Malaysia Has Highest Number Of Threatened Species Globally

Norfarhana Ahya Arip Bernama 8 Oct 10;

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's rapid development has come with a price. The country now ranks third in the world as having the highest number of threatened species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

In Asia, the IUCN lists Malaysia as sitting among the top countries for the same reason.

Malaysian Nature Society Chairman Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee said that rapid development of a nation -- transformation from an agriculture-based economy to an industrial and manufacturing nation -- was at the expense of forests and wetlands.

This resulted in the degradation of biodiversity, he noted.

However, he said, the nation started recognising the great challenges that the nation faced in the conservation of its tropical biodiversity and sought practical, long-term solutions.

"Efforts must be taken to reverse the current trends for the future generation...for the sake of our valuable biodiversity," he said at the two-day Malaysian Nature Society International Conference which began here Friday.

The conference is themed, 'Challenges and Solutions for Tropical Biodiversity'.

Biodiversity, Dr Ahmad Mustaffa said, had a major role to play in social and economic development because it was the backbone for supportive life on earth.

Meanwhile, when opening the conference, natural resources and environment ministry deputy secretary-general (I) Datuk Aziyah Mohamed said the involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGO) in the conservation and sustainability of the nation's tropical biodiversity would be valuable input for the government to strengthening the policy.

She said the government would work closely with the NGOs to get the necessary feedback, "because they actually touch base with the ground, perhaps some areas or the blind spots we cannot see but they actually really see it".

-- BERNAMA