KOTA KINABALU, Nov 9 — Sabah is close to reaching its target to turn 30 per cent of its land mass into Total Protected Areas (TPAs) under the Heart of Borneo (HoB) conservation initiative, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said today.
The state currently has more than 26 per cent of its land area or 1.9 million hectares gazetted as TPAs under the HoB Initiative and will convert another 4 per cent by the year 2025.
“Sabah has achieved significant progress in forest conservation since the inception of the HoB Initiative 14 years ago,” Hajiji said, adding that 75 per cent of the 1.9 million hectares TPAs are located within the Malaysian boundary in Borneo.
The TPAs expansion target is in line with Sabah’s five-year development plan, Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2021–2025, which has included the HoB Initiative in the Green Infrastructure and Sustainability Network.
“From our concerted efforts, Sabah has maintained 50 per cent of its landmass under forest covers and we have increased forest covers to 65 per cent of which 52 per cent are gazetted as Forest Reserves, Parks and Wildlife Conservation Areas.
“The HoB Project has restored 2,000 hectares of forest reserves,” he said.
Hajiji was officiating at the first virtual international conference on HoB: “HoB Initiative — Moving Forward in the New Norm” today.
He said the federal government has channeled RM47 million for the HoB Initiative since 2009.
The federal government has pledged an additional RM13 million under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
Since 2007, a total of 22 field outposts have been established to enhance enforcement within Sabah’s forest reserves.
