Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : HYATT REGENCY SAUJANA, SUBANG
Tarikh/Date : 09/10/95
Tajuk/Title : THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
WETLANDS AND DEVELOPMENT
It is indeed an honour for me to be here today amongst
experts on wetlands development. I am also honoured to be
given the opportunity to officiate at the opening of this
Conference. To all the foreign participants, I bid them a
warm "Selamat Datang". I hope you can find the time to look
around this city of Kuala Lumpur and also other parts of our
green country.
2. It is acknowledged that wetlands and their resources
play a critical role in supporting the lives of millions of
people throughout the world. Wetlands not only provide a
wide range of valuable products to society, including fish,
fodder and timber, but also perform a number of natural
biophysical functions such as flow regulation and
groundwater recharge. They are therefore relevant for
research and understanding to ensure that their
contributions to the development of the ecosystems are
maintained.
3. As we meet here today, these life-sustaining systems
remain under threat. Many wetlands especially in the North
have been destroyed or degraded through over-exploitation or
environmentally unsound development. As usual people at
large are the biggest destroyers and polluters. Accordingly
only they are in a position to protect their environment,
particularly the wetlands. They need to be committed to
sustaining the environment, whether it is wetlands,
drylands, marine land or the highlands. All too often,
however, this responsibility is left to the government. But
no government can fight against the continuous and massive
pollution that people perpetrate, whether deliberately or
through circumstances. Of course, when people are poor the
pollution is more extensive. Unable to pay for waste
disposal or to dispose of it with care for the environment,
they just throw their waste around them. The result is
pollution and destruction. Poverty is therefore the biggest
cause of pollution and they who impoverish people are
directly guilty of polluting.
4. Malaysia has more than three million hectares of
wetlands covering nearly 10 percent of its land area. The
main wetlands are lakes, swamp forests, mangroves, swamps,
shallow coastal waters and coral reefs. Many of these areas
are critical for production of fish, timber and other forest
products, for water supply, flood mitigation and also
recreation. Estimates have been made that Malaysian
wetlands contribute over US$2 billion to the economy every
year directly and indirectly.
5. Many Malaysian wetlands support unique forests of
valuable trees such as mangroves. The swamp forests of
Selangor, Pahang and Sarawak are some of the best and most
important examples of these in the world. It may not be
possible to preserve every square meter of these swamps but
where it is preserved it can already generate wealth through
the great interest in eco-tourism shown lately. The Matang
mangrove forest in Perak State is internationally recognised
as one of the best managed wetlands in the world, with a
sustainable forest management system of nearly 100 years,
which has maintained high yields of forest products. At the
same time, it has supported one of Malaysia's largest
inshore fisheries and remains rich with wildlife.
6. Scientists from around the world have come to study
wetland habitats and species in Malaysia. Strategic
research is an important prerequisite for sustainable
resource management and it is encouraging that several
Malaysian scientists have now become leading experts in
these fields.
7. Three years ago, at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit,
the international community adopted the Rio de Janeiro
Declaration on Environment and Development as well as Agenda
21. The Declaration set out fundamental principles while
Agenda 21 spelt out specific programmes of action.
Collectively the Declaration and the programme of action
underscored the common resolve of the global community to
safeguard the environment while promoting an ecofriendly
development process. It was agreed that environmental
considerations would be factored into the development
process, for the benefit of the present and future
generations.
8. It was also agreed that developed countries would
assist developing countries with adequate and additional
resources to enable them to make the transition towards an
eco-friendly development process, often referred to as
sustainable development. While the vast majority of
developing countries have abided by the Rio compact,
regrettably the developed countries have not fulfilled their
half of the bargain.
9. Although many developing countries including Malaysia
are prepared, and in fact are committed to play our part for
our collective good, we will not be held hostage by those
bent on retarding the development process of developing
countries. The onus of change towards sustainable
development must be borne equitably by all. Developing
countries made earnest commitments to participate in what
was to be a new global effort to save the planet from
environmental damage, encouraged by the expectation of
assistance by way of additional and new financial resources
and technology transfer. These have not been forthcoming.
The Conventions have been caught up in wrangling over
procedures and interpretations of agreed texts. And
developed countries see in the concern for environmental
protection only opportunities to sell the technology that
they have developed for profit.
10. The task of caring for our environment including the
wetlands involves the entire spectrum of society. The
public and private sectors as well as the rest of society
can and must make their contributions. Given the
increasingly important role which the private sector plays
as the engine of growth, the private sector must strengthen
its commitment to care for the environment. I am happy to
note the involvement and support of several local members of
the private sector to this Conference. It is a clear
manifestation of their serious concern for the environment.
11. I believe that local NGOs can also play a proactive
role in the conservation of the environment. For this to
happen they need to become highly professional, to focus on
real issues affecting society and to understand the balance
that must be reached between development and environment.
NGOs must accept the fact that nothing damages the
environment more than poverty. Huge forests have been
totally decimated because the only fuel the poor can afford
is wood. To use other fuel they need wealth and wealth can
only come through wealth-creating development. The small
environmental sacrifice which has to be made in order to
develop is far less than the damage due to unmitigated
poverty.
12. Admittedly wealth, through mass consumption, will also
contribute towards pollution. But there is much that the
rich can do to reduce their polluting ways. Certainly they
can reduce wasteful consumption, as, for example, the
emission of carbon dioxide from heedless fuel burning. By
being willing to pay more for their luxuries they can
subsidise the installation of various pollution control
measures. Indeed they can pay to preserve the wetlands and
other natural heritage without, for example, forcing the
poor countries to preserve their forest in order to absorb
the noxious gases produced by the rich.
13. I understand that following your last two days of
deliberations, you have agreed in principle to establish a
new global organisation to sustain and restore wetlands and
their resources world-wide.
14. As you create a new global organisation, I hope you
will bear in mind the need of developing countries to
develop, and that the preservation of the wetlands must be
equitably shared between the rich and the poor.
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