NEWS & EVENTS
Our 2026 Judges
We are delighted to announce that the following senior conservationists have agreed to be our external judges for 2026. We are honoured to have these conservation leaders on board with us to join Dr Teckwyn Lim and Natalie Yong on our judging panel.
Dr. Hj. Rahimatsah Amat who holds a PhD in resource planning and management in protected areas. His career focuses on biodiversity conservation, protected area management, and sustainable development in Malaysia. He is the Chief Executive Officer & Founder of Sabah Environmental Trust, established 2013, based in Kota Kinabalu and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM). He was one of Biji Alam’s three inaugural judges – judging both the 2024 and 2025 awards.
Dr. Sharifah Nora, a senior marine scientist and independent consultant based in Penang, with expertise in international environmental law and ocean governance. Her consultancy work includes providing recommendations to international organisations and governments on environmental issues. She was a Deputy Executive Director (Programs Services) of the Coral Triangle Initiative, CTICFF and formerly a senior lecturer on Environmental Law and Ethics at University Malaysia Sabah.
Dr. Sivananthan T. Elagupillay, a prominent Malaysian wildlife biologist and conservation expert, long associated with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (DWNP / Perhilitan), specialising in big cats.
Read our latest press reports
Our 2025 winners were announced at our Award ceremony on the 23 October at the KLGCC.
Read our 2024 press write ups and interviews
Our 2024 winners
Read our introductory write up in the Edge
What is happening to biodiversity?
Recent reports and studies have produced alarming news about the state of nature.
Last year, an intergovernmental panel of scientists said one million animal and plant species were now threatened with extinction.
And this month, a report found global populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles plunged by 68%, on average, between 1970 and 2016.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Conservation actions are effective at reducing global biodiversity loss, according to a major study.
International researchers spent 10 years looking at measures, from hatching Chinook salmon to eradication of invasive algae.
The authors said their findings offered a "ray of light" for those working to protect threatened animals and plants.
One out of every three species monitored is currently endangered because of human activities.
Source: bbc.co.uk
COP16. What is biodiversity and how are we protecting it?
Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth - animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms like bacteria.
Animals and plants provide humans with everything necessary for survival - including fresh water, food, and medicines.
However, humans cannot get these benefits from individual species - a rich variety of animals and plants must work together.
Plants are also very important for improving the physical environment: cleaning the air, limiting rising temperatures and providing protection against climate change.
Source: bbc.co.uk