Putrajaya objects to Kelantan's new forestry plans

 

The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry will file an official objection against Kelantan's plan to remove protections for a large portion of its forest reserve.

Kelantan's state executive council - on Oct 21, 2020 - decided that permanent forest reserve areas that are not water sources or water catchment places will no longer be considered "environmentally sensitive areas" (ESA), thereby opening the areas up for exploitation.

Yesterday, climate watchdog Rimbawatch estimated that if the plan is approved, then 88 percent of permanent forest reserve areas in Kelantan would no longer fall under the ESA classification.

Among the areas affected include Taman Negara Kuala Koh, which is the Kelantan portion of Taman Negara - a 4,343 km2 area spanning across Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu which has been protected since 1939.

Rimbawatch issued an alert yesterday stating that the public had up to Nov 11 to file objections against the plan to the Department of Town and Country Planning.

In a statement, Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said he had already written to Kelantan menteri besar to state his objections on the grounds that the state government's plans to remove the ESA were against the National Physical Plan and Kelantan Structural Plan 2040.

"I urge the Kelantan government to review the planned amendments towards ESA in the state and work together with the ministry to strengthen the management and development of forests while maintaining the forest lands remaining as forest land to ensure environmental sustainability," he said.

Nik Nazmi warned that the ESA amendments, if approved, will affect Putrajaya's goal of ensuring half of Peninsular Malaysia's landmass was forested.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

He added that the plan would also affect the ecology of the sensitive Central Forest Spine area - which is home to endangered species such as the tiger, elephants, seladang and tapir, which could cause further human-wildlife conflicts.

Further developments in Kelantan's forested areas could potentially make floods even worse and threaten water supplies, added Nik Nazmi.