Welcome Speech by YBhg. Dato’ Dr Abd. Latif Mohmod
Director General of Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) at
The Official Opening of Best of Both Worlds Conference 2010:
“Effective Environmental Education for Biodiversity Conservation”
Hilton Hotel
8 November 2010 at 9.00 am
Y.B. Hajah Nancy Haji Shukri, Chairperson of the Malaysian Forestry Research and Development Board (MFRDB)
Yang Berusaha Mr Wilfred Landong,
General Manager, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC)
Directors and representatives from the government agencies,
Members of the media,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Salam 1 Malaysia and a very good morning.
1. Distinguished invited guests and delegates, keynote speakers, presenters and participants, ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Best of Both Worlds Environmental Education Conference 2010, with the theme:
“Effective Environmental Education for Biodiversity Conservation”.
2. On behalf of the organisers, I would like to begin by thankingY.B.
Hajah Nancy Haji Shukri, Chairperson of the Malaysian Forest Research and Development Board (MFRDB) for her kind consent to officiate this conference on behalf of the honourable Minister of Natural Resource and Environment, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Douglas Unggah Embas. and
3. This is the 2nd Best of Both Worlds conference held in Malaysia in collaboration with interested parties in Environmental Education (EE) and we are very grateful to have different agencies from different parts of Malaysia and the world, working together to make this event a success. On behalf of FRIM, I would like to extend our greatest appreciation to Malaysian Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) and Commission of the City of Kuching North (DBKU) for their technical contribution and financial support of the conference. Thank you also to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment,
Malaysia (NRE) and Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) for their continuous support to all environmental and educational events involving schools in Malaysia.
4. We are also grateful to our partner and the founder of Best of Both Worlds Conference, University of South Africa (UNISA), for giving us the opportunity to organise this conference in Malaysia once again. To all attendees of this function, I wish to thank each one of you for your participation and scientific contributions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. 2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations. By celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity, we have a unique opportunity to increase the public’s understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on earth. As a big part of the human population, it is our responsibility to help conserve biodiversity.
Only with environmental awareness of responsible communities, biodiversity is able to be conserved. And the best way to promote awareness for biodiversity conservation and to promote environmentally responsible behaviours is through environmental education.
6. Efforts of organisations with technical knowledge to work together with communities and individuals in conservation programmes should be applauded. For example, the project of 26 Million Trees Planting Campaign with theme: “Green the Earth: One Citizen, One Tree” launched by the
Minister of Natural Resource and Environment himself on April 2010 is one of the government’s initiatives to encourage public involvement in conservation. Planting trees not only mean greening the area but also will result in habitat restoration, heat reduction, maintaining oxygen balance as well as enriching biodiversity resources and other benefits to the ecosystem.
7. It is my pleasure to inform that FRIM works closely with other stakeholders at all levels to address the environmental education and conservation effort needed. As example, the current collaboration project of Planting Forest Trees in Schools involves the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM), Forestry Department (FD), Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB), Malaysia Timber Council (MTC) and Malaysia Nature Society (MNS). The project involving 17 schools all over Malaysia is funded by the Levy Fund from the Ministry of Plantation Industry and Commodities Malaysia (KPKK). The greening project will be conducted with elements of education through theoretical and practical approaches to ensure understanding of the function and benefits of greening activities to serve as a good conservation programme.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
8. To achieve related targets for environmental conservation, collective support from all stakeholders including government agencies, private agencies, NGOs and local community are needed. It’s timely for us to combine our knowledge, expertise, financial resource and manpower to
educate public on biodiversity conservation as well as environment conservation. I’m glad to see that there are a number of NGOs and private organisations carrying out their corporate social responsibility activities with involvement of local and school communities, and many of them are participants of this conference as well.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
9. This two-day conference highlights environmental education practices for biodiversity conservation through four themes, which are:
i) Conservation Education on Flora & Fauna;
ii) Environmental Education for Sustainable Lifestyle;
iii) Methods for Effective Environmental Education Programme; and iv) Evaluation of Education Programmes.
Three workshops emphasising hands-on practices on environmental education, entitled ‘Having Fun in Environmental Education’, ‘Teachers Workshop’ and ‘Evaluation Workshop’ are also arranged for participants.
10. We hope the four paper presentation sessions and the three workshops will successfully cover good practices of environmental education from a global perspective. It is our wish that the conference will benefit everyone especially in enhancing the capability of the stakeholders in promoting awareness for biodiversity conservation and to promote environmentally responsible behaviours.
11. I was informed that a total of 100 participants are attending this conference and in terms of technical presentation, 19 working papers will be presented and 10 posters will be displayed. The numbers indicate the active participation of environmental educational practitioners in Malaysia and other countries. Among the participants we have many prominent international presenters from South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, besides Malaysia. The papers from the South East Asian countries are very encouraging; we hope this will trigger interest in setting up a South East Asian network for EE. On behalf of the organising committee, I would like to thank all of you for supporting this conference as well as environmental education practices in respective countries.
12. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our keynote speakers, Prof. Dr Callie Loubser from University of South Africa and Prof.
Dr Pete Higgins from University of Edinburgh, for sharing their thoughts, experience and expertise with all of us in this conference.
13. Once again, I would like to thank the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) and all agencies and individuals who have put in so much effort in making this conference possible. I would also like to express my gratitude to all members of the organising committee for their hard work in making this conference a reality.
14. To all participants, I wish that you would make the best out of this conference to learn from one another.
15. And last but not least, to all local and international participants, I wish you a beneficial, enjoyable and memorable time at this conference.
Thank you.
Dato’ Dr Abd. Latif Mohmod Director General of FRIM
