Informations sur le projet/l’activité

The Upper Baram Forest Area (UBFA), scattered over an area of 283,500 hectares, consists of 32 communities from various ethnic groups, of which Penan (20), Kenyah (8), Kelabit (3) and Saban (1) with diverse cultures, norms and different social settings and urgent needs. The UBFA holds immense significance due to its rich biodiversity, critical role in maintaining ecological balance, and its importance as a vital resource for local communities' livelihoods. This project is committed to urgently addressing the pressing livelihood needs of affected ethnic groups in 32 communities in the UBFA.

The project's direct beneficiaries are the Penan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Saban indigenous communities in the Upper Baram Forest Area, Sarawak. The project will help to enhance the management of the UBFA project and uplift the local community's livelihood in line with the ITTO project PD 902/12 (F).  which was submitted by the government of Malaysia and partially funded by Swiss et al. in 2021. The socio-ecological system of UBFA is highly complex and requires in-depth study to identify gaps and provide a suitable approach to address the current conflict in the area. The multiple land uses within UBFA involve various stakeholders with different needs and purposes; therefore, understanding and guidelines need to be developed for sustainable use of resources and implementation of the conservation effort. This could be achieved with the Sarawak government policy on mandatory forest management certification for all long forest timber licenses and other relevant policies in place.     

The project would also involve the women's group in the diversification of the livelihood strategies in the area through training and capacity building in related fields. The ITTO Guidelines on Gender Equality and Empowering Women (GEEW) is intended to introduce gender integration in this project to empower women in land use and development planning and resource management to achieve gender equality, as stated in SDG 5.