UKM collaborates. With Malaysian Nature. Society to

From UKM News Portal

WEDNESDAY, 06 FEBRUARY 2013 09:09

By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Shahiddan Saidi

KUALA SELANGOR, 2 Feb 2013 – The National University of Malaysia (UKM) has initiated strategic collaboration with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) in a wetlands and water conservation programme called SEE Nature.

Some 200 school children volunteered in the SEE Natureprogramme launched by UKM’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Industry & Community Partnerships), Profesor Dato’ Dr Saran Kaur Gill at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park herein conjunction with the World Wetlands Day (WWD)today.

This year's WWD celebration at the Nature Park was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Kuala Selangor District Council and corporations such as HSBC and Ricoh.

Prof Saran said she was heartened to see youths take part in the programme that will help them acquire skills for their future careers.

The SEE Nature strategic collaboration between UKM and MNS is one example of a creative knowledge-driven project that successfully intergrates elements of research, education and service, she said.

Among the public events carried out in conjunction with the WWD were lectures on nature trails, video presentations, mangrove tree-planting, bird-watching, mangrove clearance and exhibitions.

UKM and MNS also intend to launch the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Campaign (EAAFC) to protect wetlands in North Selangor as a sanctuary for migratory birds and to assist the livelihoods of the local population.

MNS President, Professor Maketab Mohamed said Malaysia's participation in the EAAFC network can also help raise awareness of the importance of wetlands as habitats of migratory water birds while at the same time bring international recognition to the country.

International cooperation, he said, is needed to conserve waterfowls so that the species do not become endangered.

Malaysia was accepted as the 28th Partner in the EAAFC Network in November 2012.

The birds’ flight paths can be promoted for conservation and eco-tourism in the country. There are important bird sanctuaries in northern and central Selangor, the coastal beaches in Matang, Perak and Sarawak’s Bako Buntal Bay where the migratory birds rest on their way to Australia from Japan and China.

The Sarawak state government agreed in principle to designate Bako Buntal Bay as Malaysia’s first  Flyway Site.

Malaysia’s participation in the network complements its domestic efforts to preserve the ecosystems of wetlands where migratory water birds seek sanctuary, such as the current project to replant mangrove forests for Ramsar sites.

 “Ramsar” sites are named after the 1971 Ramsar Convention in Iran, an international agreement that ensures the conservation of wetlands.

The sites are wetland areas that are vital for the survival of migratory waterbirds where each year more than 50 million of the waterfowls fly across East Asia, Central Asia, South-East Asia and the Australasia regions. During migration, the water birds depend on a network of lush wetlands for rest and feeding to provide enough energy for their journey.

Thus international cooperation in conserving and protecting the wetlands is needed as the migratory birds depend on them for survival. Malaysia is in the flight path of the water birds.

There are nine flight paths for water migratory birds in the world. The East-Asia- Australasia flyway (EAAF) is one of those nine.

The EAAF starts in the Russian Far East and Alaska, moving southwards through the East Asia flying routes, Southeast Asia, Australia and the final destination, New Zealand. The EAAF provides protection to more than 50 million water birds which consist of at least 250 species, including 28 endangered species identified in the world.

The Wetlands, apart from being the largest water bird stopover, are also the main food supply for the birds. Loss or deterioration of the habitats will negatively impact the ability of the waterfowls to survive.

Loss of habitat due to climate change and human activities such as agriculture and pollution are major threats to the migratory birds. This is because they are highly dependent on the habitats for breeding and as sanctuaries during the winter.