PUTRAJAYA: According to Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the importance of digital innovation and initiatives to promote its usage will be further enhanced to safeguard Malaysia’s valuable national treasure of wildlife and flora. This was highlighted by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister in a statement released in conjunction with World Wildlife Day on Sunday (March 3). He emphasized that this effort is in line with this year’s theme of “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.”
Nik Nazmi emphasized that the chosen theme aims to raise public awareness on the significance of digital innovation in advancing wildlife and flora conservation, encompassing research, communication, detection, as well as more efficient DNA analysis. He mentioned that within the wildlife sector, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), specifically the Wildlife and National Parks Department Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan), has initiated the exploration of technology, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled camera traps to monitor wildlife species.
Additional measures include the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like drones to monitor wildlife presence and movement, as well as satellite applications for early warning system development. Nik Nazmi also stressed the importance of ex-situ conservation alongside in-situ efforts to ensure the survival of the Malayan tiger, given its dwindling population in the wild.
He noted that Perhilitan has reinforced the National Wildlife Forensic Laboratory with cutting-edge laboratory equipment to enhance forensic capabilities, ex-situ conservation, bio-banking, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and zoonotic disease monitoring. Moreover, to potentially boost the Malayan tiger population in captivity, Nik Nazmi mentioned the implementation of assisted reproductive technology (ART) programs via artificial insemination methods.
Regarding forest management, Nik Nazmi highlighted that NRES, through the Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia (JPSM), has utilized technology such as the Forest Monitoring using Remote Sensing (FMRS) system to monitor changes in permanent forest reserves in the peninsula. Additionally, the Sabah Forestry Department, in partnership with the Malaysian Space Agency (MySA), introduced the iForSabah system utilizing satellite imagery for remote sensing monitoring of forest reserve areas in Sabah.
On a similar note, the Sarawak Forestry Department developed the Continuous Monitoring of Surveillance (Comos) system, which integrates satellite image analysis and coordinates verification through hyperspectral airborne sensing systems to support enforcement actions on the ground. Such technological advancements play a crucial role in wildlife and forest conservation efforts in Malaysia. – Bernama
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