Application sent to recognise Bukit Bendera as Unesco site

GEORGE TOWN — The Penang Bukit Bendera Corporation (PBBPP) has submitted a working paper to have Bukit Bendera and several surrounding areas recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve under the Man and The Biosphere (MAB) programme.

The MAB is an intergovernmental scientific programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments.

Penang Chief Minister and PBBPP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the dossier was sent to the Unesco Secretariat in Paris by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources on September 29, 2020, after being approved by the Cabinet, and that the evaluation process by Unesco would take about a year.

“This gazetting will strengthen education for development and conservation through in-depth scientific research work. This move will make Penang a centre of global excellence in sustainability research, biological diversity and conservation driven by local academics, while creating eco-tourism potential.

"Through the education component of this project, we will increase awareness on sustainable development in our country and improve the living standards of the local community," he said in a statement here today.

He said the proposed Unesco Biosphere Reserve would cover more than 20% of the area throughout the island, including Bukit Bendera as the main centre followed by the Teluk Bahang National Park, Penang Botanical Gardens, six forest reserves — namely Bukit Kerajaan, Teluk Bahang, Laksamana, Penara Bukit, Highlands, and Pantai Acheh — as well as the Teluk Bahang and Ayer Hitam dams, measuring a total of ​​12,481 hectares.

He added that the Bukit Bendera Biosphere Reserve would serve as the main green centre for Penang where sustainable economic activity is aligned with efforts to conserve nature.

Meanwhile, State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Him said if approved, it would be the third such recognition by Unesco in Malaysia after Lake Chini in Pahang and the Crocker Range in Mount Kinabalu.

"We expect greater transformation to follow after receiving this status (from Unesco) which will intensify efforts to preserve the unique cultural heritage and natural landscape in Penang," he said. — Bernama, October 12, 2020