SABAK BERNAM, June 4 — The state government is seeking to secure the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve (UBR) recognition for Sabak Bernam by 2027 as part of ongoing efforts to balance development with environmental conservation under the Sabak Bernam Development Area (SABDA).
Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporation) or MBI’s chief executive officer Dato’ Saipolyazan M Yusop said the state government is working towards obtaining approval from the relevant international body to gazette the district as a biosphere reserve.
Such recognition would not hinder development in the district but instead ensure environmental preservation while enhancing its appeal as an eco-tourism destination.
“We are trying to obtain approval so that Sabak Bernam can be gazetted as a biosphere reserve by 2027.
“The designation would not restrict development, but rather, it would enable us to preserve the local environment, including its flora and fauna. At the same time, it is expected to attract more visitors to Sabak Bernam,” he told the media after the launch of the new Sabak Bernam District Education Office today.
The event was officiated by the Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah, in conjunction with the Gagasan Rumpun Selangor 2.0 programme.
Previously, in October last year, the state government formed a strategic partnership with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu to seek UBR recognition for the Selangor Northern Corridor, comprising Sabak Bernam and parts of Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor.
This area is home to one of the largest swamp forests in the region, covering about 81,300ha and preserving over 58 million swamp trees, with the capacity to absorb an estimated five million tonnes of carbon.
In November, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Nomination head researcher Prof Siti Azizah Mohd Nor from UMT said a forest reserve area of about 81,000ha in northern Selangor is set to become Selangor’s first biosphere reserve.
It covers the Kuala Bernam Forest Reserve, the Banjar Utara Forest Reserve, the Bukit Tarek Forest Reserve, the Bukit Belata Forest Reserve, the Northern Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, and the Kuala Selangor Nature Park.
If successful, it will be the fifth location in Malaysia to be given UBR recognition. Other sites in the country with the status are Tasik Chini in Pahang (2009), the Crocker and Kinabatangan Range in Sabah (2014 and 2025), and Bukit Bendera in Penang (2021).
Meanwhile, Saipolyazan said SABDA is progressing into its second phase under the Second Selangor Plan, which is expected to launch soon, with development efforts focused on enhancing existing assets and attractions without compromising the district’s identity and natural environment.
“We are not changing Sabak Bernam. Instead, we are developing it according to its existing character so that development does not adversely affect the environment,” he said.
Among the initiatives undertaken under SABDA are the establishment of a fish landing port centre in Sekinchan, tourism enhancement programmes, and efforts to revitalise local attractions.
Saipolyazan added that MBI plans to organise 12 Jelajah SABDA programmes throughout the year to raise public awareness of the initiative and its objectives.
Meanwhile, around 200 homestays in the district are undergoing upgrading and regularisation efforts to improve safety, comfort, and compliance with guidelines set by the relevant authorities.
