KOTA KINABALU: The recognition of Kinabatangan as a Biosphere Reserve under Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme is a major milestone for Sabah’s conservation efforts at the global level.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that the recognition will attract international attention in areas such as research, education, nature-based tourism, and opportunities for global collaboration.
“The Sabah state government will continue to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts, expand community awareness programmes while enhancing strategic partnerships to ensure that the benefits of this recognition are widely and sustainability realised,” he added.
Hajiji also noted that the recognition of the Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve also supports the preservation of the ethnic Sungai dialect, which is currently listed as Critically Endangered in Unesco’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.
The Kinabatangan Biosphere Reserve spans an area of 413,866 hectares and is a natural treasure trove rich in unique biodiversity and invaluable cultural heritage.
Stretching across 560km along the Kinabatangan River, it is a vital habitat for 315 bird species, 100 reptile species, 33 amphibian species, 127 mammal species, and more than 1,000 species of vascular plants.
The site is also home to several endemic, rare, and endangered species, including the orangutan (pongo pygmaeus), Bornean elephant (elephas maximus borneensis), proboscis monkey (nasalis larvatus), sun bear (helarctos malayanus), clouded leopard (neofelis diardi), and eight hornbill species native to Sabah.
Hajiji said the Sabah Cabinet endorsed the intention to nominate Kinabatangan as a Biosphere Reserve on March 30, 2022, and the nomination dossier was approved on Aug 7, 2024.
The selection process, which took place over two years from 2022 to 2024, was led by the Sabah Biodiversity Centre in strategic collaboration with various ministries, government departments and agencies, non-governmental organisations, industry stakeholders, and local communities.
With this designation, Kinabatangan is now the second Biosphere Reserve in Sabah after the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, and the fourth in Malaysia.
Unesco officially recognised the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve on June 12, 2014.
To date, there are 759 Biosphere Reserves across 136 countries worldwide.
Kinabatangan’s recognition was declared during the 37th Session of the International Coordinating Council of the MAB Programme (ICC), held in Hangzhou, China on Sept 27.
The recognition was based on an assessment of Kinabatangan’s unique ecology, rich biodiversity, and sustainable management practices, which involve a broad range of stakeholders in the area.
MAB Advisory Committee of Unesco, which conducted the preliminary evaluation, commended the high-quality nomination dossier, its clear presentation of information, and the extensive stakeholder engagement achieved through 22-months of consultation process.
