KOTA KINABALU

RCM’s TEAM AT VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS

In October, RCM Attended the ‘Darvel Bay Scientific Technical Working Group Zoning Workshop’ organised by Sabah Parks and WWF-Malaysia. The workshop discussed the management framework that has four Focus Areas: Preservation and Conservation, Ecotourism Development, Sustainable Financing, and Capacity Building.

Our colleague Nadhirah also participated in the ‘CTI National Plan of Action 2.0’, contributing to the documentation of the plan. She shared about past and ongoing Reef Check Malaysia program conducted all around Malaysia, especially with the local island communities in Coral Triangle areas. This programme was lead by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability of Malaysia (NRES), facilitated by Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMRI), and included participation by Sabah Parks, WWF-Malaysia, Marine Research Foundation, Kudat Turtle Conservation Society and many more.

SABAH INTERNATIONAL BLUE ECONOMY CONFERENCE (SIBEC)

In October, our colleague Nadhirah represented RCM as one of the panelist at the Social Inclusion and Community Empowerment forum during the Sabah International Blue Economy Conference. Nadhirah shared about our programs in Sabah, focusing on reef conservation and community-based waste management. She also had the opportunity to share how local communities play a role in preserving marine ecosystems while benefitting from sustainable economic opportunities of the Blue Economy. Through the establishment of our Community Marine Conservation Groups (CMCGs), the local communities are empowered, given a stronger voice and are actively part of preserving and conserving their natural ecosystem and resources.

BLUE ECONOMY WORKSHOP

In response to Sabah state government's plan on the Blue Economy agenda, Reef Check Malaysia was invited by Sabah Young Business and Industry Leaders Network (Sybil) to share about our programs in Sabah during their Blue Economy Workshop. About 25 people attended the workshop which discussed Blue Economy in Sabah and a presentation by Sabah Ports. Nadhirah from RCM presented on "Building Resilient Coastal Economies: Integrating Community-Based Conservation with Sustainable Economic Development", followed by a discussion to gather feedback and suggestions on the 4 pillars outlined in the Sabah Blue Economy agenda.

expanding our work in kota kinabalu

Our colleagues organised a courtesy visit to Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu to introduce Reef Check Malaysia and discuss possible collaborations with conservation programs. The mayor expressed great interest in collaborating with RCM to tackle solid wastes issues in Kota Kinabalu, beginning with community engagement at a few coastal villages in the area. RCM also had the opportunity to gift the mayor handicrafts from WANIS (local women’s group of Kampung Song-Song), which is a new product of Mengkuang box made out of Serdang leaves.

completion of annual reef check surveys

In early November, our team completed the Reef Check Survey in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. The corals took a hard hit from the recent mass coral bleaching event and the storm that hit the west coast in September. The corals that withstood the heat are recovering, but some are toppled over because of the severe storm impact.

We also completed the surveys in Tun Mustapha Park with great support from WWF-Malaysia and Sabah Parks. This year’s survey showed major bombing and anchoring damages on the reefs, especially among the further sites in Maliangin, Banggi and near Pitas area.

SEMPORNA

PRESENTING PROGRESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORTS

In October, our colleagues Adzmin and Nadhirah met with Sabah Parks to present the project progress of the Community-Based Coral Conservation and Restoration Programme in Sabah (Selakan Island). The meeting was chaired by Sabah Parks Director, Dr. Maklarin, and attended by several other staff. The Director was happy with the progress especially with the local community involvement in the program. During the meeting, a few issues were discussed, including waste management on the island and the sustainability of the program (financing etc) and the role of the local communities as the project comes to an end. Our colleagues also presented a proposal which will contribute to the sustainability of this program, and the active roles of various stakeholders (Local Town Council, Local District Office and government bodies) in supporting clean-up programs in Semporna.

WRAPPING UP Larapan island’s WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

At the end of October, RCM officially wrapped up the waste management program in Larapan Island, funded by SC Johnson. Since its inception in March 2022, 105 households, representing nearly 1,000 residents participated in the program. Together, we have prevented 22,896.4 kg of waste from being directly disposed into the marine ecosystem. Compliance levels, based on our monitoring system, reached 54% (satisfactory). The program will be continued by WWF-Malaysia (Semporna) as part of their No Plastic In Nature (NPIN) initiative. RCM extends our gratitude to the village leaders, local community members, Majlis Daerah Semporna, as well as our close ally in waste management, AMWIL Deslen for their participation and support.

SEMPORNA CLEANLINESS CAMPAIGN

RCM and the representatives from a few local government departments conducted an assessment in 13 coastal villages around Semporna Town, as part of the Semporna Cleanliness Campaign launched by the District Officer, Tn Alexander Liew. In mid-December, RCM, together with the Semporna District Council organised the Majlis Penganugerahan Kebersihan Kampung Peringkat Zon Persisir Pantai Daerah Semporna. During the award ceremony, RCM received an honorable mention by the District Officer of Semporna for our outstanding dedication and support to build up Semporna’s community.

mantanani

Ongoing removal of waste materials and recyclables

In the last 3 months of 2024, our team on Mantanani Island had collected 1009.2kg of wastes (consisting of plastic waste and genereal waste), which were transported out to the waste disposal centre in Kayu Madang, Tuaran.

Meanwhile, they also collected 368kg of plastic bottles and 343kg of drinking cans, which were successfully transported to GNC recycling centre to be recycled.