What Is Happening To Our Forests And How It's Affecting The Everyday Lives Of Malaysians
One of the most visible impacts is the rising frequency of flash floods and landslides.
By Jeremy Ng — 14 Jan 2025, 11:59 AM
At the Rio Earth Summit hosted in Brazil in 1992, Malaysia pledged to maintain 50% of its land under forest and tree cover.
Fast forward to today, Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to this pledge, but there is still work to be done.
To date, 3.2 million hectares of natural forest in Malaysia — 16% of the country's remaining forests — are at risk of deforestation, according to RimbaWatch's 'State of the Malaysian Rainforest 2024' report.
From this number, 2.4 million hectares are forest reserves converted into timber plantations, which account for 76% of deforestation. This puts Malaysia at risk of falling below the 50% tree cover mark.
Monocultural plantations — where a single crop or tree species is grown over a large area — yield economical benefits, but they cannot be seen as forests, and they should be cultivated ethically and sustainably, taking into account the diversity of forests that act as habitats for wildlife.
Unlike natural forests, monoculture plantations deplete soil nutrients and disrupt water retention. And while these plantations do absorb carbon, they release it back into the atmosphere since they are often harvested and replanted.
But why does Malaysia need to ensure its natural forest and tree cover is maintained?
Forests are nature's way of protecting us from climate extremes. When we lose our forests, we lose our natural defence against floods, landslides, and rising temperatures.
In recent years, we've seen an increasing intensity and frequency of floods as well as landslides, mainly due to deforestation, unlawful logging, and unsustainable practices.
To put things in perspective, 1,074 permanent forest reserves in Peninsular Malaysia were illegally cleared for agriculture, plantations, mining, and development in 2023. In Kelantan, approximately 179,000 hectares of primary forest — equal to 250,000 football fields — were lost from 2002 to 2023.
Here's a closer look at the importance of forests:
1. Impact on communities: Deforestation deprives indigenous communities of basic human rights, such as water access, disrupting their traditional practices and sustainable resource management.
2. Forests as carbon sinks: Forests absorb harmful greenhouse gases, but deforestation releases stored carbon, worsening global warming and triggering extreme weather like floods and droughts.
3. Flood and erosion control: Healthy forests slow rainwater runoff, reducing floods and preventing soil erosion.
4. Loss of wildlife habitat: Shrinking forests displace wildlife, forcing them into human settlements and increasing conflicts that threaten both lives and livelihoods.
5. Water cycle disruption: Forest loss alters water cycles, causing hotter temperatures, irregular rainfall, and worsening flash floods in urban areas.
As an independent, non-profit organisation, Greenpeace Malaysia stands against climate injustices through creative, non-violent actions to protect global climate for a greener future
Greenpeace Malaysia is actively campaigning to stop deforestation and unsustainable land clearing for monoculture crops and unchecked developments.
In the area of forest governance, the organisation is also calling for laws to be updated and strengthened with prevention, mitigation, adaptation and restoration in mind. For instance, the definition of forest-related terms are still ambiguous — forests that have been cut down to its stump can still be considered forest cover.
Greenpeace Malaysia also supports indigenous communities in securing recognition of their ancestral lands. As deforestation disrupts the way of life for many of these communities, leaving them vulnerable, Greenpeace Malaysia champions the formal gazetting of these lands, preventing encroachment by corporations looking to profit out of it.
Wondering what you can do about it?
Every Malaysian has the power to protect our nation’s forests. Whether it's signing a petition, volunteering your time in activities like tree planting, or contributing a donation, your actions matter.
You can also follow Greenpeace Malaysia on social media to stay up to date with all the latest happenings, or email them at [email protected] for any inquiries or partnership opportunities.
Together, we can amplify our voices to advocate for stronger forestry laws and create a meaningful, lasting impact on the environment.
