Grass Roots Reforestation Initiatives In Sarawak
Working with a team of international scientists and local community activists, ForestSEA has started to partner with a selection of local communities in Sarawak to encourage the reforestation of sections of their native land areas, many of which have been razed by timber companies and planted with oil palm.The scientists have developed simple and inexpensive techniques for transporting seedlings from the forest floor and nurturing them for re-planting within palm plantations, which can then be gradually re-wilded once their expiry period is reached (an oil palm is productive for some 15 years). Given palm oil has reached a saturated market and the growing push back owing to environmental concerns there are strong incentives to diversify and reforest.The entire process can be carried out by the local communities who have been largely excluded from the mass plantation projects on their customary lands – in many cases court cases have re-established rights over areas that were destroyed but which these communities now hope to restore through reforestation and selective high value crops. ForestSEA has been working with donors to provide funding for a range of pilot projects, mainly supporting jobs for local people engaged in rewilding their own lands with the longer term prospect of valuable hard wood forests that can be sustainably harvested in the future. We are looking to inject funds into existing projects led by community activists in areas like the threatened Baram region and have identified a number of further potential projects within the state.As communities and indeed the state government recognise the value in community forests and the opportunity to raise carbon credits with larger schemes we believe reforestation can become a transformative movement throughout the state. Meanwhile, we are benefiting from the enthusiastic participation of our partner communities eager to restore the original wealth, and living beauty of their lands and rivers.
Reforestation In SAbah
ForestSEA was active in supporting a ground-breaking initiative in the Lahad Datu region, spearheaded by the new State of Sabah government and Malaysia's Ministry of Primary Industries in 2018. The agreement comprises a commitment to regenerate degraded forest and reclassify the area as Class 1 permanent forest adjacent to the Heart of Borneo forest region.
This particular area holds immense potential value as a wildlife corridor for species such as the endangered pygmy elephant and orang utan between two other substantial regions of restored natural forest. The Malaysian Oil Palm Council has committed to act as the funding partner to replant the first 4000 hectares out of 61,000 hectares made available by the Sabah Forestry Department for similar projects.
The target is to employ local people to plant a million trees in the area over the next ten years under a budget strictly managed by the ministry and progress will be monitored by ForestSEA volunteer experts together with the Sabah Forestry Department.
The way is now open for other funding partners to join this pilot initiative to help regrow the rest of the 61,000 hectares offered by the state government for regeneration.
ForestSEA is also engaging in a grass roots project in the neighbouring state of Sarawak, where indigenous people are struggling to find alternative livelihoods to the continuing deforestatation and mega-plantations on their native lands.
Awareness Building
ForestSEA is dedicated to building Malaysian awareness on issues of biodiversity, the country's unique natural heritage and its pivotal position within the global warming crisis. We believe such vital issues were neglected by the previous leadership and many remain under-informed about the challenges to our environment and the threat of climate change, despite Malaysia's crucial potential role in the resolution of these issues.
Malaysia has so far failed to assert its rightful position in the decision-making theatres on global warming, where the country ought to have an important voice when it comes to discussions relating to major reforestation initiatives that are now being called for by global players and also in the equally significant carbon off-setting debate, where Malaysia ought to qualify as an important beneficiary, not least because it one of the countries that stands to suffer most from the drive to crack down on the market for harmful bio-fuels such as palm oil.
ForestSEA is working on building awareness through local seminars and the locally well-known online news site Sarawak Report, managed through the promoters of ForestSEA.
