Life On Land: Conservation Efforts in Malaysia

Malaysia is a land of great natural beauty, rich with natural resources and mega-biodiversity.  However much of this has come under attack from human activities and encroachment.  With growing realisation amongst government, corporates and individuals of the damage we have inflicted, substantial efforts have been made to conserve what remains and to find harmony with nature in balance with economic development.  Join our webinar to hear from 3 trailblazing NGOs on their experience in turning the tide.

Orang utans  became critically endangered as forests in Malaysia and Indonesia were cleared for human uses, such as oil palm plantations over the last 40 years.  In 2019, PONGO Alliance initiated a new approach to conservation that includes oil palm growers as active partners to create an environment where wild orang utans can coexist in mixed forest/agricultural landscapes. They are looking to expand this across the orang utan range in Borneo and Sumatra, in the future.

8 out of 10 hornbill species face the threat of local extinction in Malaysia due to forest loss, habitat degradation and poaching.  Malaysian Nature Society is at the forefront of hornbill conservation, working with policymakers and engaging the Orang Aslis (Malaysia’s indigenous people) as Hornbill Guardians.

Malaysia has extensive karst and cave structures across the country.  Human activities and encroachment have destroyed some of these beautiful landscapes, along with their inherent biodiversity, paleontology and archaeology, and in certain cases have caused pollution and landslides.  Malaysian Cave and Karst Conservancy launched in 2015 to conduct research, promote awareness and to advocate conservation of our karst and cave systems.

Click here to view profiles of the panelists.

Click here to join webinar.