Asa Skogstrom Feldt presenting a memento to Douglas Joinol.
KOTA KINABALU (Feb 13): Yayasan Sabah Group has agreed to extend its collaboration with IKEA’s Sow-A-Seed foundation.
Yayasan Sabah director Dato Sri Ghulamhaidar Khan Bahadar@Yusof Khan said they are currently in the final stages of finalising how this partnership will unfold over the next 10 to 20 years.
He also announced that as part of the continued collaboration, they will be introducing the Living Rainforest Restoration Lab initiative.
“In partnership with the Sow-A-Seed foundation and Yayasan Sabah Group, the new endeavour will advance research, education and the best practices in rainforest restoration. The initiative will be established at key sites, including the Maliau Basin Conservation Areas and INIKEA, to foster innovative approaches to the restoration and sustainable management of native rainforest.
“While the details are still being finalised, this initiative represents our shared commitment to driving progress in the forest restoration and ensuring a lasting impact for future generations,” said Ghulamhaidar when launching the Potentials, Challenges and Knowledge Needs for Restoration with Native Tropical Rainforest Trees Workshop held at the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort on Thursday where he was represented by Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Douglas Joinol.
Earlier, in his speech, Ghulamhaidar said that the Innoprise-IKEA Tropical Forest Rehabilitation Project (INIKEA) stands as a testament to what can be achieved through commitment, collaboration and a shared vision.
Since its inception in June 1998, following a Memorandum of Agreement between Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd (ICSB) and the Sow-A-Seed Foundation of IKEA, the INIKEA project has been a cornerstone of forest rehabilitation in Sabah.
He explained that the project focuses on restoring degraded forests through enrichment planting and liberation treatments.
“By planting native species, ranging from dipterocarps to wild fruit trees, we aim to rejuvenate areas once scarred by logging and fire,” he said.
Ghulamhaidar also said that what made INIKEA particularly significant was not just its scale but its longevity.
“As Malaysia’s largest enrichment planting project and the longest-running active forest restoration effort, INIKEA has become a living laboratory, offering invaluable insights and lessons that can be replicated across other Yayasan Sabah concession areas for broader state-wide benefits.
“Our collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SUAS) has provided the technical expertise and research support necessary to ensure the project’s success,” he said.
He also said that after 27 years of continuous effort, INIKEA has become a beacon of best practices in tropical forest restoration.
“As the project nears its conclusion, I am pleased to inform you that 100 percent of the areas identified for rehabilitation have been successfully restored, covering 14,009 hectares out of the total 18,500 hectares,” he said.
He also said that the workshop organised marked a significant step towards sustainable forest restoration.
“Borneo is home to over 3,000 native tree species, yet much of our past reforestation efforts have relied on non-native species. This has left critical knowledge gaps, limiting the full potential of native ecosystems for sustainable forest management. This workshop aims to bridge that gap. By bringing together scientists, practitioners and policymakers we hope to generate a summary of experiences from various reforestation projects in Sabah, detailing their goals, each achievement, species used, approaches and challenges; identify knowledge and policy gaps that will guide future research and policy development; and generate a comprehensive database of research infrastructure and data to support evidence-based decision making.
“With about 80 participants from related agencies and organisations and contributions from local and global experts, this workshop promises to be a rich ground for collaboration and innovation,” he said.
He also said that their enduring collaboration with IKEA and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SUAS) haD been vital in making the INIKEA project successful.
“IKEA’s commitment to sustainability and SUAS’s technical expertise have supported the rehabilitation of degraded forests and fostered a culture of scientific inquiry and knowledge sharing.
“Looking ahead, we envision INIKEA as more than just a restoration project. We envision it as a model destination for training, field course and education. We encourage IKEA to continue inspiring European countries, particularly Nordic universities, to engage with INIKEA and the Maliau Basin as preferred destinations for tropical forest studies.
“These collaborations have been mutually enriching, aligning IKEA’s sustainability goals with Yayasan Sabah Group’s conservation and community development objectives,” he said.
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