Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Public Consultation/Disclosure Notice

30 January 2023, Sabah: The Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are jointly launching a public consultation on the draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the GEF-funded, UNDP-supported project entitled “Integrated Landscape Management for Sustainable Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration in Sabah”.

The project’s objective is to strengthen the projection of high conservation value and high carbon stock areas in Sabah through integrated landscape management approaches, sustainable and resilient palm oil value chains, and participatory conservation and restoration. The project consists of four components:

1. Development of integrated landscape management systems;
2. Promotion of responsible value chains for palm oil and smallholder and medium-sized growers support;
3. Conservation and restoration-rehabilitation of natural habitats through public-private-community partnerships; and
4. Knowledge management and impact monitoring.

The project landscape covers 12 districts in Sabah namely Beluran, Kalabakan, Keningau, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Nabawan, Sipitang, Tawau, Telupid, Tenom and Tongod. These districts have a combined land area of 5,383,200 ha, constituting 73.1% of the total land area of Sabah. Three key intervention areas have been identified within the project landscape, where the GEF funding can provide incremental value in advancing ongoing initiatives, including in the Kinabatangan-Segama Catchment (Tongod, Kinabatangan and Lahad Datu districts) and Lower Sugut Catchment (Beluran district), as well as in the southwest part of the state (Nabawan, Keningau and Tenom districts) where there are important remaining stands of high conservation value forests. 

The project will generate global environmental benefits in the biodiversity, climate change mitigation and land degradation focal areas, which are reflected quantitatively in the GEF-7 Core Indicators summarized below: 

• 2,366,763 ha area of landscapes under improved management to benefit biodiversity;
• 14,000 ha area of High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) loss avoided;
• 10,740,674 tCO2e (lifetime direct) carbon sequestered or emissions avoided in the AFOLU sector;
• 50,000 ha area of degraded agricultural land restored; and
• 150,000 ha area of forest and forest land restored.

The project will also provide direct benefits to 54,000 people, of which 27,000 are women (50%).

The Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) has been prepared in support of the project as a tool to assist in managing potential adverse social and environmental impacts associated with project activities, in line with the requirements of UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards. The implementing partners of the project and the relevant members of the project management unit will follow this ESMF during the start of the project implementation to ensure the environmental and social risks and impacts are fully assessed and management measure are in place prior to the implementation of the relevant project activities.

Preliminary analysis and screening conducted during the project development phase via UNDP’s Social and Environment Screening Procedure (SESP) identified sixteen (16) potential social and environmental risks associated with project activities. The screening procedure established that the project is rated as being of Substantial risk, and that the identified potential social and environmental impacts are manageable through identified mitigation measures detailed in the Screening Template, included in Annex 4 of the project document. Four (4) significant risks are assessed as “Substantial”, eleven (11) further risks as “Moderate” and one (1) risk was rated “Low”.  The broad scope of project activities and outputs is established. However, additional screening and assessment is required as project activities are further defined, to identify potential adverse impacts from activities at project sites and to identify which users/groups might be affected. Adverse impacts will, as they are identified, be subject to further study and stakeholder consultation to identify and where possible quantify the magnitude and severity of such impacts on the individuals/communities affected. Measures to avoid, minimize, mitigate or manage such impacts will be developed and implemented. Project activities identified as potentially requiring such restrictions to access to resources will not be commenced until suitable, agreed measures are in place. This ESMF also details the roles and responsibilities for its implementation and includes a budget and monitoring and evaluation plan. 

The ESMF can be downloaded here.  

Comments on the draft ESMF should be sent to the following e-mail(s): rosila.anthony@sabah.gov.my and folurmy.feedback@undp.org  

Deadline for submission of comments: Close of Business (COB) Friday, 31 March 2023

Perundingan Awam/Notis Pendedahan: Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah (SFD) dan United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
 

30 Januari 2023, Sabah: Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah (SFD) dan United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) bersama-sama melancarkan perundingan awam ke atas draf Rangka Kerja Pengurusan Alam Sekitar dan Sosial (ESMF) untuk projek yang dibiayai oleh GEF dan disokong UNDP bertajuk “Pengurusan Landskap Bersepadu untuk Sistem Makanan Lestari, Guna Tanah dan Restorasi di Sabah”.

Objektif projek ini adalah untuk menguatkan peluncuran kawasan Hutan Bernilai Pemiliharaan Tinggi (HCV) dan Stok Karbon Tinggi (HCS) di Sabah melalui pendekatan pengurusan landskap bersepadu, rantaian nilai kelapa sawit yang mampan dan berdaya tahan, dan penyertaan konservasi dan restorasi. Projek ini terdiri daripada empat komponen:

1. Pembangunan sistem pengurusan landkap bersepadu;
2. Promosi rantaian nilai untuk penanaman dan perusahaan kelapa sawit beserta sokongan pekebun kecil dan sederhana;
3. Pemuliharaan dan restorasi-rehabilitasi habitat semula jadi melalui perkongsian awam-swasta-komuniti; dan
4. Pengurusan pengetahuan dan pemantauan impak.

Landskap projek meliputi 12 daerah di Sabah iaitu Beluran, Kalabakan, Keningau, Kinabatangan, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Nabawan, Sipitang, Tawau, Telupid, Tenom dan Tongod. Jumlah keluasan daerah-daerah tersebut ialah 5,383,200 ha, membentuk 73.1% daripada jumlah keluasan kawasan Sabah. Tiga (3) kawasan intervensi telah dikenal pasti di dalam landskap projek, yang mana dana GEF boleh memberikan nilai pertambahan dalam memajukan initiatif sedia ada termasuklah di Tadahan Kinabatangan-Segama (daerah Tongod, Kinabatangan dan Lahad Datu) dan Tadahan Lower Sugut (daerah Beluran), serta di barat daya negeri Sabah (Nabawan, Keningau dan Tenom districts) yang mana terdapat baki kawasan hutan bernilai pemeliharaan tinggi.

Projek akan menyumbang kepada manfaat alam sekitar sejagat dalam biodiversiti, mitigasi perubahaan iklim dan kawasan fokal kemerosatan tanah yang mana ditunjukkan secara quantitatif dalam Indikator Teras GEF-7 yang diringkaskan seperti berikut:  

• 2,366,763 ha kawasan landskap di bawah peningkatan pengurusan yang memanfaatkan biodiversiti;
• Kerugian 14,000 ha kawasan Hutan Bernilai Pemeliharaan Tinggi (HCVF) dielakkan;
• 10,740,674 tCO2e (sepanjang hayat langsung) karbon disekuestrasi atau pelepasan dielakkan dalam sektor AFOLU;
• 50,000 ha kawasan tanah pertaniaan usang direstorasi; dan
• 150,000 ha kawasan hutan dan tanah hutan direstorasi.

Projek tersebut juga akan memberi manfaat langsung kepada 54,000 orang, yang mana 27,000 orang adalah wanita (50%).

Rangka kerja Pengurusan Alam Sekitar dan Sosial (ESMF) ini telah disiapkan untuk menyokong projek ini sebagai alat untuk membantu menguruskan potensi kesan sosial dan persekitaran yang berkaitan dengan aktiviti projek, selaras dengan keperluan Piawaian Sosial dan Alam Sekitar UNDP. Rakan pelaksana projek dan anggota unit pengurusan projek yang berkaitan akan mematuhi ESMF ini pada permulaan pelaksanaan projek untuk memastikan risiko dan kesan alam sekitar dan sosial dinilai sepenuhnya dan langkah-langkah pengurusan dibangunkan, dan dilaksanakan sebelum pelaksanaan aktiviti projek yang berkaitan.

Analisis awal dan saringan yang dijalankan semasa fasa pembangunan projek melalui Prosedur Saringan Sosial dan Persekitaran (SESP) UNDP mengenal pasti enam belas (16) potensi risko sosial dan alam sekitar yang dikaitkan dengan aktiviti projek. Prosedur penyaringan menetapkan bahawa projek ini dinilai sebagai risiko Besar dan kesan risiko sosial dan alam sekitar yang dikenal pasti boleh diuruskan melalui langkah-langkah mitigasi yang dikenal pasti yang diperincikan dalam Templat Penyaringan, disertakan dalam Lampiran 4 dokumen projek. Empat (4) risiko dinilai sebagai “Besar”, sebelas (11) risiko selanjutnya dinilai sebagai “Sederhana” dan satu (1) risiko dinilai sebagai “Rendah”.  Skop aktiviti dan output projek yang luas telah ditetapkan. Walau bagaimanapun, penyaringan dan penilaian tambahan diperlukan sewaktu fasa permulaan ketika aktiviti projek diberi takrifan lanjut, untuk mengenal pasti kemungkinan kesan buruk di tapak projek dan bagi mengenal pasti pengguna/kumpulan pengguna yang mungkin terjejas. Kesan buruk yang dikenalpasti adalah tertakluk kepada kajian lanjut dan rundingan pihak berkepentingan bagi mengenal pasti dan, jika boleh, menentukan kuantiti magnitud dan keterukan kesan tersebut terhadap individu/komuniti yang terjejas. Langkah-langkah untuk mengelakkan, meminimumkan, mengurangkan, atau menguruskan kesan sedemikian akan dibangunkan dan dilaksanakan. Aktiviti projek yang dikenal pasti berpotensi memerlukan sekatan akses kepada sumber tidak akan dimulakan sehingga langkah-langkah yang sesuai dan dipersetujui tersedia. ESMF ini juga memperincikan peranan dan tanggungjawab pelaksanaannya dan merangkumi belanjawan serta pelan pemantauan dan penilaian.

ESMF boleh dimuat turun di sini. 

Komen ke atas draf ESMF hendaklah dihantar kepada alamat e-mel berikut: rosila.anthony@sabah.gov.my dan folurmy.feedback@undp.org  

Tarikh tutup penghantaran komen: Tamatnya waktu perniagaan pada hari Jumaat, 31 Mac 2023