Guest guest Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Thursday September 14, 2006-The Star Rainforest under threat *KUALA LUMPUR:* A rainforest in Perak that could be as old as 130 million years is in danger of being wiped out due to logging and unsustainable development, claim a husband-and-wife documentary-making team. Logging activities in the 300,000ha Belum-Temenggor forest reserve have reached the foot of a mountain range and will threaten the fauna and flora in the forest that is also home to orang asli. Harun Rahman, 41, and Lara Ariffin, 39, made an award-winning documentary entitled *Temenggor – Biodiversity In The Face Of Danger* after they discovered the forest's destruction by chance. " We were filming a documentary on the forest when we spotted the heavy logging activities in the area, " said Lara. That was when she and her husband decided to enlighten Malaysians on the situation. " Floods, poor air quality, water shortage, landslides and global warming are direct effects of the destruction of nature, " said Harun. It took the couple two-and-a-half years to complete the documentary which was premiered at the TGV cineplex in KLCC here on Tuesday. The forest reserve has 10 hornbill species in Malaysia and is also the only place in the world where the globally-threatened Plain-pouched Hornbill can be found. " Logging provides a one-time income. Once the trees have all been cut down, there will be no more income for the state, " said Harun. According to the producers, environmentalists estimate that if Belum-Temenggor is preserved in its current state and not logged for timber, it would earn RM1.2bil annually through non-timber products such as fishing, tourism and health products. Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) president Anthony Sebastian said the society began a six-month public campaign in April to appeal to the Perak and the Federal governments to stop all logging activities in the Belum-Temenggor forest. " We believe the campaign is a success as the Perak Mentri Besar has promised to stop all logging activities in the forest by 2008, " said Anthony. To further conserve the area, MNS has appealed for the extension of the Royal Belum State Park to include the Temenggor forest, and also for the Perak government to gazette the reserve as a protected area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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