Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) organised the Net-Peat: Networked ASEAN Peat Swamp Forest Communities for Transboundary Haze Alert, Social Innovation Workshop 2022. The hybrid workshop was held at the University's Lecture Theatre 2, Library Complex, and via Zoom.
Present as the Guest of Honour virtually at the workshop was Yang Mulia Professor Dr Dayang Hajah Zohrah binti Hj Sulaiman, Vice-Chancellor of UTB. Also present were the UTB principal officers, researchers and other relevant stakeholders in Brunei and abroad.
The event began with an opening speech by Yang Mulia Dr. Wida Susanty binti Haji Suhaili, Assistant Professor at UTB and the Country Lead SWS Paddy, followed by remarks from Yang Mulia Mr Hisanori Nishino, Director of National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Asia Center Japan.
Dr. Wida Susanty began by introducing the project Net Peat: Networked ASEAN Peatland Communities for Transboundary Haze Alert. The project was accepted and funded by the Japanese government through the Asia-Pacific Tele community (APT) under International Collaborative Research 2021. It is a collaborative project with representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan. The project is a continuation of the ASEAN IVO 2018 Project Networked ASEAN Peatland Communities (NAPC) a project funded by NICT Japan. This project has managed to attract several recognitions due to its achievements from the respective representative. These include Certificate of Excellent Contribution from NICT, ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award 2021 in CAFEO, Regional and National Finalists for ASEAN-USE Science Prize for Women 2021 to name a few. To sustain this and to achieve overall Peatland Project goals, the NAPC project is now expanded to Net Peat.
The event then proceeded with a remark by the Guest of Honour, where she was pleased that this workshop is aligned with the Brunei Darussalam National Council on Climate Change 10 Key Strategies namely Awareness and Education for transforming Brunei Darussalam into a Low-Carbon, and Climate-Resilient nation. The assembly of presenters from the government, researchers and industries provide a good platform for sharing initiatives from Brunei with collaborators within this region.
The UTB Vice-Chancellor also stated that she recognises the workshop serves as an avenue for academics, research students, policymakers, practitioners, and industries to exchange ideas and discuss issues. Within the University, UTB collaborates extensively with industries to ensure that the University remains current with technological advancements and ensure its curriculum remains relevant. This is in line with UTB's five-year strategy plan 2019-2023, which focuses on Quality Education, Independent Learning, Translational Research, and Quadruple Helix Engagement. UTB has also been incorporating Digital Innovation in numerous initiatives that will help in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
With the theme Brunei’s Peatland Fire Suppression and Mitigation Practices, the event aimed to discuss the best way forward to understand the best practices and use of technology to formulate a Networked ASEAN Peat Swamp Forest Communities for Transboundary Haze Alert.
The workshop brought together experts from local and regional organisations and institutions namely Brunei Fire and Rescue Department, Brunei Meteorology Department, Forestry Department, JASTRe, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Ready Affiliate Japan Co Ltd, NiAT Sendirian Berhad, Anian Sendirian Berhad and UTB to deliver their expertise in the related areas.
The workshop was divided into four main sessions: Peatland Governance in Brunei; Peatland Forest Fire Mitigation; Current Monitoring Practices, Fire Suppression and Mitigation Attempts; and the Way Forward. At the sessions, various attempts were shared and discussed to achieve a common goal. It gathers enthusiastic speakers representing the many peatland communities within Brunei and the region to create awareness and education for each other to synergise the attempts forward.
