Safeguarding Indo-Malaya Forests: RM177 Million Conservation Initiative Unveiled

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, July 6 (Bernama) -- A global conservation agency announced a RM177 million (US$42 million) project to protect the Indo-Malaya forest, one of the world’s last remaining major primary forest areas.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced last month that the Indo-Malaya forest, spanning from Bhutan to Papua New Guinea, is home to over 5,000 threatened species. 

IUCN warned that about 60 per cent of the region’s original vegetation has already been lost. The remaining primary forests are under pressure from unsustainable agriculture, logging, and competing land use.

The forest plays a crucial role for over 560 million people in the region, providing resources such as water regulation, carbon removal , timber and non-timber forest products, said IUCN in a statement.  

“The Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding is provided by participating donor countries and made available to developing countries and countries with economies in transition to meet the objectives of international environmental conventions and agreements,” Switzerland-based IUCN press office told Bernama.

The IUCN announced the new initiative named the Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Integrated Programme aimed at strengthening the health and connectivity of primary forests across the region.

Launched at an inception workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the programme seeks to tap the biodiversity and climate benefits while ensuring the sustainability of local livelihoods. 

The IUCN and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) are the lead implementors of the project. 

“The Indo-Malayan forest biome is one of the world’s most ancient and ecologically rich ecosystems - a living reservoir of biodiversity, culture and climate resilience.

“With growing pressure on these forests, this new programme offers a timely and transformative opportunity to turn the tide,” said IUCN Director General  Dr Grethel Aguilar.

The project aims to improve the management of 3.2 million hectares of protected areas and over seven million hectares of landscapes, while also working to restore 8,500 hectares of degraded ecosystems and mitigate 34 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the IUCN, these efforts are expected to benefit nearly 20,000 people.

“The primary forests of Southeast Asia and the Pacific provide essential services to the whole region, especially rural communities who depend on forest resources for their livelihoods and food security. 

“This collaboration across countries and organisations will drive down the risks of biodiversity loss and climate change for better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life,” said FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific Alue Dohong.  

-- BERNAMA