Forest management in Malaysia: The strategies undertaken towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The forests of Malaysia have been systematically managed with the establishment of the Forestry Department in 1901, whereby ecologically and environmentally sound forest conservation and management practices have been developed to ensure forest renewal and sustained yield. The evolution of forest management studies was documented with the chronological of attempts by Malaysia toward achieving the aim to become a developed country. Forest resources development is one of the terms used in forest development planning and forest development resource. Similarly, it always involves the effects and impact toward the surroundings, especially regarding human life. The objective of this studies is to identify forest management strategies undertaken by Malaysia. This research come out with the two questions namely what are the strategies of forest management efforts in Malaysia? and what are the trends of forest policy in Malaysia? Economic development is more stressed on the circle of life. Malaysia's development progression shows clear evidences that the country had positioned itself toward achieving and realising to become a developed and industrialised nation by the year 2020. However, the last decade or so showed that Malaysia continues to be threatened by increasing diversities, frequencies, and intensities of forest degradation, and their threat on human quality of life issues. The strategies for forest and implementation have been gradually implemented at the national level, and lately at the regional and global scales. Forestry Department in Malaysia also involved in REDD+ strategies to determine the level and extent of national level mitigation actions to be taken, ensures at least 50% of national land mass is forested and intact, ensures water supply for both domestic and industrial use, ensures soil fertility for crop production and for community adaptation to climate change. The results were also clear in showing the forest degradation issues trend changes through time. The approach of forest management efforts is parallel with forest degradation issues for each phase of development.