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Maliau Basin Conservation Area Management Project 1999 -
2003
The "Management of Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah,
Malaysia" project was agreed upon as a Malaysian-Danish
Government-to-Government cooperation project in the field of
environment in October 1998. The development objective of the
project is to secure the conservation of Maliau Basin for the
benefit of Sabah, Malaysia and the international community.
Danish input is provided through
DANIDA (Danish
International Development Assistance) was further
defined and a Danish consultant was selected to be responsible
for the actual provision of the DANCED inputs. These inputs
and the related conditions were settled in a contract signed
October 1999 between DANCED and the consultant,
Ornis Consult Ltd. and
NEPCon Joint Venture,
while Malaysian input is through
Yayasan Sabah (Sabah
Foundation), on behalf of the Maliau Basin Management
Committee.
A Project Steering Committee (PSC) has been established to
monitor the progress of the project, and must approve all
major changes to project implementation. The PSC is thus
responsible for the formal overseeing of the project by the
Malaysian Government and DANIDA.
Members of the PSC are:
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Permament Secretary of the Natural Resource Office of the
Chief Minister's Department, Sabah (Chair),
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Director, Sabah Forestry Department,
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Director, Yayasan Sabah,
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Director, Sabah Economic Planning Unit, Chief Minister's
Department, Sabah
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Representative from Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and
Environment
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Principle Assistant Director, Federal Economic Planning Unit
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Environmental Counselor, Royal Danish Embassy Malaysia
A Project Management Group, consisting of the Project
Director, Dr Waidi Sinun, of Yayasan Sabah R & D Division,
and Chief Technical Adviser, Mr Hans Skotte Moeller, Ornis
Consult / NEPCon, supervised a project team comprising both
local and international staff.
The four-year project runs officially from October 1st 1999
to September 30, 2003 and the objectives include:
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Establishment of a functional management structure for the
Maliau Basin Conservation Area;
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The development of field facilities for research and other
activities;
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The production of a comprehensive 10-year Management Plan;
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Enhanced capacity among staff of Yayasan Sabah and other stake
holder agencies;
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Raised awareness about the needs for long-term conservation
among Sabahans and Malaysians at large; and eventually,
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The successful implementation and institutionalization of the
Management Plan.
 Only
about 30% of Maliau Basin Conservation Area has so far been
explored, and researchers will carry out botanical, faunal,
meteorological, hydrological, geological and soil studies as
well as detailed mapping surveys.
The project also addressed public awareness and
environmental education about Maliau Basin Conservation Area,
and its potential for ecotourism.
 Preliminary sites,
or Agathis and Belian Camps, were established to act
as a base for field research. A project office was set up in
nearby Luasong Forestry Centre, while the Project Management
Group was located in Yayasan Sabah R & D Division in Kota Kinabalu.
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