Latest news with #IUCNGreenListof
Borneo Post
07-06-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Sabah's Pin Supu Forest Reserve makes history as Malaysia's first terrestrial IUCN Green Listed Site
The Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan. SANDAKAN: The Pin Supu Forest Reserve (FR) in Kinabatangan has been officially recognised as the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, a prestigious global recognition awarded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for excellence in conservation and protected area management. Pin Supu FR is the first terrestrial site in Malaysia to be IUCN Green Listed. The certificate, issued in May 2025, is valid for a period of five years. Earlier in 2022, the Sugud Islands Marine Conservation Area (SIMCA), also in Sabah, was recognised as the country's first marine IUCN Green Listed Area. The Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, pointed out that this achievement places Pin Supu Forest Reserve as among the world's best-managed and most effectively governed protected areas. More importantly, this reserve is jointly managed by the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) in collaboration with KOPEL Berhad, a community-based cooperative in Kinabatangan. Pin Supu is a Class VI Virgin Forest Reserve, encompassing 4,620 hectares, surrounded by five villages to assist in conservation projects A 10-year joint forest management agreement (2016-2026) was established between the Sabah State Government through the SFD and KOPEL Berhad. This partnership has brought positive outcomes, including nature-based tourism development that benefit local communities and promote sustainable forest management within the Kinabatangan area. The journey towards Green List certification began with the formal application in 2021. Over the course of four years, the site underwent a rigorous multi-phase process (application phase and candidate phase) to complete the 50 indicators which included comprehensive self-assessments, evidence submission through the COMPASS platform, independent expert evaluations by the Expert Assessment Group for the Green List (EAGL), and a final review and verification by an independent reviewer. The key milestone was the EAGL site visit, followed by the final reviewer verification in December 2024. Kugan reiterated that managing Pin Supu with the involvement of surrounding communities has given numerous positive impacts – environmental, social and economic benefits, including biodiversity conservation, local empowerment, and income growth. This shows the success of joint efforts in promoting environmental sustainability. This IUCN recognition is a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of the Sabah Forestry Department and local community in particular KOPEL Berhad. The IUCN Green List is a global initiative by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that recognizes and promotes well-managed, effectively governed, and fairly operated protected and conserved areas. Its main goal is to encourage and reward conservation success by assessing areas against globally consistent standards of good governance, sound design and planning, effective management, and positive conservation outcomes.
Egypt Today
22-05-2025
- Science
- Egypt Today
Egypt possesses 30 natural reserves on 15% of its land area: Environment Minister
File- Egypt has recorded flocks of white storks in the natural reserves of South Sinai- press photo CAIRO – 22 May 2025: On the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed annually on May 22, Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad stated that Egypt has 30 natural reserves covering 15 percent of its land area. Fouad pointed out that 13 of these have been developed for ecotourism, offering activities such as diving and mountaineering. In comments to Extra News, the minister added that Egypt has taken serious steps toward preserving biodiversity, which means maintaining the natural balance between land, sea, plants, and living organisms. The minister said that some Egyptian reserves, such as Wadi El-Hitan and Ras Mohammed, have joined the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. Egypt plays a leading role in implementing the international agreement to increase the percentage of protected areas globally to 30 percent by 2030, which is consistent with Egypt's recently launched National Biodiversity Plan, Minister Fouad continued. International Cooperation on Biosphere Protection On May 14, 2025, Fouad, along with Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ayman Ashour and Chair of the Egyptian National Commission for UNESCO, held a meeting with Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo, Nuria Sanz, and the accompanying delegation from the organization's regional office. The meeting discussed possible means of cooperation to support the activities of The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO, and aimed to strengthen the partnership between the two parties, which will contribute to the conservation of natural resources, the protection of biological and cultural diversity, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Infrastructure and Ecotourism Development The Environment Ministry has worked to re-introduce nature reserves by developing the reserves' infrastructure, including roads, administrative buildings, and information centers, said Minister Fouad in a meeting with representatives of the Marine Environment Protection Association on April 30, 2025. She added that 93 trained environmental supervisors have been appointed across the Red Sea and South Sinai reserves. Efforts have also been made to promote the reserves and create investment opportunities in the ecotourism sector, permitting the private sector to invest in locations within natural reserves where activities, such as diving and mountaineering, take place, Minister Fouad stated.
