said Rahimatshah, who is also chief technical officer (Borneo programme) of the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia.

A joint patrol will be held by the Sabah Wildlife Department and other agencies such as Sabah Foundation and Petronas to look into the matter.

“There are signs of activities non-compatible to the conservation area as well as sightings of dogs there. By right, dogs should not be present within any conservation area. When there are dogs, it means people are present, too,” he explained.

Continue reading at: Primates at Sabah’s Imbak Canyon at risk of being hunted

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Biodiversity rich Imbak Canyon largely unexplored

KOTA KINABALU: Only a small part of Imbak Canyon has been explored since it was gazetted by the government into a Class I (Protection) Forest Reserve in 2009.

Yayasan Sabah Group group manager (Conservation and Environmental Management Division) Dr Waidi Sinun said in his welcoming remarks during the forum on the findings of Imbak Canyon 2012 Wildlife Survey held at a resort near here yesterday that it would probably take several more scientific expeditions to unveil what Imbak Canyon holds.

“With only 10 per cent of Sabah’s landmass under protected area management, it is important that more effort be put into gearing towards the full protection of pristine areas such as Imbak Canyon for posterity,” he said.

He added that with the disturbance in the surrounding areas adjacent to Yayasan Sabah concession areas, especially in the state land along Pinangah, Millian and Imbak Rivers (tributaries of Upper Kinabatangan River), Imbak Canyon was increasingly becoming a refuge for wildlife, leading to increased concerns over the state of wildlife populations both inside and outside the protected areas.

“And despite the fact that tropical rainforest is known for its high biodiversity and species richness, the scarcity and the cryptic behaviour of some fauna species have resulted in scarcity of information about the species,” he said.

Waidi then commented that the lack of baseline data and the absence of accurate estimates of population trends had prevented conservationists and wildlife managers from identifying, quantifying and addressing suspected negative impact.

And that to assess the wildlife in general in Imbak Canyon and its surrounding areas, scientific-based survey must be implemented.

He touched on the Imbak Canyon survey carried out for 15 days between July 5 and July 20 this year, saying that the main objective of the operation was to create baseline wildlife database for Imbak Canyon Conservation Area.

Continue reading at: Biodiversity rich Imbak Canyon largely unexplored

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Partnership positions Imbak Canyon as learning centre

KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Sabah and Petronas have struck a partnership to embark on a collation and documentation on ethno-foresty with the view to positioning the Imbak Canyon as a centre of learning for the indigenous community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

The partnership also aims at creating a gene bank conservation and exploring into the pharmaceutical and bio-technological potentials, said Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun when lauching the Ethno-Forestry Study and Workshop on Accessing and Commercialising Biodiversity yesterday.

He deemed the study and workshop as a step towards catapulting Sabah to a leading position in bio-technology and pharmaceutical by harnessing the State’s biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.

He also disclosed that the ethno-forestry study will explore and collate indigenous knowledge and practice of the communities in the surrounding areas of the Imbak Canyon.

“The elderly people and healers have knowledge about the medicinal plants and their uses in healthcare. With their long experience and practice, they have acquired rich knowledge about the utilisation of plant resources in various ways,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yayasan Sabah director Tan Sri Datu Khalil Datu Jamalul, who was represented by the Senior Group Manager for Human Resource and Corporate Service, Rosmawati Lasuki, said the future activities at Imbak would aim to facilitate the non-destructive use of one of Malaysia’s remaining pristine and undisturbed forests, in particular, for research activities to be carried out on the non-destructive uses of Malaysian forest such as weighing the potentials of the medicinal values, carbon retention and sequestration and bio-prospecting.

Emphasis would also be stressed on eco-tourism as an alternative commercial venture which is environmentally friendly and socially acceptable, he said.

“The area aims to host activities that would improve and strengthen technical knowledge and skill in forestry, biological research, forest conservation and environmental management,” he said.

In the quest to make the Imbak Canyon known, the area must be made accessible through the provision of necessary logistical support to facilitate research and study, he stressed.

“Access into the area is equally important in order to raise public appreciation of their heritage. A gateway into the area needs to be established and a management plan to be formulated,” he said.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Partnership positions Imbak Canyon as learning centre

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Study on Imbak Canyon Ethno-Forestry

KOTA KINABALU: Efforts are being made through the partnership of Yayasan Sabah Group (YSG) and Petronas to study and document forest products and natural resources used by local communities surrounding the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA).

The study will be carried out under the Imbak Canyon Ethno-Forestry Study with the launching to be held tomorrow (Wednesday) by Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

According to Yayasan Sabah director Tan Sri Datu Khalil Datu Haji Jamalul, ICCA is unique compared to the other conservation areas under the purview of Yayasan Sabah Group.

Khalil added to date three scientific expeditions had been conducted in ICCA.

“Although the expeditions were conducted in a short period of time, the works carried out have revealed that the area has a high density of medicinal plants-a true pharmaceutical haven,” he said.

“Hence, we see the need to conduct such study in identifying the medicinal plants used by the community surrounding ICCA. The study also aims to engage with the local medicine man in order to document the knowledge from their group about the usage of the medicinal plants.

“Yayasan Sabah Group hopes to work with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and expertise from the relevant institutions/organisations to assist in the effort to ensure all medicinal values are recorded and all Intellectual Properties are properly recognised,” he explained.

“Much work needs to be done to classify and document its usage especially as medicinal plants. It will take a comprehensive study to unveil the secrets that lie within the conservation area that is dubbed as a ‘living pharmacy’, and which may possibly hold the cure to many of today’s sickness,” he added.

The in-depth social study and documentation will include collecting and documenting local knowledge on plants’ usage (including plant’s part, detail description of preparation of plants parts and user groups), distribution and management of all plants, species of interest, gathering of findings on the local’s classification systems for plants and the environment (vegetation, soils, climates, geology, vegetation types, species diversity etc), the people (ethnic group, language, population size and distribution, migration, social groups, education etc) and the interactions between them (land-use systems, tenure systems and human disturbance).

The study will cover the three “mukim” in Tongod District, namely Karamuak, Tongod and Pinangah, consisting of 48 villages surrounding ICCA.

The study will be conducted in two parts. The first outing is a preliminary study which aims to collect information on the socio-cultural structure for every village and at the same time identify the medicine men/elders who can provide information related to ethno-forestry and medicinal plants.

Through the second outing, the researchers will interview the medicine man/elders identified in the preliminary study concerning their knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants.

Khalil said the study and documentation of forest products and natural resources used by the communities surrounding ICCA is in line with Imbak Canyon Conservation Area’s positioning goals, i.e. to be a Centre of Learning for Indigenous Community in biodiversity conservation and for gene bank conservation and the exploration of pharmaceutical and biotechnological potentials.

Khalil also voiced his concern that conserving Southeast Asia’s forests and promoting traditional knowledge are of great challenges especially in these days of rapid economic and social change.

He said, Sabah, like many areas around the world is facing many cultural and ecological challenges.

“In the last few decades, Sabah is in danger of losing the plant and animal diversity on which the people depended. Over a few generations, the traditional botanical knowledge that local communities have built up over several millennia is slipping away,” he added.

Continue reading at: Study on Imbak Canyon Ethno-Forestry

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Traversing Through Sabah's Imbak Canyon

KINABATANGAN (Sabah) -- "A valuable piece of natural Heritage" - this epithet best describes the Imbak Canyon conservation area located in Ulu Kinabatangan, right in the heart of Sabah.

The 30,000-hectare virgin dipterocarp forest lies between two other conservation areas - the Danum Valley and the Maliau Basin.

One may wonder, however, whether the landscape here resembles the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. Not exactly, but the word "canyon" in the name refers to the 750-metre deep and 3-kilometre wide ravine carved out of the rock cliffs by the Imbak River, which makes part of the landscape look like a canyon.

The Imbak Canyon is surrounded by sandstone cliffs reaching a height of 3,700 feet, and the numerous flora and fauna thriving in this rain forest represent a rich biodiversity.

The Imbak Canyon, located at a five-hour drive away from Kota Kinabalu, is managed by Yayasan Sabah (YS), which is involved in the conservation, research, training, education and nature recreation activities conducted there.

THE BEAUTY OF THE CANYON

The Imbak Canyon is a catchment area for two important rivers in the state - the Imbak and the Kinabatangan rivers - which not only provide water but also serve as a mode of transport and livelihood source for those living in the area.

Nestled between the Maliau Basin and the Danum Valley, the Imbak Canyon is regarded as an important buffer zone for wildlife, according to Yayasan Sabah's Head of Conservation and Environmental Management Dr Waidi Sinun.

Three expeditions conducted in 2000, 2004 and 2010, respectively, explored the natural treasures of the area, identifying 312 plant species in the region, of which 32 were endemic to Borneo, including six species which are found only in Sabah.

With regard to the fauna, Dr Waidi remarked that more than 200 species of birds live in Imbak Canyon, five of which are endemic to Borneo and found only in the conservation area.

These expeditions have also recorded the presence of pygmy elephants, leopards, bears, mouse deer and the Sumatran rhinoceros in this region.

"The Class 1 Forest Reserve also boasts of a unique landscape, with the ravine - which appears like a canyon - being the most striking feature," Dr Waidi told Bernama at the recent inaugural ceremony of the Ulu Kinabatangan Information Centre and Jetty project at Kampung Imbak.

The Imbak Canyon is also home to two panoramic waterfalls - the Imbak Waterfalls and the 8-tier Waterfall.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS WITH PETRONAS

In its efforts to conserve Imbak Canyon, Yayasan Sabah has collaborated with the national petroleum giant Petronas to gather information about the area, undertake biodiversity conservation efforts, preserve the genetic pool and explore the pharmaceutical and biotechnological potential of the flora there.

"The Information Centre and Jetty project will open new economic opportunities for local communities to improve their livelihood without affecting the environment," Dr Waidi explained.

The information centre will display informative posters on Ulu Kinabatangan and exhibit a 3D model of the canyon.

The information centre will also be of use to the Imbak Canyon Porter and Tourists Guide Association, and the locals would be able to sell their handicrafts at the centre.

Dr Waidi noted that the establishment of the information centre and the association for porters and guides was a step in the right direction towards involving the local communities in the conservation efforts.

"By joining in the conservation efforts, villagers will be more appreciative of the Imbak Canyon, which is located near their settlement.

"If they can maintain and understand the value of the area, then there will be no need for stringent policies to preserve the area.

"What is important is that they understand that this heritage is highly valuable. Only then will they take care of this place, like how the people living around Gunung Kinabalu take care of their place," observed Dr Waidi.

Continue reading at: Traversing Through Sabah's Imbak Canyon

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Information centre a boon for Imbak Canyon Conservation

TONGOD: The Ulu Kinabatangan information centre and jetty serves as an important platform for the local community to take part in safeguarding the natural heritage of the Imbak Canyon Conservation Area, here.

The 30,000-hectare area, located right at the centre of Sabah, is a Class I Forest Reserve.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the two facilities took place at Kampung Imbak here and performed by Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Bung Moktar Radin and Kuamut assemblyman Mansiung Bannah.

Kampung Imbak is about a five-hour drive from Sandakan and located near the conservation area.

Sabah Foundation director Tan Sri Datu Khalil Datu Jamalul said the setting up of the two facilities was following a collaboration between the foundation and Petronas.

It aims to make the Imbak Canyon a learning centre for biodiversity conservation as well as a gene bank.

“The relevant issue from the collaboration includes providing training to the local community in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources,” he said in speech read by his deputy Datuk Johan Arrifin Abdul Samad.

Continue reading at: Information centre a boon for Imbak Canyon Conservation

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Danum, Maliau, Imbak can be World Heritage Sites

KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Sabah’s head of conservation and environment division, Dr Waidi Sinun, said Sabah has a strong chance of getting all its three conservation areas to attain recognition as World Heritage Sites.

The three areas concerned are the Danum Valley, the Maliau Basin and the Imbak Canyon conservation areas.

Dr Waidi who disclosed this during the one-day World Heritage Site nomination workshop held at a leading hotel here yesterday said, the three areas are special in that they are the only locations where all the animals that used to live in the State exist at the same time.

He cited that the animals found in the three areas include the pygmy elephants, the orang-utans, Sumatran rhinocerous, proboscis monkeys, all the various cats and hornbills in Sabah.

Dr Waidi who has been associated with the conservation areas for more than 20 years said despite having visited several protected areas in Malaysia and other countries, the experience was not similar to the situation at Danum Valley.

“You can be sitting at the veranda of the rest house at Danum and see a deer walking past, or hornbills flying over.

“And at Imbak and Maliau, you can see all the eight species of hornbills and you cannot experience this in other parts of the country. You can hardly see any bird,?he said.

The areas’ richness and diversity in wildlife is the main reason why the areas attract a lot of visitors, he said.

He added, the three areas are among the most pristine areas in Sabah and grades them as better than Taman Negara Mulu and most of the protected areas in Peninsular Malaysia in terms of wildlife and wilderness.

Dr Waidi said that while he was not familiar with the World Heritage nomination, he opined that comparing them to other areas he has visited, the State government’s keeness of getting the three conservation areas recognised as World Heritage sites should be given a strong chance since there is no other area similar to them in the world or even within Borneo.

The Imbak Canyon is a 25 km long self-contained valley in central Sabah, surrounded on three sides by sandstone cliffs reaching a height of over 3,700 feet and it is the last remaining part of Sabah which has remained pristine and relatively unexplored.

This remaining contiguous area of unlogged lowland dipterocarp forest covers an area of about 30,000 hectares including the two Virgin Jungle Reserves located on the ridges surrounding it, making Imbak Canyon a priceless heritage.

The Maliau Basin, on the other hand, was originally part of a timber concession held by Yayasan Sabah and was designated a conservation area, for the purpose of research, education and training, along with the Danum Valley conservation area in 1981.

Continue reading at: Danum, Maliau, Imbak can be World Heritage Sites
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