A heritage declaration adopted in Kuching places communities at the heart of protecting living heritage, including decisions made before disasters and during recovery. The Kuching Declaration sets out 10 commitments following the 22nd International Council on Monuments and Sites General Assembly and Scientific Symposium, held from Oct 19 to 23. The gathering brought 1,800 participants from 110 countries to Kuching. Rather than treating conservation as a task for specialists alone, the declaration calls for local and indigenous knowledge to be combined with research, communities to help shape decisions, and heritage custodians to be better prepared as first responders. It also links conservation with climate action, education and intergenerational learning. For Kuching’s heritage communities, the practical distinction is participation: preserving a place involves the people who use it, not only the buildings themselves. The declaration calls for funding, training and communication infrastructure, alongside transparent partnerships and measurable benchmarks for progress. These are commitments addressed to governments, institutions and heritage custodians, not a newly announced set of Kuching building restrictions. The test now is how those commitments are translated into funded work, preparedness and decisions in which communities have a voice.

Sarawak has recorded about 80 fish species across eight river systems, while six possible sites around Santubong and Telaga Air are being proposed for a replacement inland fisheries centre. No final relocation site was identified in the update. Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom told the State Legislative Assembly on Oct 20 that the surveys included six Pangasius species and two newly identified species. The work maps species, habitats, distribution and abundance, providing a baseline for conservation and decisions on native fish production. The report does not establish that the two finds have already been formally described as species new to science. The proposed sites would replace the existing 150-hectare Samariang Batu Inland Fisheries Centre. For communities around the Kuching coast, this remains a site-selection proposal rather than an announcement that a new centre is open or that a particular locality has been chosen. The research programme also covers genetics, broodstock and seed production, larval rearing and fish husbandry. Collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, FRI Glami Lemi and the National University of Singapore is intended to strengthen technical capacity. The stated aim is to link fisheries development with protection of native aquatic resources, including terubok.

Budget 2027 raises the Ecological Fiscal Transfer fund to RM270 million for state-level conservation, but does not identify a separate Sarawak allocation in the announced measures. The Prime Minister and Finance Minister set out the increase in the Dewan Rakyat on October 9. The fund supports state governments in conserving natural heritage and is intended to encourage community-based economic activities and ecotourism. The RM270 million is the fund’s overall allocation, not a sum announced solely for Sarawak and Sabah. A separate RM65 million provision supports about 2,500 community rangers nationwide, including the construction and maintenance of ranger posts for patrols. It is not an announcement of 2,500 new ranger vacancies in Sarawak. Another RM15 million from palm oil industry cess collections is earmarked for environmental conservation, prioritising threatened habitats and species such as the Bornean elephant and orangutan. For Sarawak conservation groups and communities, the next useful detail will be how the national measures are translated into state projects and support on the ground; the announcement does not list a state-by-state distribution or an application timetable.

Thirty-nine local community rangers have been hired under a wildlife project covering Ulu Sebuyau, Sedilu and Gunung Lesong national parks, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) says. The appointments put residents into paid conservation work around the three project areas. They form part of the Global Wildlife Programme's Bornean orangutan and habitat component, which SFC is implementing in Sarawak from 2025 to 2028. SFC separately aims to appoint Honorary Wildlife Rangers by the end of 2026. Those roles involve voluntary community participation; they are not the same as the 39 jobs already reported. At an October 5 community-engagement workshop in Kuching, SFC also discussed Community Conservation Areas and community-based ecotourism around the parks. Those approaches are being developed with residents. The report does not announce a new tourist attraction, an opening date or an application round for more ranger posts.

Sarawak is setting a new target of 50 million trees by 2030 after exceeding its previous five-year planting goal. The target comes under Malaysia Greening Programme 2.0. The state had planted more than 35 million trees between 2021 and 2025, according to the latest forestry update. The programme is being linked to a broader push to make forests support rural livelihoods as well as conservation. A southern-zone non-timber forest products expo held from July 31 to Aug 9 brought together 40 community-based entrepreneurs and generated RM501,677.70 in sales. That combination matters for Sarawak’s forest policy: the next phase is being presented not only as a planting exercise, but also as an attempt to create income from non-timber products, ecosystem services, biodiversity and ecotourism while keeping natural resources under sustainable management.

Bukit Lima Nature Reserve in Sibu is set to be gazetted as Malaysia's largest protected urban peat swamp nature reserve. [image: 1783850680098-bukit-lima.jpg] Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the protected area will cover about 1,045 hectares, made up of the existing 301 hectares and another 744 hectares. He said major development will not be allowed inside the reserve. Only small-scale facilities for recreation and basic amenities are planned. The reserve has also been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the country's largest protected urban peat swamp nature reserve. Why it matters For Sibu, this is a big green lung right inside an urban area. It also gives Sarawak another conservation asset that can support education, recreation and environmental protection at the same time. Location: Bukit Lima Nature Reserve, Sibu Details: The announcement was made after the Sarawakku Sayang Programme in Sibu on July 11. Source: Sarawak Tribune What do you think?

[image: 1780448535566-ruby-orangutan-baby.jpg] Heartwarming news from Kuching's Semenggoh Wildlife Centre — Ruby the orangutan has given birth to her first baby, and it's a historic milestone for Sarawak's conservation efforts. Rangers at the centre made the joyful discovery on May 19, spotting Ruby carrying her newborn around 5.50pm. The moment was confirmed via a social media post on May 31. What makes this birth special? The newborn is the first recorded fourth-generation orangutan birth at Semenggoh — meaning Ruby, her mother, grandmother, and now her baby all represent four generations of successful rehabilitation and conservation. The centre hailed the birth as a strong sign that Sarawak's ongoing efforts to protect and rehabilitate the Bornean Orangutan population are working. Ruby and her baby are said to be in good health, with staff continuing to monitor them closely. Location: Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Kuching Details: Ruby's first baby, 4th-gen birth, historic conservation milestone Source: https://dayakdaily.com/joy-at-semenggoh-wildlife-centre-as-ruby-the-orangutan-cradles-her-first-baby/ What do you think?