ROSILA said Sabah’s Conservation Next approach presented a significant opportunity to scale up NBS across the State.
Future priorities included expanding ecosystem restoration programmes, enhancing ecosystem monitoring systems and climate and biodiversity data, strengthening institutional capacity and mobilising sustainable financing mechanisms.
She said emerging technologies, including remote sensing, digital monitoring platforms and improved public accounting methodologies, could further enhance transparency, accountability and environmental integrity.
She said integrating NBS into broader development planning and land-use decision-making would also be critical to maximising long-term benefits.
“Strengthening collaboration between government agencies, local communities, indigenous people, research institutions, private sectors, stakeholders and international partners will remain essential for a successful implementation,” she said.
Rosila said the GEF-funded Food System, Land Use and Restoration Project sought to strengthen the protection of high-conservation value areas and high-carbon stock areas through integrated landscape management, sustainable and resilient palm-oil value chains, and participatory conservation and restoration.
She said NBS provided a practical and legally supported pathway for Sabah to address climate change, conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable socio-economic development.
Through the Conservation Next approach, Sabah had demonstrated that environmental protection, soil protection and economic growth could be pursued in a mutually reinforcing manner through the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems.
She said the continued success of Sabah’s NBS agenda would depend on effective governance, sound scientific data, transparent regulatory oversight, respect for lawful land tenure and customary rights, meaningful stakeholder participation and equitable benefit-sharing arrangements.
“Strengthened collaboration among government agencies, indigenous and local communities, research institution, private sector stakeholders and development partners may remain essential to ensuring that conservation and climate initiatives in Sabah deliver long-term environmental, social and economic benefits,” she said.
Rosila said by strengthening its legal and institutional framework, scaling up ecosystem-based interventions and maintaining high standards of environmental integrity and affordability, Sabah could continue contributing towards Malaysia’s climate objectives while enhancing ecological resilience, supporting sustainable livelihoods and securing its natural capital for future generations.
“Every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food we take comes from the natural world. So if we take care of nature, nature will take care of us.
“Make nature count, make carbon matter, make sustainability pay.”
