| Azlan Othman |
BRUNEI Darussalam once again garnered global recognition as one of the top 10 countries in the world with most protected areas. The Sultanate took 7th place globally with 44.1 per cent of land designated as protected, according to a World Bank report.
Venezuela (53.9 per cent of total land area) came in the first place, followed by Slovenia (53.6 per cent); Monaco (53.4 per cent; Bhutan (47.3 per cent; Turks and Caicos Islands (44.4 per cent and Liechtenstein 44.3 per cent), based on data compiled by the World Bank two years ago (2014).
For its sources, The World Bank used information from the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national and international agencies.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a protected area as “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values”.
According to the World Bank, as of now, a mere 14.8 per cent of the world’s total land enjoys protected status, which is actually a step-up from 1990 when it was just 8.2 per cent.
Keeping up the spirit of the Heart of Borneo Declaration, Brunei has been effectively managing its forest resources through commendable conservation efforts over the past years that have gained global recognition for the Sultanate.
The spectacular view of the morning mist from on top of the grand ‘Canopy Walk’. – FILE PHOTO
Brunei Darussalam recently gained international acclaim for having bio-rich tropical rainforests, majority of which are still in pristine condition and protected by effective legislation, despite occupying just one per cent of the total forest in the island of Borneo.
Brunei Darussalam is among those countries with a leading forest area, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report in November this year.
In ADB’s Key Indicators 2016 report, Laos topped the list with a forest cover of 81.3 per cent followed by Bhutan (70 per cent), Brunei (70 per cent) and Papua New Guinea (70 per cent).
The report was prepared by the Development Economics and Indicators Division (ERDI) of the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department (ERCD) of the ADB.
Currently, Brunei has the highest proportion of intact peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia. According to the Forestry Department, about 80 per cent of the peat swamp forest is still in good quality, covering around 16 per cent of the country’s total land area.
The department said last year that forest law and the national forest policy have been further strengthened with the formulation and implementation of the National Master Plan or Vision 2035.
In Brunei Darussalam, there has been a strong political will at all levels of the society to manage and conserve its forest resources since 1934 when the Forest Act was formalised in the country.
The high appreciation for forest and the role of forestry in the Bruneian society have ensured active participation from a wider range of stakeholders in the protection and conservation of the Sultanate’s natural forests.
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