Environmental Awareness Forum

The organiser and the panels after the forum

The Department of Student Affairs organised the “Environmental Awareness Forum of Urban Forest” on 23 January 2018 at Sungai Long Campus. It collaborated with a non-governmental organisation, higher education institution and the local community.

Four panels were invited to share their experience, knowledge and involvement in the local community based on volunteerism. Among them were University of Malaya (UM) Rimba Project Benjamin Ong, Malaysian Nature Society Dr Jean Weber, Shah Alam Community Forest (SACF) Alicia Teoh and Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) Shah Redza.

It is an effort initiated to share knowledge and create awareness in preserving urban forests in cities and conserving urban nature for the benefits of the society. The awareness forum began with the introduction of Kuala Lumpur rainforests such as Bukit Nanas, Bukit Persekutuan, Ampang Forested Hills, Selangor State Park, Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve, Bukit Gasing, and UM’s Rimba Ilmu.

The forum continued with Dr Weber’s presentation on the conservation of local forest trees in cities. He shared how the understanding of forest in mountain, hill and lowland contribute to the conservation work in urban areas, especially human actions toward nature through a multidisciplinary approach. He also explained that open data technology with platforms such as the internet and applications enable the community to have an easier access towards this knowledge.

Ong shared the value of urban wildlife species and its importance towards the environment. He explained that the biodiversity expansion and the level of awareness of its existence in cities face the treats of loss and degradation.

Shah Redza said, “KDCF is the first community forest gazette as a forest reserve. The community forest is defined as a forest floor that is looked over by the local community. KDCF is a trail network with 16 kilometres of trail that connect people with nature. It is also in line with the National Policy on Biology Diversity 2016-2025.”

Teoh spoke about the SACF’s inception and the stakeholder’s participation in community forest conservation. He added, “SACF started ordinarily among the concerned citizens who were passionate about urban nature and hoped that these forests will be accessible for all walks of life.”