Tag - wetlands

Kota Kinabalu: Wetlands (KK Wetlands) in Sabah is now a Ramsar site. The 24ha mangrove forest located right in the middle of the city is Malaysia's seventh Ramsar site. It is one of only two wetlands in the world located within a 10km radius of a city, the other being in Tokyo, Japan. Wetlands are designated Ramsar sites when they meet the criteria of being representative, rare or unique wetland types and of conserving biological diversity. KK Wetlands attained Ramsar status on December 22 last year but needed the federal government to get designate it  as a Ramsar Site, which it did on March 28. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar handed over the Ramsar Site certificate to Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today. Musa in his address said the protection of the ecosystem and biodiversity was a top priority of the Sabah government. "Various conservation efforts have been done to ensure that the management of our forest remain sustainable. "This is reflected in the government's commitment to various initiatives such as the Heart of Borneo and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands," he said. Also present at the ceremony was Sabah Tourism, Cultural and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun. Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society (SWCS) president Zainie Aucasa told The Malaysian Insight he was relieved KK Wetlands was finally a Ramsar site. SWCS is the main non-governmental organisation behind the proposal and promotion of KK Wetlands, along with the Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands  as a Ramsar Site. Source: The Malaysian Insight