MIRI: The Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) continues to strive to preserve the environment in the state.

According to Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Peat Fire Extinction and Prevention between private land owners in Kuala Baram and the NREB is a great and well-planned initiative to deal with peat fire incidents that repeated in the area.

“The effort finally paid off in dealing with this annual problem with a significant reduction in the burnt peat area of 2,218 hectares in 2019 to 683.5 hectares in 2020 and only 14.5 hectares in 2023.

“This initiative plays an important role in supporting the government’s efforts in ensuring environmental sustainability in the development of Sarawak through ‘setting the trend’ to showcase the ability of landowners to work with related agencies towards the common goal of ensuring better environmental management and protection,” he said.

He said this in the text of his speech read by Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin during the SOP MoU Ceremony for Peat Fire Extermination and Prevention for Private Land Owners in Kuala Baram with NRED here on Friday.

In the meantime, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah expressed his confidence in Sarawak’s position ahead of other states in Malaysia and regions in Southeast Asia in meeting the requirements of the 2015 Paris Agreement to deal with climate change.

“This can be seen in the current energy generation mix which mostly consists of 70 percent from hydropower, and the carbon emission intensity of Sarawak’s power system which has been reduced by 73 percent between 2010 and 2021,” he added.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, NREB Sarawak Environmental Quality Controller Jack Liam and Miri Resident Representative Nora Shafia Muhiyuddin. – UKASnews