KOTA KINABALU: WWF-Malaysia is set to highlight its 50th anniversary with a celebration through its 50th Anniversary Conservation Conference from the 2 – 3 November 2022 at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. 

With the theme “Conservation and Sustainable Development”, the conference will gather experts who have engaged and partnered with WWF-Malaysia to share their experiences and expectations on biodiversity conservation in Malaysia as well as to reaffirm their collective commitment towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

“We will take the time to reflect on the work we have done as an organisation in partnership with various stakeholders in Malaysia in order to understand our previous and current conservation efforts.

“As an organisation, our vision is Reversing the Loss of Nature and Transforming Malaysia into a Sustainable Nation by 2030.

“This conference will allow us the golden opportunity to reflect and then envision a future far beyond this,” said WWF-Malaysia’s Chief Executive Officer Sophia Lim.

Amongst others, the conference will explore the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) for the conservation of biodiversity and management of protected areas across multiple-use landscapes.

It will also engage in robust discourse on the stumbling blocks and opportunities for conservation in Malaysia as a whole as well as delve into strategies towards advancing conservation technology.

Discussions and outcomes from this conference will subsequently be available to the public in an effort to ensure that the conversation continues to gain momentum beyond the conference.

Held over two days, the conference will also feature exhibitions by key WWF-Malaysia corporate partners and communities from across the country including the likes of Sabah Softwoods Berhad, Sawit Kinabalu Group, Unilever and Beiersdorf. Communities from both Sabah and Sarawak will also be exhibiting at the event.

Members of the public are invited to come and visit the exhibition booths that will be held during the conference as well as to view an array of stunning photographs from the field that have been curated for sale during the event.

More information on the event can be found at: https://www.wwf.org.my/about_wwf/50_years_together_for_nature/ 

“This event is a significant milestone for us. We would like to use this opportunity to acknowledge and highlight the support that our corporate donors have given us over the years.

Equally, we would like to thank members of the public, whose unwavering support has made our work possible. We would like to welcome them to come and celebrate with us,” said Ms. Lim.

First set up in 1972, WWF-Malaysia has collaborated with government agencies, businesses, communities, NGOs and individual supporters to protect nature across the country.

Over the course of 50 years, the organisation has played a key role in establishing and improving the management effectiveness of 12 Protected Areas, thus conserving more than 1.3 million hectares of forests and seas from the threat of conversion. It has also planted more than 350,000 trees and touched the lives of over 1.8 million students.