By Olivia Miwil
Feb 8, 2015.
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Wetlands is seeking public and
corporate funding to protect a 24ha biodiversity-rich mangrove forest.
Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society president Datuk Zainie Abdul
Aucasa said the operating cost for the centre was about RM18,000 per month.
“We rely on visitors’ conservation fee to pay employees as well as utility and maintenance fees of the centre. However, we have funding from corporations for educational programme catered to the public and the replanting mangrove trees,” he said at the World Wetlands Day celebration here yesterday.
Zainie said in conjunction to the celebration’s theme “Wetlands
for our future”, the organisation hoped to educate and engage youth to preserve the habitat.
Earlier, 110 students from 12 secondary schools here
participated in a race that enabled them to gain knowledge on the importance of
the biodiversity and how they could contribute back to the wetlands.
“Wetlands purify and replenish our groundwater, act as a natural
shield protecting coastlines against flooding, as well as fight climate change
among others.
“The habitat has more than 10 species
of mangroves trees and large diversity of animals including 92 species of
resident and migratory birds, marine wildlife.”
To date, Kota Kinabalu Wetlands have received more than 150,000
visitors and educated more than 3,000 participants since it opened to public in
March, 2000.
Sabah Tourism, Culture and environment minister
Datuk Masidi Manjun launched the celebration.
Besides encouraging public to conserve, Masidi also announced an allocation of RM50,000 to the centre and an additional fund RM24,000 for awareness programme for schools that participated
in the celebration.
“We should be proud Kota Kinabalu and Tokyo are the only two
places with wetlands within the heart of city, which will provide better
livelihood for city folks,”.
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