UTM and Sunway Group advance community based carbon stock measurement

Ts. Gs. Sr. Dr. Nurul Hawani Idris

📝 Summary

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Sunway Group conducted a hands-on carbon stock measurement programme at the Sunway City Iskandar Puteri Mangrove Nursery, empowering industry and agency participants to understand the science of measuring carbon stock in mangroves. The programme aimed to strengthen cross-sector understanding of blue carbon, mangrove conservation, and the value of carbon stock in mangroves. The initiative supports the broader aspiration of positioning Iskandar Puteri as a low-carbon city and contributes to the Iskandar Puteri Blue Carbon initiative.

ISKANDAR PUTERI, June 6 — Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), together with Sunway Group, empowered industry and agency participants through a hands-on carbon stock measurement programme conducted at the Sunway City Iskandar Puteri Mangrove Nursery as part of Sunway Group OSHE Week 2026.

The programme brought together participants from Sunway Group, including Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, industry representatives, and agency stakeholders in a practical learning session on the science of measuring carbon stock. The initiative aimed to strengthen cross-sector understanding of blue carbon, mangrove conservation, and the value of carbon stock in mangroves.

The programme forms part of the Blue Carbon Trail project, a continuity initiative from the High Impact Grant awarded under Low Carbon Iskandar Puteri 5.0 (IPRK 5.0). The initiative is supported through collaboration involving Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), SWM Environment, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), UTM, Johor State Education Department (JPNJ), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) Johor Bahru District, Johor State Forestry Department, and Kelab Alami.

The programme was led by the Project Leader of the Blue Carbon Trail project, Ts. Gs. Sr. Dr. Nurul Hawani Idris. She was assisted by Sr. Dr. Abdul Wahid Rasib, an expert in tree carbon stock measurement, and LAr. Gs. Ts. Dr. Nur Zuliza Jamirsah, an arborist and landscape architecture expert. Both experts are from the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), UTM.

Species Identification Training by LAr. Gs. Ts. Dr. Nur Zuliza Jamirsah

The training was facilitated by students from the Geoinformatics Programme, UTM, who had previously participated in the Blue Carbon Trail project. Their involvement helped bridge academic knowledge and community engagement, allowing participants to experience the actual field workflow used in carbon stock measurement.

During the programme, participants were introduced to several key components of carbon stock assessment, including tree species identification, establishment of sample plots, measurement of diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height measurement, and tree tagging using QR codes. These activities helped the community understand how tree data is collected, recorded, and used to support carbon stock estimation.

Sr Dr. Abdul Wahid explains the plot establishment process

At the Sunway City Mangrove Nursery, most of the tagged trees were Avicennia marina, a mangrove species commonly found in coastal and intertidal environments. Through the field activity, participants were able to observe how mangrove trees are identified, measured, tagged, and documented as part of a systematic blue carbon monitoring process.

Each tree was tagged with a QR code that linked to the Geotrees website

As part of the digital monitoring component, selected trees were tagged using QR codes linked to the individual tree profile, which can be accessed through the GeoTrees platform at geotrees.utm.geo.com. This integration allows tree information and field data to be organised in a more systematic and accessible way, supporting the long-term development of a digital blue carbon dashboard for Iskandar Puteri and Iskandar Puteri as the learning city.

Participant was trained to tag trees and insert data into the Geotrees mobile app

Blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves and coastal vegetation, play an important role in storing carbon, protecting coastlines, supporting biodiversity, and strengthening environmental resilience. By learning how carbon stock is measured, participants gained a clearer understanding of why mangrove conservation is important for both environmental protection and low-carbon development.

The lecture on how to process the data collected to measure the carbon stock by Sr Dr. Abdul Wahid Rasib

The programme also supports the broader aspiration of positioning Iskandar Puteri as a low-carbon city and contributes directly to the Iskandar Puteri Blue Carbon initiative, led by MBIP. More than a field activity, this programme represents community-powered climate action, where science, digital technology, and local participation, particularly from industries, come together to protect Iskandar Puteri’s blue carbon future.

The facilitators of this program were students from the Program of Geoinformatics, FABU, UTM. They have been well-trained in the previous Blue Carbon Trail expedition

Facilitators from UTM received certificates of participation after completing the Science of Blue Carbon carbon stock measurement training during Sunway Group OHSE Week 2026.

The involvement of Sunway Group, including Sunway City Iskandar Puteri as the host and strategic partner, further strengthened the impact of the programme to support community-powered climate action. Through OSHE Week 2026, Sunway City Iskandar Puteri provided an important platform to expose industry and agency stakeholders to the science of blue carbon and carbon stock measurement. This reflects Sunway City Iskandar Puteri’s, UTM and MBIP commitment to creating awareness, encouraging environmental responsibility, and supporting practical climate action among stakeholders.