I January-April
2000
Danum is an example ofa win-win international collaborative research between developing and developed countries, an initiative ofYayas an Sabah that started in 1984. In his speech during the signing ceremony of the fourth quinquennial MoU on Danum Valley Rainforest Research and Training Programme between Danum Valley Management Committee (DVMC) and The Royal Society, U.K. for a further five years, DVMC Chairman, Tengku Datuk Dr. Zainal Adlin, said Danum's status as an ideal 'laboratory' and for in-situ comparative studies has been enhanced with the presence of both loggedover area and an on-going carbon offset forest rehabilitation and liberation project of 25,000 ha and the undisturbed 43,800 ha conservation area. The ceremony held on February 24 at the Yayasan Sabah Training Room was witnessed by the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima [now Haji] Osu Hj. Sukam. The main aims ofthe programmes are:
* To gain scientific understanding of the ecological process and evolutionary mechanisms operating within tropical rainforest.
DANUMAN EXAMPLE OFA
WIN-WIN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH * To provide training opportunities * *
for Sabahans in ecology, forestry and related sciences. To provide information which may contribute to improve management offorests in Sabah. To foster an understanding among schools and university students and the general public ofthe value offorests for sustainable development in Sabah.
To date 250 studies have been completed or are in progress and have produced over 170publications. Tengku Adlin said the programme has a commitment to provide training for young environmental scientists. He added that with the strong support of the Royal Society, it has involved 41 postgraduate projects, including 25 doctoral, of which five
are Malaysians; and 16Masters of which 13 are Malaysians. TengkuAdlin requested the State Government to dedicate a viable permanent reserve for a wildlife corridor, from the coast near Silam to Danum and Maliau Basin not only for the survival of the endangered species but for the good of the plantations themselves. "If not, the wildlife will feed on the young growing tender leaves of the oil palm and acacia mangium in a lose-lose situation," he said. Members of the DVMC are the Forestry Division, Yayasan Sabah, the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Development, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department and the Sabah Museum. The Royal Society, London, which is the national academy of sciences for the United Kingdom, also sits on the committee as observers. The Royal Society Research Coordinator and a Resident Senior Scientist represent the Societyin the Danum Valley Management Committee.
Exchange of documents between Tengku Adlin [left] of DVMC and Professor Charles Godfrey
[right}
0/ Royal
Society
witnessed by Datuk Osu [now Haji]
