Malaysia Should Utilise COP16 Platform To Showcase Biodiversity Conservation - Experts

Every two years, world leaders gather to discuss ways and means to preserve biodiversity and reverse the decline of the natural world. 

The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is currently in session from Oct 21 to Nov 1 in Cali, Colombia, with about 23,000 delegates from 196 countries, including Malaysia, attending.

The Malaysian delegation, led by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, comprises 18 delegates including representatives from the Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia, Department of Biosafety, Department of Orang Asli Development, Sabah Biodiversity Centre and Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

This is the first biodiversity summit since countries adopted a landmark plan – the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) – in 2022 at COP15 in Montreal, Canada, to protect 30 percent of the world's land and 30 percent of the oceans by 2030.

According to recent scientific reports, as highlighted by the United Nations Environment Programme, the world is facing a biodiversity crisis, with one million species threatened by extinction due to soils becoming infertile and water sources drying up.

Columbia's president, Gustavo Petro addresses the opening speech during COP16 in Cali (Pix credit UNCBD)

MALAYSIA'S COMMITMENT TO KMGBF  

On Oct 1, Nik Nazmi said Malaysia's commitment to conserving biodiversity was proven when it became the first ASEAN country, and among the first parties, to integrate the KMGBF into its National Policy on Biological Diversity (NPBD) 2022-2030. 

He said Malaysia was also one of the few countries to submit its conservation plans, namely National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, to protect 30 percent of its land and seas by 2030. 

According to CBD, most countries have yet to submit their biodiversity plans though they had agreed to do so by the start of COP16. As of last Friday (Oct 18), 31 out of 195 participating countries had filed a plan to the CBD secretariat.

NRES Minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Meanwhile, local experts and scientists who spoke to Bernama said Malaysia should take this opportunity to highlight the progress of its biodiversity conservation on the global stage.

Universiti Malaya Sustainable Development Centre research officer Dr Azizi Abu Bakar said Malaysia’s participation at COP16 presents an opportunity to refine NPBD 2022-2030 by aligning the policy with global frameworks. 

“With a strategic focus on both sustainable development and biodiversity conservation, Malaysia can contribute significantly to the global biodiversity agenda while advancing its national goals,” he told Bernama in an email interview. 

He, however, said to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, increased collaboration across multiple sectors within the country is essential, especially in terms of boosting public awareness and conservation actions. 

“As a megadiverse nation, Malaysia carries both privilege and responsibility, but uncertainty looms if public awareness and action remain insufficient. Strengthening partnerships with other nations will also be vital, not out of dependency but to enhance our collective impact,” he said. 

Dr Azizi Abu Bakar

Commenting on KMGBF’s target of protecting 30 percent of the world’s land and oceans by 2030, Azizi said it is crucial for all countries to realise this is not just a matter of meeting an arbitrary figure but also requires a focus on the quality and integrity of the protected areas. 

He said Malaysia already retains approximately 54.58 percent of its land under forest cover, including national parks, state forests, permanent forest reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. 

“To truly make a difference, human rights-based approaches should guide conservation efforts, ensuring that indigenous people and local communities are empowered to take leadership roles as these communities possess invaluable knowledge and are integral to safeguarding biodiversity. 

“Striking a balance between the quality and quantity of protected areas will ultimately determine the effectiveness of Malaysia’s conservation strategy,” he added. 

STRENGTHEN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION 

Commenting on wildlife conservation, Bring Back Our Rare Animals chief executive officer Datuk Dr John Payne said Malaysia should take more decisive action on efforts to manage the recovery of threatened species, which, according to him, have been “lagging unnecessarily”.

He told Bernama addressing prey productivity is crucial in preventing the extinction of the Malayan tiger and reducing human-tiger conflict, pointing out that by increasing wild deer and pig populations in areas where tigers live, a significant step toward species recovery can be made.

He also acknowledged there is growing recognition of the endangered status of the Malayan seladang and that this awareness has created the “perfect moment to enhance efforts in managing both wild and captive populations”. 

Bring Back Our Rare Animals chief executive officer Datuk Dr John Payne (Photo by Soon Li Wei)

Payne added the much-anticipated captive breeding programme for the Bornean banteng in Sabah holds great potential for conservation efforts but “we have yet to see the initiation of this (breeding) programme”.

Meanwhile, Kolektif Iklim, a Malaysian youth group focusing on climate action and biodiversity, has taken the initiative to create more awareness about COP16 by educating the public on the progress of the ongoing two-week biodiversity summit. 

Kolektif Iklim members Aidil Iman Aidid and Pravena Sreetharan said they have launched COP16 Tracker as a social media campaign to highlight the conference.

“The COP16 Tracker is self-explanatory, it will update our followers on the outcomes and negotiations in Cali, Colombia, by sharing posts on COP16 and how it will be relevant to Malaysia. 

“There is some degree of awareness if we look into what Sarawak Eco Warriors has been doing lately in its youth advocacy towards KMGBF and we wish to support that awareness building on COP16 by educating the public on what’s happening there,” they said in a statement to Bernama. 

'Kolektif Iklim' member, Aidil Iman Aidid (two from left) with Ambassador of Colombia to Malaysia, Alejandro Rosseli (middle) in a discussion with youth on COP16, recently. (Pix credit: Aidil Iman Aidid)

When asked about the involvement of youth in advocating biodiversity conservation in Malaysia, Aidil Iman, who is also the founder of Jejak Liar – a youth-led conservation initiative – said more urban youths are now becoming more interested in biodiversity advocacy.

“There is huge potential in capitalising the youth’s interest in this issue where they can contribute to legal and policy processes, career development and community-building. 

“In fact, there are plenty of youth voices advocating biodiversity conservation in Malaysia such as Youths United for Earth, Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Sarawak Eco Warriors,” he added.