Malaysia’s peat swamp forest; conservation and sustainable use / Intan Farradiana Arzami

Peat swamp forests are unique habitats for flora and fauna, with a high proportion of endemic species. Currently Malaysia has an estimated 1.5 million hectares of peatlands with more than 80% found in Sarawak. The large tracts of peatlands in Sarawak are those found within Sibu and Mukah. However, these peat swamp forest are depleting at a very alarming rate due to logging which are usually followed by land developments. The Peat Swamp Forest Project is an initiative of the Government of Malaysia with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) in three sites in Malaysia. Started in June 2002, this five-year Project aims to promote conservation and sustainable use of peat swamp forest and associated wetland ecosystems. The paper discusses on how the Project attempts to manage the peat swamp forest in three sites in Malaysia with more emphasis given to the Project site at Loagan Bunut National Park, Sarawak.