Happy New Year 2025! As we close 2024 and look toward the new year and beyond, we reaffirm our vision for Sabah: by 2030, its biodiversity, ecosystem services, and agricultural systems will be valued, protected, responsibly managed, and climate-resilient, bringing lasting benefits to both people and nature.

Sabah is a land of remarkable biodiversity and cultural richness, with vast forests, iconic wildlife like Bornean orangutans, Bornean banteng, and Bornean elephants, and a vibrant heritage upheld by more than 30 Indigenous ethnic groups. This natural wealth holds immense potential for sustainable and equitable growth. While challenges such as habitat loss, species decline, and impacts of climate change remain, they also inspire collective action. By adopting sustainable practices and fostering collaboration across governments, businesses, and communities, Sabah can preserve its unique heritage and continue to shine as a global example of biodiversity conservation and cultural harmony for future generations.
 

2024 Achievements and milestones: Protect, Produce, Restore
 

Here are some brief highlights from 2024, as we worked towards advancing wildlife conservation, habitat protection, sustainable agriculture, empowerment of communities to manage natural resources, and ecological restoration across the Tawau-Kunak, Tabin, and Lower Sugut landscapes. Guided by its Living Landscape Approach, WWF-Malaysia’s Sabah Landscapes Programme (SLP) integrates biodiversity conservation with sustainable development in Sabah through its three core pillars: Protect, Produce, and Restore. Supported and strengthened by cross-cutting initiatives in spatial planning, policy development, communications and outreach, and social safeguards, our teams worked closely throughout 2024 with the government, industry stakeholders, NGOs, local communities and many others, to drive progress toward conservation, sustainability, and restoration goals in Sabah.
 

Safeguarding Sabah’s Biodiversity

Significant progress was made in species and habitat protection efforts across Sabah. A new method for surveying orangutans, using UAV drone images and Deep Learning Models, was developed, improving the accuracy and efficiency of monitoring these critically endangered species. Bornean elephants were officially recognized as a distinct subspecies of Asian elephants and listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, underscoring the urgency for targeted conservation action.

The 10-Year Action Plan to Combat Sabah Wildlife Crime was launched, along with establishing the SMART Conservation Network for Sabah, aimed at strengthening wildlife protection. Additionally, Pin Supu Forest Reserve was evaluated for inclusion in the IUCN Green List, setting a benchmark for effectively managed protected areas. Efforts to protect Sabah's ecosystems were further advanced with the completion and launch of the Sabah Mangrove Action Plan, led by the Sabah Forestry Department. Lastly, amendments to the Wildlife Conservation Enactment were submitted, reinforcing legal frameworks for wildlife protection.

Supporting Sustainable Practices

In supporting sustainable production, efforts to promote best practices in the agricultural industry, ensuring economic viability while protecting biodiversity, continued throughout 2024. Training and support were provided to small- and medium-sized oil palm growers in the Tawau-Kunak and Tabin landscapes to encourage their pursuit of RSPO certification through cooperative models. A notable achievement was the second sale of RSPO credits by the 25 certified smallholders under LKSS (a local growers' cooperative) to Unilever, generating a new revenue stream, supporting sustainable palm oil practices, and fostering stronger connections between producers and global buyers committed to sustainability. This development has also sparked interest among approximately 100 additional smallholders, who are now considering pursuing RSPO certification. This motivation was further strengthened by a visit from international buyers Beiersdorf and Evonik, who emphasized their commitment to sustainable sourcing and supporting local producers who adopt and maintain sustainable practices. Additionally, the passing of a resolution at RT2024 to promote sustainability across the palm oil supply chain reinforced this collective drive toward responsible production.

Reviving Forests and Ecosystems
 

Forest restoration advanced through efforts with the Sabah Forestry Department, including the development of strategic guidelines for forest restoration in Sabah and the establishment of long-term spatial monitoring systems to ensure effective restoration implementation. A total of 1,369 hectares have been successfully planted with native tree species and are being maintained across key areas: Sabah Softwoods Ecological Corridor, Mt Wullersdorf, and Bukit Piton Forest Reserves in the Tawau-Kunak Landscape; Bagahak Ecological Corridor, KLK-Link and Silabukan Kecil Forest Reserve in the Tabin Landscape; and Trusan Sugut Forest Reserve in the Lower Sugut Landscape, moving closer to the target of 1,500 hectares fully planted by December 2025. The Ecosystem Restoration concept was fully integrated into our restoration strategy and approach, with other milestones achieved including the recent auditing of 276 hectares at Mt Wullersdorf Forest Reserve under the Ecosystem Restoration Field Verification Standard v3.1. Additionally, collaboration with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage supports riparian river restoration in Sabah, incorporating new guidelines into the broader forest restoration framework.

Strengthening the Living Landscape Approach

Throughout 2024, we continued reinforcing the Living Landscape Approach by integrating statewide initiatives to complement our work across landscapes. Spatial planning advanced by kickstarting the integrated land-use planning process and stakeholder consultations for the Tawau and Lahad Datu districts, supported by new data from a wildlife expedition in Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve and the release of the Malay version of the Sabah Wildlife Atlas Book. Policy development further strengthened this approach, with key efforts including the 4th Borneo Colloquium on Environmental Justice, proposed amendments to the Wildlife Conservation Enactment, and contributions to reform the Town and Country Planning Ordinance. Social safeguards were enhanced by operationalizing the Complaint Resolution Mechanism and integrating WWF’s Environmental & Social Safeguards Framework into conservation work. Outreach initiatives, such as the first wildlife awareness programme for the Tabin Landscape and implementing an early warning system to mitigate crop damages due to elephants in Kg Teburi, linked conservation efforts with community well-being. By integrating these cross-cutting initiatives with our partners, we continue to drive progress toward sustainable land use, biodiversity conservation, and community resilience in Sabah.

As we look toward 2025, we draw inspiration from the progress achieved in 2024, made possible by your steadfast commitment and support. A special thanks to all our generous donors, whose contributions have been instrumental in advancing our mission to safeguard Sabah’s rich biodiversity and build resilient communities. Building on this momentum, 2025 will see the launch of new restoration projects, enhanced wildlife monitoring and capacity-building efforts, expanded support for sustainable palm oil production, exploration into new sustainable finance initiatives, and much more, driving long-term benefits for both nature and communities.

Together Possible.

Yours,

Robecca Jumin

Head of Conservation, WWF-Malaysia (Sabah)