KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government could enhance its decision-making process with the availability of comprehensive data.
State secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong said a solid data collection system will contribute in infrastructure development projects, flood prevention and other economic sectors.
"I hope that the data analysis obtained from each participating organisation and public contribution can be used as scientific evidence for future project proposals," he said during the launch of the Sabah Biodiversity Integrated Information System (SABIIS) at a resort here today.
Sabah Biodiversity also introduced a mobile citizen science application called iSaBIIS to enhance its database system related to the state's biological resources.
Safar said the existing database includes flora and fauna information spanning over 50 years, gathered by government agencies.
These include the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Agriculture Department, Sabah Museum Department, Sabah Parks and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), as well as non-governmental organisations such as WWF Malaysia.
"I understand that this application has been enhanced with the introduction of iSaBIIS, a mobile citizen science application that involves the collection of flora and fauna data through public participation.
"With this improvement, I am confident the involvement of people from various backgrounds will continue to receive strong support in data collection efforts and subsequently in the monitoring and conservation of the state's environment."
Present at the event was Sabah Biodiversity Centre director Dr Gerald Jetony.