Sarawak’s Baram Peace Park receives US$200,000 donation from City of Basel

PETALING JAYA (July 6): The International Tropical Timber Organisation’s (ITTO) proposed Upper Baram Forest Areas, also known as Baram Peace Park will receive funding support of US$200,000 (RM830,680) from the Swiss Canton of Basel-Stadt (City of Basel).

In a press statement on July 5, the mayor of Basel, Beat Jans, said the contribution will support the project in order to sustain the livelihoods of 24 indigenous communities living in the area – the Penan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Saban.

In addition, the contribution is also meant to honour the lifetime achievement of Bruno Manser, a Basel-born environmentalist who went missing in Sarawak in May 2000. Manser dedicated much of his life to understanding the Penan lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Bruno Manser Fonds, a Swiss-based NGO has also contributed an additional US$200,000 to the project.

“We welcome the city of Basel’s support for this project. It is a milestone and will encourage other donors to join in and make this exceptional community-driven conservation project come true,” said Bruno Manser Fonds executive director, Lukas Straumann.

Drafted in cooperation with community representatives, the Baram Peace Park was submitted by the Malaysian government during the 56th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council in Nov 2020. Upon submission, the proposal has been endorsed by the ITTO.

Through this project, the objective is to strive for forest conservation and sustainable development of the affected communities.

Located in the upstream region of the Baram river system, the project spans 283,500ha with 79,000ha consisting of a core zone of primary forest, a buffer zone of secondary forest and an agricultural zone for traditional paddy cultivation by the communities.

The total budget of the project is US$2 million. The govt is covering US$1.2 million while the remaining US$800,000 is to be funded with international support.

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