1 Environmental Issues in Sabah
Any country undergoing development and expansion into previously undeveloped lands
will face challenges related to the environment. As the natural vegetation cover is cleared
environmental change invariably takes place. A typical pattern of development would be
that of an increase in environmental degradation related to natural resource exploitation,
followed by a period of stabilisation once expansion has halted, only to be superseded by
further environmental degradation related to industrial pollution and urbanisation.
The clearance of natural vegetation cover exposes the soil layer to erosion and soils,
which may have taken thousands of years to form, run the risk of being washed away.
The fate of the soil is largely dependent upon the successive land use. Unfortunately the
magnitude of the erosion risk is amplified in the humid tropics due to high intensity
rainfalls and the rapid rate of land conversion. The challenge now is how to manage and
survive this process without threatening quality of life and further degradation of the very
resources that must sustain economic development in years to come.
Sabah is currently faced with this challenge. Until the post World War II timber boom,
driven by the expanding economies of industrial countries, the hinterland of Sabah was
largely undisturbed. Much of the economy was based on small-scale agricultural
activities and natural resource exploitation was limited in extent and scale. However,
within the last 30 years most of Sabah's forests have been logged over at least once and
forests outside of the Permanent Forest Estate are rapidly being converted to other land
uses.
An additional challenge to Sabah and other countries in the region is linked to the
incredible diversity of life, both on land and in the sea. Continued and heightened
international awareness of the rich fauna and flora and the rapid loss of the very habitats
that sustain them, places Sabah under a certain degree of scrutiny, fair or otherwise, as
she strives to develop.
1.1 The Main Issues
The final report of the Sabah Conservation Strategy published in 1992, identified that all
aspects of the environment in Sabah and hence conservation and human welfare are
linked intimately with the use of two primary resources: Land and Natural Forests.
Directly linked to the management of these resources and in need of immediate attention
is the rationale for allocation of land and timber harvesting. With the aim of promoting
socio-economic development, land and natural forest have been utilised to generate both
the revenue and materials for development.
In the absence of specific, practical measures to halt the trends in degradation of natural
resources, prospects for achieving any form of sustainable development will become
increasingly limited. Hence there is an urgent need for planning and firm control of land
allocation on a national, regional and local basis, while integrating the needs of all
sectors.
1.2 The Specific Issues
Linked to the land development and conversion processes, the specific environmental
problems include:
1.2.1 Soil Erosion
Soil erosion reduces the on-site capacity of land to support vegetation and results in
downstream costs. The worse soil erosion occurs where land has been allocated for an
inappropriate use. Soil conservation depends, therefore largely on appropriate land
allocation and available evidence suggests that soil erosion is greatest under land
development without cover crops and in association with forest harvest of natural forests
on steep slopes. There is little soil erosion from stable shifting agriculture or from any
situation where there is permanent cover of vegetation on the soil surface.
1.2.2 Freshwater
State wide, the greatest threat to freshwater quality is high levels of suspended solids,
resulting from a whole range of uses of land and forests. Locally damaging pollution of
freshwater by domestic agricultural and industrial wastes and by use of chemicals to kill
fish does occur. Sabah still has the opportunity, however, to control these sources of
pollution before they become widespread, through EIA, enforcement of legislation
covering point source pollution in urban and sub-urban areas and through better land use
planning. In the absence of greatly reduced logging rates or expensive erosion control
measures during road construction, the input of sediments into freshwaters through use of
heavy machinery and exposure and movement of soil is unlikely to be controllable to a
significant extent through statutory power. However, the adherence to recommended
mitigation measures goes some way to reducing the problem. Land which forms the
catchments of important freshwater sources should be given priority attention and
protected from any unnecessary disturbance.
1.2.3 Natural Forests
Rates of timber harvesting and levels of damage have been high and if not checked may
undermine the prospect for effective water catchments protection; biodiversity
conservation and sustainable timber production.
1.2.4 Biodiversity
Much of the present extents of important areas for biodiversity conservation, which enjoy
strong statutory protection, were reserved prior to 1980. The years subsequent to 1980
have seen rapid period of forest loss and changes in land ownership and use.
1.2.5 Coastal and Marine Resources
The coastal zone and marine resources are under escalating pressure due to deposition of
sediment from activities on land, development of infrastructure for recreational tourism
and settlement purposes, excessive fishing and trawling in the inshore zone, bombing of
coral reefs and the dumping and accumulation of waste material, particularly non-
degradable plastic based products.
1.2.6 Roads and Hill Cutting
Poorly designed roads have been seen to be initiators of serious environmental
degradation wherever land settlement has not been carefully planned and regulated. All
roads attract settlement irrespective of soil suitability. Under the conditions of high
rainfall experienced in hill regions of Sabah, typical standards of road alignment, design,
construction and maintenance cause roads to be a significant cause of soil erosion and
water pollution
1.2.7 Plantation Forests
While on the one hand plantation forests form a suitable use of deforested land with
gentle slopes, more than half of the forests in Sabah were developed through the
conversion of productive natural forests and this trend is increasing alarmingly. The
absence of interest from mill owners in investing in plantation forests indicates an
absence of long-term commitment to the industry.
1.2.8 Riparian Reserves
Well-managed oil palm plantation agriculture can prove to be extremely productive, both
in terms of biomass and revenue. Converting land to more and more large-scale
plantations can cause irreversible catastrophic if sound environmental measures are not
incorporated into the management system. For instance, therefore plantations should
include reserved land on slopes, which are too steep and an appropriate system of riparian
reserves.
1.2.9 Forest Fire
As witnessed in recent years, the changing environment of Sabah has become
increasingly more vulnerable to forest fire. It is well documented that primary forest
rarely burns whereas logged over forest, due to the availability of waste timber debris and
increased dryness, create environments that are susceptible to fire. Apart from the
associated air pollution, damage to the soil and destruction of the remaining ecosystem,
the sustainability of other forestry operations (i.e. plantations) are threatened.
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