The theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day is “Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation,” which is observed on March 3.
Keeping nature healthy necessitates serious collaboration. According to a WWF-Malaysia statement, for nature-rich places like Sarawak, this means forging, renewing, or strengthening partnerships among stakeholders at the local, regional, and international levels.
This year, March is a significant month because the world comes together to celebrate important natural holidays.
The theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day is “Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation,” which is observed on March 3. It emphasises the importance of collaboration in the conservation of nature, particularly the fauna and flora. WWF-Malaysia relies on strong partnerships to keep nature healthy.
“We work in various parts of Sarawak to conserve wildlife, forests, and rivers. Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest state, has a rich biodiversity and is home to some of the world’s most unique and endangered species. “Conserving them would only be possible if everyone came together and worked together to put an end to human activities that threaten their existence and survival,” the statement said.
According to Dr. Jason Hon, WWF Associate Malaysia’s director for Sarawak and Conservation Science, the organisation collaborates with various government ministries, departments, agencies, universities, the private sector, fellow non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and civil societies, as well as indigenous communities, to achieve Sarawak’s conservation goals and sustainable development agenda, which include the protection and conservation of wildlife in Sarawak.
The theme of this year’s International Day of Forests (March 21) is “Forests and Health,” a poignant reminder of humanity’s reliance on forests.
The following day, March 22, is World Water Day, which emphasises the need to accelerate change in order to address the water and sanitation crisis that affects our daily lives. These celebrations will culminate with Earth Hour on the last Saturday of the month (March 25), which encourages people all over the world to devote an hour to the natural world.
According to Hon, forests have provided mankind with clean air, water, food, and medicines. “They capture carbon to combat climate change, regulate floods, and improve people’s well-being. Our rivers have always provided us with plenty of water. Rivers also provide food resources and aid in the generation of energy for human consumption.”
“While we immerse ourselves in these global environmental celebrations and rejoice that our vast forests and rivers have provided us with immeasurable benefits that sustain our life on Earth, they are also slowly depleting in resources and health.”
“Perhaps we should use this year’s celebrations to give back to nature. “It is our responsibility to better manage and sustain our forests and rivers and to recognise the services these ecosystems have provided not only for us humans but also for our wildlife,” he said this month in conjunction with environmental celebrations.
Hon stated that Sarawak must change its business practises to emphasise environmental and social sustainability. To begin, he emphasised that the state must maintain its current forest cover, which is currently higher than the national target of 50%, as well as continue to promote and implement stringent and sustainable management of our forests and protected areas.
“Our water catchments must be managed holistically to ensure clean water for all, which is one of our fundamental human rights.
One approach is to pay for ecosystem services, which could provide benefits to areas that are better managed and conserved. In the end, healthy nature of forests and rivers will provide people with life and health,” he stated. The need for everyone to work together to protect the state’s forests and water has never been stronger.
As a result, Sarawak requires the unwavering cooperation of all stakeholders, particularly the business sector, in addition to our government’s strong political will. “We must forge partnerships to climate-smart our businesses, to ensure that not only people’s prosperity and well-being are protected, but also our natural world,” he said.
He went on to say: “You can make a difference on a personal level by raising your voice and joining forces with others. Come to Earth Hour and be a part of the most important hour for the planet.”
Hon announced that WWF-Malaysia will host the organization’s Asia Pacific CEO and Board Conference in Kuching from March 14 to 17. This four-day event will bring together more than 40 conservation leaders from Asia and the Pacific to discuss conservation strategies for the region.
The conference will promote Malaysia, particularly Sarawak, as a destination that values cultural harmony and societal inclusion, as well as biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability.