KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor welcomed UNESCO’s recognition of Kinabatangan as a Biosphere Reserve, describing it as a milestone in Sabah’s environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation efforts.
He said the designation would attract international attention in research, education, nature-based tourism, and global collaboration.
The state government, he added, will continue strengthening conservation, community awareness, and partnerships to ensure long-term benefits.
The nomination was endorsed by the State Cabinet in March 2022 and approved in August 2024, following a two-year selection process led by the Sabah Biodiversity Centre with support from ministries, agencies, NGOs, industry stakeholders, and local communities.
Spanning 413,866 hectares across 560km of the Kinabatangan River, the reserve is home to rich biodiversity, including orangutans, Bornean elephants, proboscis monkeys, sun bears, clouded leopards, hornbills, and over 1,000 plant species.
It also preserves the Sungai dialect, listed as Critically Endangered by UNESCO.
Kinabatangan is now the second Biosphere Reserve in Sabah after Crocker Range and the fourth in Malaysia. Globally, there are 759 reserves in 136 countries. UNESCO declared the recognition on Sept 27 during the 37th Session of the MAB Programme in Hangzhou, China.