RANAU: Invasive plant species remain a primary threat to Kinabalu Park's status as a World Heritage Site, requiring more aggressive and systematic control measures.
Sabah Parks deputy director (Operations, Privatisation and Development) Maipol Spait, said the presence of these species has been consistently highlighted in international assessments.
"We have paid serious attention to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Conservation Outlook Assessment reports conducted in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2025.
"The consistency of these concerns demands that we intensify on-the-ground control efforts," he said at a programme to remove invasive plants.
Maipol said that a Sabah Parks study documented 98 alien plant species within the park, 65 of which are classified as invasive and harmful to the ecosystem.
"The identification of widely distributed species, such as Hypochaeris radicata and Plantago major, provides critical baseline data for formulating more effective eradication strategies," Maipol said.
Separately, Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin launched the new Kinabalu Park World Heritage Site Management Plan yesterday.
Jafry said the plan focuses on four pillars: climate change adaptation, visitor carrying capacity control, disaster risk management, and community well-being. He said policies and legislation are insufficient without the involvement of local communities, whom he described as key strategic partners.
Jafry also said the adoption of digital monitoring systems like EarthRanger has enabled real-time tracking of biodiversity and safety, making enforcement more proactive and data-driven
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