QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES, 10 SEPTEMBER 2026 - Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) Badas Tree Planting Project has received regional recognition as an ASEAN Green Initiative (AGI) under the Medium-Scale Category for its contribution to ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation in Brunei Darussalam, during the 2nd ASEAN Green Initiative Recognition Event, held in conjunction with the ASEAN Heritage Parks Forum 2026 in Quezon City, Philippines.
Led by the Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER), the Badas Tree Planting Project was recognised by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), who commended the project for demonstrating the value of collaborative and locally driven action in addressing environmental challenges and for its contribution to ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation in the ASEAN region. The AGI is an ASEAN-wide programme aimed at planting at least 10 million native trees across ASEAN Member States over 10 years in support of the United Nation’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. It recognises outstanding ecosystem restoration initiatives across Southeast Asia and promotes ecosystem restoration through native tree planting and science- and knowledge-based approaches. Associate Professor Dr Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri, the Badas Tree Planting Project Lead and Director of IBER, represented UBD and received the recognition on behalf of the project team.
Established as a long-term, science-based restoration initiative, the Badas Tree Planting project aims to restore degraded peat swamp forest in Badas, Belait District through a collaborative and community-driven approach while generating scientific knowledge to inform future restoration efforts in Brunei Darussalam. Since 2021, the Badas Tree Planting Project has planted 535 saplings of two globally threatened native peat swamp tree species, Rubroshorea albida (locally known as Alan) and Dryobalanops rappa (locally known as Kapur paya). The project is conducted in collaboration with the Brunei Forestry Department, Brunei Shell Petroleum Co. Sdn Bhd (BSP) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
Restoration of degraded peatlands is critical to climate resilience, as intact peatlands lock significant quantities of carbon and mitigate hazardous peat fires. The ASEAN Green Initiative recognition for the Badas Tree Planting Project highlights UBD’s commitment to translating biodiversity research into practical conservation action and tangible community benefits. The project is one expression of UBD’s Sustainability Masterplan, which commits the University to extending its sustainability work beyond the campus through partnerships with ministries, industry and local communities.
“This recognition reflects the collective efforts of our researchers, partners and volunteers who have driven the Badas Tree Planting Project over the years. More importantly, it reinforces the value of on-the-ground ecosystem restoration beyond conventional tree planting and combining long-term scientific research and monitoring with biodiversity conservation, climate action and community engagement” said Associate Professor Dr Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri.
The project’s collaborative approach has involved over 391 volunteers comprising stakeholders, schools, grassroots community and the public, demonstrating the important role of partnerships and community participation in supporting long-term ecosystem restoration. The restoration sites serve as a living laboratory where researchers monitor the survival and growth of planted saplings, generating evidence to improve approaches for restoring degraded peat swamp forests.
The ASEAN Green Initiative recognition marks an important milestone for the Badas Tree Planting Project, and places UBD’s restoration work alongside other exemplary ecosystem restoration initiatives from across ASEAN. The project’s success reinforces the value of combining long-term scientific research with community engagement and partnerships to support Brunei Darussalam’s national priorities for restoring degraded ecosystems, strengthening climate resilience and conserving native biodiversity.