A Review on Land Use in the Malaysian State of Sarawak, Borneo and Recommendations for Wildlife Conservation Inside Production Forest Environment

Abstract

The Malaysian state of Sarawak, which lies in the island of Borneo, is rich in plant and animal diversity, andforms one of the global biodiversity hotspots. The major land uses include logging, agriculture and forestplantations. Deforestation and degradation of forests are occurring at a rate of 0.64% annually, largely due toexpansion of oil palm plantations which increases at an average rate of 10.2% annually. More areas are beingconverted into forest plantations, which accounts for 3.25% of the total forested area. On the other hand,protected areas remain small, representing only 6.64% of total forested area or 4.23% of the total land area, andare located far apart. The bulk of forests are subjected to logging and many areas may be converted in thefuture to other land use such as agriculture. Furthermore, logging has been a major economic activity, and willcontinue to be so in the future. Hence, the network of production forests become crucial for wildlife andworking with logging companies in this aspect is a realistic approach towards wildlife conservation. Somemeasures proposed include encouraging collaborative research in production forests; making sustainable forestmanagement practices mandatory; creating buffer zones in areas adjacent to protected areas; and maintainingmaximum connectivity of habitat for wildlife.