Malaysia's natural forests, spanning millions of hectares, are under severe threat from expansive timber and palm oil concessions from the Government. This alarming situation could lead to a significant reduction of 16% in forest areas, jeopardizing Malaysia's commitment made at COP26 to maintain half of its land as forest and tree cover.
Environmental watchdog Rimbawatch has raised concerns over the lack of transparency in Malaysia's forestry and land use data, highlighting the growing risk to the country's rich ecosystems. The area of forests in danger has escalated from 2.3 million hectares in 2023 to a staggering 3.2 million hectares in the current year.
The Leading Threat to Malaysia’s Forestry Industry
Timber plantations are the primary culprits, responsible for more than three-quarters of the threats to forests. These plantations are often situated within untouched forests and frequently intersect with palm oil concessions. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) definition of deforestation, setting aside 2.3 million hectares for timber production could slash forest cover to a mere 47.35%, falling short of the COP26 agreement of 50%.
The forestry area at risk of 3.2 million hectares is equivalent to the entire area of Pahang, Malaysia's largest state. Interestingly, Pahang, along with states like Sarawak, Sabah, and Kelantan also face significant risks of concession overlaps with natural forests. Notably, Sarawak is home to 68.2% of timber plantations within intact forests, a figure that dwarfs Sabah's 16.1%, making monoculture timber plantations the most significant hazard.
The environmental impact of this is profound, as the expected loss of 2.4 million hectares of timber plantations could release approximately 368 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Conclusion
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