Oasis in the City: Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site

Oasis in the City: Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site is to highlight the beauty and wonders of Kota Kinabalu Wetland (KKW) as an oasis in the centre of Kota Kinabalu City, the capital city of Sabah, Malaysian-Borneo. Over the years, various organisations and the community have been working hand-in-hand to rehabilitate, preserve and conserve KKW to safeguard the intricates of life in it, for present and future generations. Striving in a harsh environment, mangroves developed a magnificent ability to survive. Being the only vegetation found in the saline area, the mangrove is home to diverse marine wildlife, invertebrates, birds, primates, and small mammals. Mangrove is unpopular for its ability to absorb and store carbon and release oxygen four times more efficiently compared to other forests in the world. Thus, in this warming globe, keeping our mangroves is one of the best cures for the earth’s fever. In the smoky and suffocating city environment, the mangrove is a life provider for its best attribute as the oxygen source. In the past, KKW strove as a barren mangrove swamp, vulnerable and unvalued. Kota Kinabalu’s coastline was historically vast with lush mangroves and beautiful beaches. Over the years, urbanisation, reclamation, and human settlement have grown vigorously, diminishing the mangrove swamp to a critical situation. In the long term, the negative changes in this ecosystem will result in irreversible damage to its biological assemblages. In this publication, the wonders of KKW are expressed in fine art photography with the hope to promote the potential of wetlands for education and recreation, and furthermore instill a sense of appreciation toward wetlands. The real splendor and worth of KKW and mangrove swamp is far beyond comprehension and expression on mere papers.