The Sarawak Aerial Detection Unit (SADU) operated by Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) is the first of its kind in Malaysia.
SADU was officiated by Premier of Sarawak, YAB Datuk Patinggi Tan Srri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg in Miri on 4 November 2020.
SADU operates the DA42-MPP – a special mission platform by Austriabased Diamond Aircraft Industries – to perform monitoring and management of natural resources as well as provide aerial geospatial data services based on hyperspectral technology.
SADU was formerly known as Systems Application and Development Unit, which was established in 2008 to develop applications based on hyperspectral and geospatial technology for research use in FDS.
In 2014, SADU was mandated by the Sarawak Government to assist in combating illegal logging activities in the State.
This was the starting point for SADU to move to the next phase of enhancing its role, given the expertise and experience this unit has in advanced technology.
SADU is led by Dr. Affendi Suhaili and it comprises a special technical work team that provides air geospatial data services based on hyperspectral technology for the monitoring and management of the country’s natural resources.
This unit is expected to provide assistance in terms of geospatial information in the event of natural disasters such as floods and forest fires, national border monitoring, and other missions to other government agencies in Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
In a separate development, FDS organised a seminar on Sustainable Forestry Through Industrial Forest Plantation in Miri.
The seminar brought together researchers, industry players and scientists from prominent research institutes in China and Indonesia, as well as scientists from Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Sabah.
They shared their knowledge through 19 papers in four sessions that covered topics on research and development (R&D) in international and Sarawak forest plantation, technology and certification. It also included a session covering R&D work on other potential industrial tree species, which are Paulownia and some indigenous species.
Commenting on FDS’s R&D efforts, Director of Forests YBhg Datu Hamden Haji Mohammad said, “we are further improving and aligning our R&D to better serve the progress and vitality of industrial forest productivity to support sustainable forestry.
“Some of the efforts that we want to kick start as soon as possible is an intensified genetic improvement programme for our acacia and eucalyptus, as well our own indigenous species.
“We do not wish to work in silo, thus we want the Licence Planted Forest holders to collaborate together in this carefully structured programme. Apart from that, we will involve our counterparts in China to help us to elevate our R&D programme as well as capacity building for our researchers.”
Since the Forest (Planted Forests) Rules 1997 came into force, we have seen a lot of development in Sarawak forest industry.
With the increasing demand for raw materials from the timber industry, our natural forests could not afford to supply enough for our downstream industry.
Therefore, we have to make sure that the industrial forest plantation will be the new source for wood materials which could be produced at a shorter rotation period.
In supporting the progress of Sarawak industrial forest as a whole, the need to update and upgrade technology use is a must. Application of technology particularly hyperspectral remote sensing has become one of the research frontiers in ground object identification and classification.
FDS is the pioneer agency that has the capability and skills to use hyperspectral technology systems in Malaysia.
