Ts. Dr. Elia Godoong
SENIOR LECTURER
Faculty of Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
ADDRESS
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Jalan UMS, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Email: elia@ums.edu.my or eliagodoong@gmail.com
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Ts. Elia Godoong earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Natural Science (Forest Ecology) from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, where she specialized in tropical forest ecology, evolutionary biology, and environmental studies. She also holds a Master of Science in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a Bachelor of Forestry Science from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
She is a Certified Sustainability Officer (CSO) recognised by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI, United Kingdom) through i-STANDARDS Malaysia, and a Professional Technologist (Ts.) registered with the Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT).
Currently a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Dr. Elia has more than two decades of experience in tropical forest ecology, ecosystem services valuation, and ESG-aligned sustainability practices. Her work focuses on sustainable forest management, carbon stock and sequestration, eco-hydrological riparian rehabilitation, and High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) assessment, with a strong emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
From 2020 to 2024, she served as Deputy Director (2020–2022) and Director (2022–2024) of the Centre for Sustainable Society Engagement (CSSE) at UMS, where she led institutional strategies to integrate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ESG principles into governance, research, and community-based initiatives.
Her research bridges forest ecology, climate change resilience, and ESG-based sustainability planning, focusing on ecosystem services valuation, sustainable management frameworks, and the integration of SDG principles into conservation and restoration practices. Through her scientific and policy contributions, she supports evidence-based strategies and ESG-aligned sustainability mechanisms that enhance forest management, climate resilience, and community livelihoods, while contributing to the development of knowledge and valuation systems that inform sustainable financing and investment in conservation.
At the national level, Dr. Elia serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) with the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) under the National Water Sector Transformation 2040 (WST2040) initiative. Regionally, she represents ASEAN as an Evaluator and Operation Manual Reviewer for the ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP) Programme, contributing to the evaluation, governance, and operational enhancement of protected areas across Southeast Asia.
With her combined expertise in forest ecology, sustainability governance, and climate-responsive management, Dr. Elia continues to advance low-carbon, biodiversity-positive, and socially inclusive pathways for tropical forest conservation and sustainable development.
EXPERTISE
- Tropical Forest Rehabilitation, Restoration & Ecological Functioning of Tropical Forest with Regards to Carbon Storage Protected Areas & Biodiversity Management
- High Conservation Value Forest Assessment
- Eco hydrological Riparian Restoration Approach Tropical Forest Ecology and Biodiversity
- Dipterocarp Enrichment Planting Schemes
- Applied GIS/Remote Sensing
- Community Forestry/ Communities for Biodiversity & Water Sustainability
- Forest Park & Recreation
- Certified Sustainable Officer (recognised by the
CMI against the CMI Professional Standards) ESG, SDG Reporting
Elia Godoong 