Today is the World Wildlife Day with a really apt theme, ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Plants’. The theme this year was chosen to highlight the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystem functions in sustaining millions of people globally, not only for indigenous and forest-dependent communities but also the public at large.
It reminds us of our forgotten responsibility that we have towards every sentient being on this planet. It also reminds us that more than one year has passed since pandemonium broke out world over as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The world economy has been put on brakes while many countries including Malaysia have had multiple lockdowns to counter the devastating health impacts of the pandemic, which has been linked to a virus that has emerged from the wild.
More zoonotic related diseases can emerge if we continue to destroy, encroach and degrade our natural habitats and ecosystems and not learn from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is clear that some state governments have not learnt anything, and are continuing to take decisions to convert our last remaining precious natural ecosystems, for other purposes such as for mega reclamation projects, monoculture plantations, urban development and even for radioactive and industrial waste disposal sites in forest reserves and environmentally-sensitive areas.
Examples of such destructive projects include proposals to degazette the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve in Selangor and other permanent reserved forests in Perak, the construction of radioactive and industrial wastes disposal facilities in a water catchment forest in Pahang, and the massive reclamation project in Penang which will permanently destroy rich fishing grounds. In addition, in states like Kedah, calls to gazette the greater Ulu Muda forest complex as water catchment forests has fallen on deaf years.
We have to serious halt this trend and begin to protect our forests and marine ecosystems and livelihoods, including the natural wildlife habitats from conversion and fragmentation. Also needed is to increase our wildlife rehabilitation efforts and halting wildlife trade for good.
Although forestry and land governance is under state jurisdiction, state governments must not function in a way that seems oblivious to the various national policies that have been formulated by the federal government, such as the National Policy on Biological Diversity, the National Policy on Climate Change and the National Physical Plan. These policies have been formulated to implement Malaysia’s international commitments under processes such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Paris Agreement on climate change. Also important are the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Therefore, on this day, we urge the state governments to pay heed to these international commitments and obligations and stop destroying and degrading our forest, coastal and marine ecosystems.
In addition, the federal government must assist the states financially to ensure that these international commitments and obligations are fulfilled in the protection of our forests and biodiversity and not continue to remain promises on paper which are meaningless.
Let’s do what is right in ensuring the sustainability of the current and future generations and put the planet before profits.
Press Release, 3 March 2021
Siku ya Dunia ya Wanyamapori ina kichwa cha habari cha kusisimua: Misitu na Maisha: Kutegemeza Watu na Mimea. "Tema ya mwaka huu imechaguliwa ili kuangazia jukumu kuu la misitu, spishi za misitu na kazi za mazingira katika kuendeleza mamilioni ya watu ulimwenguni, sio tu kwa jamii za asili na za misitu, lakini pia kwa umma kwa ujumla. """ Inatukumbusha juu ya wajibu wetu uliosahaulika ambao tuna kwa kila kiumbe mwenye hisia kwenye sayari hii. "Amesema: ""Tunakumbuka kwamba zaidi ya mwaka mmoja umepita tangu pandemonium ilipotokea ulimwenguni kote kama matokeo ya janga la Covid-19." Uchumi wa dunia umepunguzwa wakati nchi nyingi, ikiwa ni pamoja na Malaysia, zilikuwa na kufungwa mara nyingi ili kukabiliana na athari mbaya za afya za janga hilo, ambalo limeunganishwa na virusi vilivyotokea katika mazingira ya asili. "Ugonjwa zaidi unaohusiana na zoonotic unaweza kutokea ikiwa tutaendelea kuharibu, kuingilia na kudhoofisha mazingira na mifumo yetu ya ikolojia na hatutajifunza masomo kutoka kwa janga la COVID-19 ""alisema." Ni wazi kwamba baadhi ya serikali za majimbo hazijapata chochote, na zinaendelea kuchukua maamuzi ya kubadilisha mifumo yetu ya ikolojia ya asili ya thamani iliyobaki kwa madhumuni mengine kama vile miradi ya kurudisha ardhi, mashamba ya monoculture, maendeleo ya mijini na hata maeneo ya kutupa taka za redioactive na viwanda katika hifadhi za misitu na maeneo ya mazingira. Mifano ya miradi kama hiyo ya uharibifu ni pamoja na mapendekezo ya kufuta uhifadhi wa msitu wa Kuala Langat Kaskazini huko Selangor na misitu mingine ya kudumu iliyohifadhiwa huko Perak, ujenzi wa vifaa vya kuondoa taka za redioaktifu na viwandani katika msitu wa maji huko Pahang, na mradi mkubwa wa kurudisha maji huko Penang ambao utaharibu kwa kudumu maeneo ya uvuvi. Kwa kuongezea, katika majimbo kama Kedah, wito wa gazeti la habari la Ulu Muda msitu mkubwa kama misitu ya maji ya maji imeshuka kwa miaka ya viziwi. """Tunapaswa kukomesha mwenendo huu na kuanza kulinda misitu yetu na mifumo ya ikolojia ya baharini na njia za maisha, pamoja na makazi ya asili ya wanyama wa porini, kutoka kwa mabadiliko na kugawanyika." Pia inahitajika kuongeza juhudi zetu za ukarabati wa wanyama wa porini na kukomesha biashara ya wanyama wa porini kwa wema. Ingawa usimamizi wa misitu na ardhi ni chini ya mamlaka ya serikali, serikali za majimbo hazipaswi kufanya kazi kwa njia inayoonekana kuwa haijui sera mbalimbali za kitaifa ambazo zimetengenezwa na serikali ya shirikisho, kama vile Sera ya Kitaifa ya Biolojia, Sera ya Kitaifa ya Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa na Mpango wa Kitaifa wa Maumbile. Sera hizi zimetengenezwa kutekeleza ahadi za kimataifa za Malaysia chini ya michakato kama vile Mkataba wa Utofauti wa Kibiolojia, Mkataba wa Paris juu ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Pia ni muhimu Malengo ya Maendeleo Endelevu, pamoja na Azimio la Umoja wa Mataifa juu ya Haki za Watu wa Asili. Kwa hiyo, siku hii, tunawahimiza serikali za majimbo kuzingatia ahadi na wajibu huu wa kimataifa na kuacha kuharibu na kuharibu mazingira yetu ya misitu, pwani na baharini. "Aidha, serikali ya shirikisho lazima iwasaidie majimbo kifedha kuhakikisha kwamba ahadi hizi za kimataifa na wajibu zinatimizwa katika ulinzi wa misitu yetu na utofauti wa kibiolojia na sio kuendelea kubaki ahadi kwenye karatasi ambazo hazina maana. """ Hebu tufanye kile kilicho sawa katika kuhakikisha uendelevu wa vizazi vya sasa na vya baadaye na kuweka sayari kabla ya faida. Taarifa ya vyombo vya habari, 3 Machi 2021