The Environmental Conference 2022

Kota Kinabalu, 4 June 2022 – The Environmental Conference (TEC) 2022 – its inaugural edition – is now running from today until tomorrow at the Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site in conjunction with the World Environment Day on the 4th of June. It is also the first ever international conference aptly held at an actual wetland. The conference was jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Luyang and Rotary Club of Kuching with the second installment of TEC to be held in Kuching in 2024.

 

TEC was officiated earlier today during a launch which included speeches by key guests and tree planting ceremony. Among present:

 

Yang Berhormat Datuk Joniston Bin Lumai @ Bangkuai, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, & Environment Sabah | On behalf of Yang Berhormat Datuk Jafry Haji Ariffin, Minister of Tourism, Culture, & Environment Sabah

 

Puan Mary Malangking, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment

Sabah | On behalf of Yang Berbahagia Datuk Surveyor Haji Mohd. Yusrie Abdullah, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, & Environment

Sabah

 

Mdm. Dolly Yeap, District Governor of Rotary International District 3310

 

Datuk Haji Zainie Abdul Aucasa, Advisor for The Environmental Conference 2022

 

Dr. John Chan, Advisor for The Environmental Conference 2022

 

Mr. Halim Egoh, President of the Rotary Club of Luyang – the Host club of The Environmental Conference 2022 and Organising Chairperson of TEC 2022,

 

Ms. Mona Abdul Manap, Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Kuching – co-host club and Co-organising Chairperson of The Environmental Conference 2022

 

Mr. Garett Sim, President of the Rotary Club of Kuching

 

Professor Dr. Ahmad Ismail, President of Malaysia Nature Society and Keynote Speaker for The Environmental Conference 2022

 

Effendi Mahany, Product Manager, Sabah Tourism Board | On Behalf of Puan Noredah Othman, CEO of Sabah Tourism Board

The Environmental Conference is a series of conference for experts to discuss the banes and solutions for the environment. The theme ‘Replanting Our Future’ foretold an active discourse on rehabilitative efforts for the environment to ensure a healthy parallel future for life on Earth. This was further driven down by Datuk Jafry B. Hj. Ariffin, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah, who said in his officiating speech, “The natural environment in Sabah is intertwined with not just tourism but also our daily lives. If we allow more rainforests to be logged, further climate change will be experienced, and higher temperatures recorded. This affects many other aspects of our lives and other sectors of the economy”.

 

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ismail informed in his keynote address, “despite having many more unknown species of flora and fauna, Malaysia is ranked among the top twelve mega-biodiversity countries in the world. Together, these countries accommodate 60-70% of the world’s recorded biodiversity”. He stressed the need to preserve and conserve our biodiversity.

 

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ismail is the President of the Malaysian Nature Society with a background in Biology, specialising in Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Ecology, and Ecotoxicology.

The conference featured international and local speakers on 3 main tracts; Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity, Issue & Challenges in Marine Life, and Trends & Changes in Cross-cutting Issues. Five speakers delivered their sessions virtually but all other speakers were onsite at the KK Wetland Ramsar Site.

 

The objective of this conference is to have Rotarians lead by example through environmental discourse, awareness, and action. The conference would also like to identify key projects in the locality to be completed alongside every TEC and the public is invited to submit any suggestions for environmental projects that could be organised by Rotary. The aim is also to educate, engage, and commit the younger generation to environmental protection efforts.

 

For more information, contact President Halim of the Rotary Club of Luyang at [email protected]