By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 26: The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) is ramping up its environmental commitment with a target of planting 3,800 trees this year alone, as part of a broader goal to reach 100,000 trees within five years through its sustainability initiatives.
Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chief executive officer Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor said the reforestation effort forms a key pillar of the festival’s environmental contribution, with funding partially channelled from ticket sales.
“This year we are aiming to plant 3,800 trees from this event. Insya-Allah, we will reach 100,000 trees in five years,” she said at a press conference at the festival grounds in Sarawak Cultural Village today.
She said the initiative is designed not only to expand green coverage but also to encourage greater environmental awareness among festivalgoers.
Sharzede added that the programme is part of a consistent effort to increase environmental contributions year by year.
“We are making sure we increase every year all the contribution to the environment to change the mindset of the people and so forth,” she said.
She also noted that the tree-planting initiative is supported through RWMF ticket sales, which help fund conservation activities linked to the festival.
According to her, the trees planted under the programme will also be maintained by nearby communities, ensuring long-term sustainability and local involvement.
At the same time, Sharzede said the tree-planting drive is part of a wider sustainability framework as RWMF is currently being used as one of Sarawak’s key events in its bid to secure ISO sustainability certification.
She said consultants are assessing the festival’s operations to determine compliance with international environmental and social standards.
“This year we are hoping to get the ISO. Rainforest is our first way of assessing our ISO,” she said.
Sharzede added that the certification process also involves strict compliance on labour practices and waste management, including ensuring vendors do not use child labour.
“We make sure our artisans and vendors do not bring children to help them. That’s considered child labour,” she said.
She said the festival is also reducing plastic usage by replacing bottled water with reusable alternatives such as glass and providing water dispensers across the site.
“We make sure we use glasses rather than plastic bottles,” she said.
RWMF is one of three major events being assessed, alongside the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) Travel Mart and Borneo Jazz Festival, after which the final ISO outcome will be determined.
Also present at the press conference were Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) chairman Dato Dennis Ngau,and Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) permanent secretary Morshidi Fredrick. — DayakDaily
