Environmental Networking Platform for Children and Youth by SAMSUNG E&A
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Diversity and Biology- The Land Below The Wind |
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by Cheryl Chong Yee Ting | 08-03-2023 20:03
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Sabah, also known as "The Land Below The Wind". It is a beautiful island state situated at the island of Borneo. My home is Sabah, Malaysia. It is also home to over 15000 species of plants, 221 species of mammals and 420 species of birds.
The island is home to 33 cultural ethnic groups, stretching from the mountains of Southwest Sabah to East Sulu, Sandakan, indigenous ethnic groups have reside along the 560km river, living for generations on the rich and abundant soil called home. For centuries, biodiversity on the island attracted many to grow, harvest, hunt, and unfortunately sometimes, thieve. Sabah Rainforest is the the treasure trove of Biodiversity. Protecting and accommodating iconic wildlifes such as the endangered Orangutan, Borneo Pygmy Elephant, the Sun Bear, adorable Sunda Pangolin, and much more... It's rich biodiversity is like a unique diamond on earth, as the saying goes, "as rare as a four leaf clover." In fact, believe it or not there was even a tiger! The Borneon Tiger, or Borneo Tiger is possibly an extinct tiger population that lived on the island of Borneo during prehistoric times. Although a live Borneon Tiger has not been conclusively recorded, but the indigenous Dayak people believe in its existence, and occasionally report sightings! As of recently, modernization of society resulted in the deterioration of Eco-Preservation and the importance of Eco-Protection. People of Borneo love their homeland, but it does not stop the idea of modern revolution spreading like wildfire amongst younger generations. Nowadays, logging, mining, and plantation development have contributed to massive deforestation and impacting the island's orangutan population. Such corrosive actions have caused the perish of thousands of wildlife. To date, Borneo has lost nearly 150,000 Orangutans over the last 16 years. It is certainly an important issue local authorities should pin-point on. Useful factors like enforcing stricter laws and educate youngsters as well as the public on the country's flora and fauna are the few ways to combat the uprising ecosystem wildlife crisis. Currently, the only activist environmental NGO in Sabah is the Non-Governmental Organization - the Sabah Environmental Protection Association (SEPA). It was founded in 1983 and has since continued to preach and protect ecological wonders of Sabah. Fortunately, the Island of Borneo is filled with people who love, and treasure its gifts and gems of its precious soil. The indigenous have always been respectful towards mother nature, and the future generations will continue to do so. Hopefully many more units and groups will be formed in effort to educate and protect the natural ecosystems of our homeland, The Land Below The Wind. I hope youngsters will acknowledge the importance of the ecosystem and its biodiversity of Borneo.
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Former E-gen Ambassador
Cheryl Chong Yee Ting
Previous : The Role of Ecosystems in Prot...
3 Comments
Hi, Cheryl! This is your mentor Yewon.
To begin with, I love the name 'The Land Below The Wind'! I have never been there, but I'm sure Sabah is a beautiful place to visit, where there is beautiful nature filled with wildlife!
I'm glad there is an environmental NGO, SEPA, which tries to protect nature. Moreover, I think that people's effort to protect their nature is the most important thing!!
Thank you for your hard work:D
Posted 22-03-2023 00:53
Hi James, Thank you for taking the time to read my writing. Indeed, subsidies is a beneficial way to cope with the current issues.
Thank you for your amazing feedback!
Posted 12-03-2023 14:57
Hello Cheryl! This is your mentor James!
First of all, I just want to appreciate your beautiful image that you have embedded in your report! I myself had lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for some time, and I didn't know the Sabah region had such diverse ethnicity and biodiversity!
But it is also saddening that this beautiful place is being run down by younger generations themselves, who should be protecting and preserving that environment. Thus, law enforcement along with eco-friendly education are definitely needed. In my personal opinion, the government should also provide subsidies to the indigenous population in Sabah, so that deforestation and overexploitation of resources are unnecessary.
Thank you again for reminding me the lovely environment of Malaysia. I'll hope to read your writing again later on!
Posted 09-03-2023 16:20