Putrajaya embarks on forest resource inventory to collect data

SHAH ALAM - The government is carrying out a forest resource inventory to ensure the country's forest are managed well, and it will be the first inventory in Sabah and Sarawak under the ongoing 12th Malaysia Plan.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the inventory is carried out every 10 years.

He added there are forests that are under threat due to forest fires, pest, and rampant encroachment.

To ensure forests are managed well, he said various efforts and major programmes have been organised including the Malaysian Greening Programme which looks at planting 100 million trees, restoring, reclaiming and rehabilitating of degraded forest and planting mangroves.

"This includes planting suitable species on the National Coast, Central Forest Spine and at the heart of Borneo to preserve and converse the country's priceless forest treasures," he said in a statement today.

Nik Nazmi further added unsustainable land-use changes and climate change effects also contributed to emergence of new diseases.

"One of the best method for us to protect the nature and ourselves is by sustaining the forest. A healthy forest can help reduce negative impact on human's health and boost the environment as well as our well-being," he said.