KOTA KINABALU: Conservation groups are urging the Sabah government to reconsider the Pan Borneo Highway project's route through the biodiversity-rich Tawai Forest Reserve in the central Telupid district.
The project's Work Package 31, a 20.5km stretch from Sungai Baoto to Telupid, is expected to have severe negative impacts on the environment and wildlife in the Tawai Forest Reserve, a protected Class 1 forest reserve under the Sabah Forestry Department.
The group of conservationists, dubbed Humans Habitats Highways (3H) Coalition, acknowledges economic development needs but emphasises concerns about the environmental and community impact.
Scrapping the current route may pose challenges, but the coalition believes the costs of mitigating environmental and community impacts later will be much higher.
"We therefore strongly urge the State Government to reconsider their decision and we remain at the disposal of Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya to brief him about our concerns and recommendations.
"We would also appreciate if the mitigation plan that has been already taken into account to address the effects on the environment and wildlife on the route which goes through the Tawai Forest Reserve can be shared with the Coalition to encourage open comment and discussion," it said in a statement.
Coalition 3H comprises the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), Borneo Futures, Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), Forever Sabah, Jaringan Orang Asal Se-Malaysia (JOAS), Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), 1StopBorneo Wildlife, PACOS Trust, Save Rivers Network, Sabah Birdwatchers Association, Seratu Aatai, and WWF-Malaysia.
On this particular issue, the Coalition has been working tirelessly since 2019 to provide evidence and advise the government on how to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the benefits of the Pan Borneo Highway for Sabah's people, nature and economy.
In March 2020, Coalition 3H proposed to the State Government three alternative routes based on scientific assessments and community consultations.
This includes alternative alignments that avoid cutting through the Tawai Forest Reserve and wildlife movement routes while also potentially providing socio-economic advantages to the communities in Pekan Telupid.
"Sabah aims to be seen as a global leader in conservation and its commitment to transition toward a sustainable and equitable economy is locally and internationally recognised. Sabah's iconic wildlife brings millions of ringgits to the State from tourism.
"The Tawai Forest Reserve is home to some of the most endangered but also charismatic species in the Heart of Borneo: the Bornean elephant and orangutan, the Sunda pangolin and clouded leopard, and the Malayan sun bear, as well as the once thought to be extinct Bornean peacock-pheasant.
"Building a four-lane highway through wildlife habitats will create a hazard to the people, to the wildlife and to the environment in the region.
"To name only one, we will most probably see an increase of human-wildlife conflicts during and after the construction of the road which, itself, will lead to a high number of collisions with animals including elephants, potentially leading to human deaths."