Kota kinabalu: Sabah has been allocated RM30.7 million this year under the Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) for Biodiversity Conservation, bringing the state's cumulative allocation since 2019 to about RM157.05 million. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup highlighted the significance of this allocation during his speech at the International Conference on Tropical Forestry 2026 (TF2026).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the national allocation for the EFT initiative is set to increase from RM150 million in 2023 to RM200 million in 2024, with further rises to RM250 million annually in 2025 and 2026. The initiative incentivizes state governments to protect and expand areas of ecological importance, acknowledging Sabah's vital role in preserving forests, biodiversity, and ecosystem services that benefit the entire nation.
Arthur noted that Sabah maintains 62.53 per cent, equivalent to 4.63 million hectares, of its land area under forest and tree cover. Comparatively, Malaysia maintains 54.40 per cent or 17.99 million hectares of its land under forest and tree cover, surpassing the country's commitment to maintaining at least 50 per cent, as pledged at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Malaysia's sustainable forest management system continues to strengthen through policy, legislation, science, and certification. Nearly 5.9 million hectares of forests are certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), demonstrating that well-managed production forestry can generate economic value while maintaining environmental and social safeguards.
Sabah has also significantly contributed to the 100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign from 2021 to 2025, exceeding the original target with 137 million trees planted nationwide. Sabah contributed 27.19 million trees, making it the second-highest contributing state after Sarawak.
Malaysia is aligning its National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022-2030 with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aiming to conserve at least 20 per cent of terrestrial areas and inland waters by 2030. Arthur emphasized the importance of addressing emerging challenges such as climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and land-use pressures, alongside expectations related to carbon markets, traceability, and sustainability.
He stressed that technology, including remote sensing, GIS, LiDAR, and artificial intelligence (AI), could complement field expertise and enhance monitoring, enforcement, and decision-making. TF2026, attended by about 200 delegates, brings together researchers, policymakers, government agencies, industry players, and other stakeholders under the theme 'Tropical Forestry and Sustainability for Human Society'.