7 Sept 2006 Hilton Hotel, Kuching

1. Panel Discussion Existing Challenges and Strategies To Improve Environmental Management United Nations Country Team(UNCT) Policy Dialogue “Localising the MDGs : Improving Equity in Sarawak” By CHUA TECK KHENG Technical Advisor State Planning Unit, Sarawak 7 Sept 2006 Hilton Hotel, Kuching

2. Introduction In it’s drive to be a developed State by 2020, Sarawak is very conscious of the need to promote and ensure that development in the State is sustainable and contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 7 (MDG-7).

3. Introduction (cont) To ensure environmental sustainability, the State is conscious of the need to ensure that: a. as large a proportion of the land area in the State remains covered with forest as possible; b. large tracts of the State in diverse bio-ecological zones are also protected for prudent biodiversity management and conservation;

4. Introduction (cont) To ensure environmental sustainability, the State is conscious of the need to ensure that: c. all water resources are protected and all its population, both urban and rural, have sustainable access to improved water sources; d. all its population, both urban and rural, have proper sanitation;

5. Introduction (cont) To ensure environmental sustainability, the State is also conscious of : e. the need to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel and increase the use of alternative renewable energy sources such as hydropower and biofuel; and f. the need to reduce carbondioxide emissions and the opportunity for companies in developing countries to develop Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to sell carbon credits to industrialised countries.

6. 1. Moving the economy up the value chain 2. Raising the capacity for knowledge and innovation, and nurturing “first class mentality” 5. Strengthening the country’s institutional & implementation capacity ~ establish a more effective implementing & monitoring mechanism 4. Improving the standard and sustainability of the quality of life 3. Addressing persistent socio-economic inequalities constructively and productively The National Mission, 2006 – 2020 To achieve the goals & objectives of Vision 2020 Five National Thrusts

7. Developing Human Capital & R & D Capability 1. 2. Speeding Up Growth In Rural Areas Improving the Implementation Machinery and Delivery System 6. Capitalising on Energy Resources 3. Enhancing the Quality of Life Engaging the Private Sector 5. 4. STATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE FIVE NATIONAL THRUSTS 6 STATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

8. STATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE FIVE NATIONAL THRUSTS Speeding Up Growth In Rural Areas

9. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas • As 50% of the population still lives in the rural areas, speeding up the development of the rural areas is therefore very important. • Growth in the rural areas will facilitate the reduction of rural poverty and promote a more equitable distribution of income and benefits of economic development to all corners of the State.

10. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas (cont. 2) Initiatives to bring rapid development to the rural areas include spreading out essential infrastructure to new areas, for example, a good network of roads.

11. 11

12. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas (cont. 3) Initiatives to bring rapid development to the rural areas include the creation of new administrative divisions and the development of secondary towns such as Mukah, Betong, Kapit, Marudi, Kanowit and Lawas.

13. ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS LIMBANG MIRI BINTULU MUKAH SIBU KAPIT SARIKEI BETONG KUCHING SAMARAHAN SRI AMAN

14. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas (cont. 4) Initiatives to bring rapid development to the rural areas include the development of RGCs or Rural Growth Centres. To date nine (9) RGCs have been established and these are located at Beladin, Sundar Awat Awat, Long Lama, Ng. Spak, Gedong, Telaga Air, Padawan, Balingian and Semop. In the 9MP, these RGCs will be consolidated and improved further.

15. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas (cont. 5) Initiatives to bring rapid development to the rural areas will also focus on the respective economic niche of the rural areas.

16. Sarawak: Detailed Economic Niches • Tourism • Commerce • Manufacturing • Plantation • Petrochemical • Energy-intensive industries • Plantations LIMBANG 7,790 km2 2 districts 3 sub-districts MIRI 26,777 km2 2 districts 4 sub-districts • Timber processing • Sago production • Tourism • Education • Agriculture • Tourism BINTULU 12,166 km2 2 districts 1 sub-districts • Gateway to Sarawak • Hi-tech industry • Finance • Services • Tourism MUKAH 6,997 km2 4 districts 4 sub-districts KUCHING 4,566 km2 3 districts 3 sub-districts KAPIT 38,934 km2 3 districts 2 sub-districts • Forestry • Coal • Hydro • Tourism SAMARAHAN 4,962 km2 4 districts 2 sub-districts SRI AMAN 5,466 km2 2 districts 3 sub-districts BETONG 4,180 km2 2 districts 7 sub-districts SARIKEI 4,332 km2 4 districts 0 sub-districts SIBU 8,278 km2 3 districts 0 sub-districts • Education • Medical • Agriculture • Food granary • Agriculture • Tourism • Agriculture • Agriculture • Fishing • Shipbuilding • Commerce

17. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas (cont. 6) Initiatives to bring rapid development to the rural areas include also the development of deep sea fishing and aquaculture

18. Deep-sea Fishing and Aquaculture FISHERY PRODUCTION • Marine fish production potential : 300,000 tonnes/year • Export to Japan (38%), Peninsular Malaysia (19%) USA (9%), United Kingdom (5%), Singapore (2%)

19. Strategy 2: Speeding Up Growth in Rural Areas (cont. 7) Overall, the main initiatives to bring rapid development to the rural areas in the 9MP will focus on modernising the agriculture sector through the Agropolis Concept and the implementation of large-scale agriculture (e.g. bringing the total acreage of oil palm to 1.0 million ha. by 2010; promoting the establishment of banana and pineapple plantations by the private sector;etc)

20. STATE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THE FIVE NATIONAL THRUSTS Enhancing the Quality of Life

21. Strategy 5: Enhancing the Quality of Life • To improve and/or complete the coverage of treated water supply, electricity supply, better educational facilities, public health services and accessibility to the rural communities. • In the urban areas emphasis will be on better public housing, transportation, public sanitation, recreation and sports, safety and security. • Care and assistance for the elderly and other disadvantaged groups in society such as the physical challenged, single-parents and the less well-to-do.

22. Modern Healthcare Services Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching Normah Hospital. Kuching Timberland Medical Centre Kuching Specialist Centre

23. 98% 100% 100% 95% 89% 90% 80% 49% 38% ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

24. 98% 100% 87% 80% 73% 60% 47% 32% 20% WATER SUPPLY

25. Access to Treated Water • Safe treated water is available to all households in the urban areas by 2005 • In the rural areas only 60% of households (about 800,000 rural dwellers) have access to safe treated water in 2005. In the 9MP, the target is to increase the coverage 70% in the rural areas. • However, 32% of the rural population have access to untreated water from rainwater storage schemes and wells while the remaining 2% still depend on the streams and rivers. • Water supply to the rural areas will be improved by various means including rainwater harvesting, gravity feed system, tube wells and other water storage systems for small, remote and isolated rural communities. A new mechanised water filtration system will also be introduced.

26. Water Resources Management • The State has established the Sarawak Water Resources Council in the early 1990s to provide proper management of water catchment areas and ensure the availability of water to the population.To date 29 water catchment areas have been gazetted in the State. • New raw water sources and catchment areas will continuously be identified ad developed to ensure long-term sustainability of water supply into the future. • New water storage dams will be constructed where needed, for example, the Bengoh Dam in the Kuching Division and the Gerugu Dam in the Sarikei Division, to ensure sustainability of water supply. • Integrated Water Resource Management with proper management guidelines will be implemented together with the Rural Water Supply Master Plan to ensure sustainability of water supply. • The creation of a single Water Supply Department has been recommended to facilitate implementation, coordination and monitoring of water supply to both rural and urban areas.

27. ENVIRONMENTPROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT GAZETTED PARKS AND GREENS WETLAND MANAGEMENT

28. Large Area Still Under Forest Landuse and Area in 2004 Area(Ha.) Percentage(%) • Hill Forests 4,283,200 • Swamp Forests 413,000 • Mangrove Forests 23,800 • Totally Protected Areas403,200 3.30 • Permanent Forest Areas 4,720,000 • State Forests 2,967,800 • Sub-Total Forests7,687,800 62.43 • Other Landuse 4,627,800 37.57 • State Total Area 12,315,600 100.00

29. Permanent Forest Estates (PFEs) • The State has set aside 6 million hectares of its PFEs to be managed on a sustainable basis. • To date, about 4.72 million ha. of its PFEs have already been gazetted for this purpose. • Under the State Forest Policy, the objectives are to: • (a) optimise the utilisation of the forest resources; • (b) regulate and ensure that harvesting is done in a sustainable manner; • (c) minimise damage to residual stand and the environment; • (d) rehabilitate harvested forests and improve the stocking of valuable timber species by proper silvicultural techniques; • (e) maintain a 25 years rotational cycle for the dipterocarp forests and 45 years for the peat-swamp forests.

30. Accelerating Reforestation • Forest plantations will be established in areas where the natural forests have been degraded by past logging activities or shifting cultivation. • Forest plantations will also help to reverse the gradual decline of wood from the natural forests. This will take some of the pressure off natural forests and enables a larger area of natural forests to be set aside for conservation purpose. • Forest plantations also avoid the negative impacts of logging on natural forests such as the loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation. • The target is to establish one million hectares of forest plantations with fast growing species and reach a production target of 15 million cubic m p.a. as soon as possible. To date about 70,000 ha. have been planted and planting will be accelerated in the 9MP. • Another 150,000 ha will be planted in the 9MP.

31. Totally Protected Areas In the State • The State has set a target of at least a million hectares of land under the Totally Protected Areas (TPAs). • Currently about 403,200 ha. have already been gazetted under the TPAs. • A further 644,000 ha. have been proposed and when gazetted, this will bring the total areas under the TPAs in the State to just over a million hectares. • These TPAs are made up of National Parks, Nature Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries including the Kuching Wetlands-RAMSAR site. • These TPAs protects, conserves and preserves the natural environmental habitats, their natural scenic beauty features and their diverse biodiversity as well as the historical sites and monuments in the TPAs. • These TPAs also provide congenial sites for R&D on the rich biodiversity of the State and the development of sustainable eco-tourism products for the appreciation, enjoyment and education of the people.

32. Legislations to Safeguard the Environment • Land Code 1958 • Environmental Quality Act 1974 • Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance 1993 (Amended 2001) • Public Parks and Green Ordinance 1993 • Sarawak Rivers Ordinance 1993 • Water Ordinance 1994 • Forest (Amendment) Ordinance 1996 • Sarawak Biodiversity Centre Ordinance 1997 (Amended 2002) • National Parks and Nature Reserves (Amendment) Ordinance 1998 • Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 1998 • Local Authority (Cleanliness) By-Law 1999 • Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999

33. Challenges and Issues • Despite the many environmental legislations, there is as yet no comprehensive State Environmental Policy to provide the framework for overall environmental development planning, implementation, coordination, performance and actions towards achieving the goals of sustainable development. • Environmental programmes and projects tends to be adhoc, isolated and sporadic. • With limited resources, budgets and manpower, environmental agencies tends to be reactive rather than proactive. • Monitoring and reporting programmes are limited in scope and does not cover the range of parameters desired. • Available fragmented data inadequate to provide the “state of the environment” report on the State.

34. Challenges and Issues (cont. 2) • Inadequacy of existing EIA as it only applies to “Prescribed Activities”. Non-prescribed activities such as small development projects or commercial activities such as food outlets, workshops, petrol stations, etc • Cumulative impact is not given due consideration. • Another issue is the level of compliance for mitigating potential negative impacts due to constraints of enforcement agencies to monitor the implementation of “approved” projects. • Inadequate coordination of concerned agencies and lack of support from the private sector and concerned NGOs. • Lack of public awareness and education on the importance of maintaining and enhancing environmental quality.

35. Where Do We Go from Here ? • The Government alone cannot ensure the sustainability of the environment. • Legislations, rules and regulations are only effective if there is compliance by those concerned. • Enforcement may bring about compliance to a limited degree as no enforcement agency anywhere would have the capacity to mount adequate monitoring to ensure full compliance. • In the long run, sustainability of the environment can only be achieved if all stakeholders understand the need and desirability of complying with the provisions of the various legislations.

36. Where Do We Go from Here ? (cont. 2) • Pertinent information are necessary to educate and increase the awareness of all stakeholders and inculcate the correct attitude so that they would take the necessary actions voluntarily (self-censuring their own actions and activities). • To ensure environmental sustainability and sustainable development, smart-partnerships are very necessary between the public sector, private sector, the civil society, institutions of higher learning, individual experts, etc.

37. Where Do We Go From Here ? (cont. 3) • Civil society is seen as an important channel for the delivery of social services and implementation of development programmes to complement the Government’s initiatives. • This was clearly stated by the Prime Minister when he presented the 9MP on 31st March 2006 when he said, “…the success of implementation does not only rest on the public sector…….Civil society must be a partner in development.”

38. Where Do We Go From Here ? (cont. 4) In general, civil societies can assist to build effective public-private-civil society partnerships to address various important issues in society such as national unity, urban poverty, rural poverty, labour rights, gender equality, public health, consumer rights, environmental pollution, biodiversity conservation, etc (just to give a few examples).

39. Where Do We Go From Here? (cont. 5) In the 9MP, more specifically, civil societies can assist the State to improve development communication to facilitate project implementation; to achieve a better economic growth through better public-private sector partnership; to ensure a more equitable distribution of development benefits between rural and urban areas; to ensure sustainable development through effective advocacy as well as to promote prudent spending by advocating transparency and accountability.

40. Commenting on the F&N anaerobic wastewater treatment plant, YAB CM said, “I am not only impressed by the expansion of your company, but I am also impressed by the forward looking attitude….to contribute towards sustainable management of our resources and to have good environmental protection for the future”. Borneo Post, Tues 5 Sept 2006

41. Smart Partnership in Environmental Management with the Financial Sector. STARBIZ, Fri 28 July 2006

44. Sarawak Tribune, 14 July 2005 An example of Smart Partnership with the Universities in biodiversity research and development. Hopefully this partnership will lead to improved and more prudent management of the rich biological wealth in the State.

45. Smart Partnership with Foreign Researchers through proper regulated access to the State’s rich biodiversity.

46. THANK YOU