Gerawat (sixth left) joins other key representatives of the stakeholders in a photo call on stage, taken after the opening ceremony of SaraCarbon’s engagement session in Marudi. Seen from his left are Penguang and Dennis.
MIRI (Feb 25): There is a need for continuous engagement sessions with all stakeholders, including the local communities, to raise better understanding of the nature-based carbon project in Sarawak.
This was highlighted by Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk Gerawat Gala at the opening of a recent session on this project in Marudi.
The programme was facilitated by SaraCarbon—a subsidiary of Samling that was established to collaborate with the Sarawak government in managing a nature-based carbon project in Marudi.
This project received its first carbon licence on Dec 9 last year.
The session at Baram Civic Centre in Marudi gathered representatives of Miri Resident’s Office, Marudi District Office, Telang Usan District Office, Beluru District Office, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), as well as community leaders from 50 longhouses and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from within and around the project’s licensed area.
Also present were Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government and Marudi assemblyman Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau, Miri Resident Galong Luang, and Samling chief operations officer Yap Fui Fook.
“This session is aimed at nurturing multi-directional dialogues between SaraCarbon, policymakers, policy implementers, community leaders and also researchers—all with interests in nature-based solutions through forest conservation in Baram,” said Gerawat.
“It is a session for SaraCarbon to raise awareness among stakeholders, especially the local community leaders, of the area covered by SaraCarbon’s licence, the activities being planned, the opportunities for the local communities to be involved in the project, and the potential socio-economic benefits for the communities within and near the perimeter of the licensed area.”
He called on SaraCarbon to provide accurate and comprehensive information to the community leaders, NGOs and other stakeholders regarding the project to prevent speculative judgments and spread of misleading and false information.
It was informed that the SaraCarbon project, being the first in Sarawak, would become the precedent for other similar undertakings.
“This project is part of the state government’s policy of growing its green economy, which emphasises environmental sustainability and sustainable management of our natural resources,” added Gerawat.
Meanwhile, Penguang in his remarks suggested that SaraCarbon and Unimas conduct regular briefings and engagement sessions with the affected communities using local languages as the delivery medium.
“Use the Iban language when engaging with the Ibans; use the Kiput language when engaging with the Kiput community. This is to ensure the people understand because the subject matter (carbon trade) is a very new thing to them, and is very technical in nature.”
The programme in Marudi highlighted interactive workshops, where a team of social experts guided the participants on the principles and applications of nature-based carbon cycles solution and its impact to the communities.
In the panel discussions, Gerawat pointed out that Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, often mentioned by many NGOs, was not included in the project area, adding that he had visited and seen the Marudi-Baram landscape, consisting mainly of peatlands.
“In this respect, I urge the communities to not be misled by ‘grey issues’ such as land claims; instead, collaborate with the authorities in this area.
“See the bigger picture,” he said, pointing out that there was no cash transaction involved in this project as it was meant to benefit the communities.
In a statement, SaraCarbon said it strives to become a leading producer of high-quality nature-based carbon credits and, at the same time, wants to drive positive change in the transition towards sustainable and innovative green economy.
“We strive to inspire and lead by example, promoting thriving biodiversity through nature-focused ventures within Sarawak and beyond.
“Our proactive mission is to partner with both local and internal stakeholders, as this would accelerate the transition to a green economy for the state of Sarawak,” it said.
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