Sabah's mangroves hold carbon credit promise

KOTA KINABALU: Mangrove conservation in Sabah could generate significant carbon credits, according to Universiti Putra Malaysia professor Datuk Dr Hng Paik San. However, he pointed out the need to improve data and certification systems before maximizing this potential. Dr Hng, a research fellow at UPM's Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, suggested mangroves were the optimal choice over Acacia trees for carbon credits.

He emphasized the importance of national inventory data and certifications to make this happen. While Acacia trees have been more extensively studied, mangroves present a viable option given the available data. Last year, a similar statement was made by Universiti Malaysia Sabah forestry lecturer Dr Berhaman Ahmad, who claimed mangroves could absorb ten times more carbon than dryland forests.

Sabah's two Ramsar sites, the Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands and Kota Kinabalu Wetland, could also be considered for carbon projects, provided roles and responsibilities are clarified. Dr Hng stressed the necessity of a sustainable business model to maintain long-term conservation efforts. He further suggested that carbon credits could serve as financing tools to make low-carbon projects economically viable, especially during the shift away from fossil fuels which require substantial initial investment.

Sabah has witnessed the emergence of a carbon-credit market, with the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project becoming the first Malaysian nature-based project to offer carbon credits through Bursa Carbon Exchange.