Sarawak on track to hit target of planting 35 million trees by 2025

Sarawak has achieved a milestone in its efforts to plant 35 million trees by 2025 under the Le Tour De Restoration (LTDR) Greening Sarawak Campaign 2.0. The state has successfully planted 29.2 million trees, making it the leading state in tree planting in Malaysia.

Datuk Hamden Mohammad, the director of the Sarawak Forest Department, announced this achievement at the launch of the Sibu leg of the LTDR at the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS).

Sarawak is known for its extensive forested areas, with the largest forest cover in Malaysia. These forests cover around 7.67 million hectares, which accounts for 62% of the state’s total land area of 12.44 million hectares. The state’s largest forest is located in the Permanent Forest Reserve, covering 3.9 million hectares.

The sustainability of Sarawak’s forests has been recognized in the 2021 Auditor-General’s Report Series 2. The report highlights that the forests in Sarawak are managed sustainably to provide socio-economic benefits and maintain the surrounding environment.

To balance forest cover with development initiatives, the Sarawak Forest Department has implemented various programs. One such program is the Forest Landscape Restoration Programme (FLR), which was launched on June 15, 2019. In line with the Greening of Malaysia agenda, the FLR has been rebranded as “Greening Sarawak” and has expanded its scope to include tree planting in urban areas, on state land, and in schools.

The LTDR 2.0 is a campaign aimed at encouraging public participation in the greening efforts. The tour began at Taman Rimba Sebangkoi on September 23 and has since visited Bintulu, Miri, Lawas, Kapit, and Sibu. It will continue to Betong and culminate in Kuching.

As part of the tour, 60 Belian trees, which are the official trees of Sarawak, will be planted in each location to symbolize Sarawak’s 60th year of independence. Additionally, the Forest Department has contributed 60 high-value native trees of various species to be planted around the UTS campus in Sibu.