MALAYSIA HAS HIGHEST NUMBER OF THREATENED SPECIES GLOBALLY

By Norfarhana Ahya Arip

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's rapid development has come with
a price.

The country now ranks third in the world as having the highest number of
threatened species, according to the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) Red List.

In Asia, the IUCN lists Malaysia as sitting among the top countries for the
same reason.

Malaysian Nature Society Chairman Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee said that
rapid development of a nation -- transformation from an agriculture-based
economy to an industrial and manufacturing nation -- was at the expense of
forests and wetlands.

This resulted in the degradation of biodiversity, he noted.

However, he said, the nation started recognising the great challenges that
the nation faced in the conservation of its tropical biodiversity and sought
practical, long-term solutions.

"Efforts must be taken to reverse the current trends for the future
generation...for the sake of our valuable biodiversity," he said at the two-day
Malaysian Nature Society International Conference which began here Friday.

The conference is themed, 'Challenges and Solutions for Tropical
Biodiversity'.

Biodiversity, Dr Ahmad Mustaffa said, had a major role to play in social
and
economic development because it was the backbone for supportive life on earth.

Meanwhile, when opening the conference, natural resources and environment
ministry deputy secretary-general (I) Aziyah Mohamed said the involvement
of non-governmental organisations (NGO) in the conservation and sustainability
of the nation's tropical biodiversity would be valuable input for the government
to strengthening the policy.

She said the government would work closely with the NGOs to get the
necessary feedback, "because they actually touch base with the ground, perhaps
some areas or the blind spots we cannot see but they actually really see it".

-- BERNAMA