by Raymond H.G. Wells
To people with an interest in natural history and eco-tourism, Malaysia's tropical rain forests are a utopia, since they arguably have a greater variety of species than any other habitat in the world.
To people with an interest in promoting eco-tourism (or nature tourism) they are also a utopia, because this one of the fastest growing forms of tourism worldwide.
To the eco-tourists themselves the rain forests are again a utopia. They are able to enjoy exploring such fascinating habitats . From the steamy jungle-clad rivers of Taman Negara (the National Park) to the dizzy heights of Mount Kinabalu, the rainforests have become popular attractions. Almost all forms of outdoor activity, except hunting, is possible, including animal watching, bird watching and jungle trekking.
They also became attractive to loggers and their destructive use of forest resources. By 1998 a total of 5.72 million hectares or only 43.5 percent of Peninsular Malaysia remained under forest. Of this total 4.68
million hectares were permanent forest resources, made up of 2.92 million hectares of productive forest and 1.76 million hectares of protection forest.
Scientists and environmentalists, concerned that the country's rainforests were fast disappearing through logging and land development, have tried hard to mobilise public opinion and to ensure that sustainable development is not undermined. They point out that
ecologically, the forests of Malaysia are among the oldest and most complex ecosystems in the world. Yet the rate of harvesting of this resource is a cause for concern.
They believe that eco-tourism and other non-destructive uses of forest resources and products harvested at sustainable levels would show social profits well in excess of those derived from logging. If this is so,
additional forest areas could be brought under sustainable management and their species' diversity well protected.
The country's planners are determined to do something about this, and their answer is the implementation of an innovative programme to develop plantations of fast-growing species. It's called the Compensatory
Plantation Project. This crash programme is geared towards maintaining self-sufficiency in timber and gives practical expression to the vital role of forests for the community.
Of the importance of the forests there can be no doubt. Apart from timber and by-products, the Malaysian forests provide home to one of the richest floras in the world and for thousands of species of fauna, from the smallest of insects to the largest of animals. It houses a rich fungal community, an untapped genetic pool and the pharmaceutical potential of trees and shrubs could well turn out to be considerable.
Back in 1978 a National Forestry Policy was developed, designed to provide for the establishment of permanent forest estates and to promote a more effective conservation management and utilisation of forest resources.
Malaysia also adopted the International Tropical Timber Organization's (ITTO) criteria and indicators with appropriate adjustments to implement the Sustainable Forestry Management (SFM) programs geared towards
international recognition of sustainable management practices in the country. While this constituded an important step forward, the Compensatory Plantation Project represents a more specific and robust
reforestation approach which has earned the plaudits of concerned folk throughout the land.
A special Compensatory Plantation Unit (CPU) has been created within the Federal Forestry Department to plan, implement and coordinate the scheme. Meanwhile, the Federal Government in Kuala Lumpur, is providing
finance by way of interest-free loans to state governments that are responsible for matters pertaining to forests. The country's Forest Research Institute, which is renowned for the quality of its research, a participant through its various on-going research activities into
silviculture, reforestation, imported plant species, and forest conservation.
The Forestry Department, with its eyes firmly fixed on the Malaysian forests of tomorrow, employs various criteria in order to select the best species to be planted. It requires the trees to be fast-growing so as to attain commercial log size in the space of 15 years. The selected species must also be capable of producing timber that is well-suited to local needs and they have to be suited to planting under the conditions prevailing in Malaysia. The Department also specifies that the trees need to be capable of producing an abundant supply of seeds. Among the fast growing species already planted are Yemane and Acacia mangium and, it is understood that such exotic-sounding types as Gmelina arborea and Albizzia falcataria are under consideration for inclusion in the plan.
The innovative plantation project will ensure that the forests of Malaysia will be passed on to future generations so that they too can enjoy the multitude of benefits that so enrich the quality of our life. Conservationists are not alone in fervently wishing that the compensatory scheme, the reduced logging rate and the increasingly wider recognition of the tangible benefits of forests, will help ensure that this natural heritage will still be enjoyed by Malaysians of tomorrow.
Raymond Wells is a British-born economist and writer currently living and working in Malaysia. He has numerous writing credits in both print and electronic magazines. Among the former are articles in Day and Night,Trailfinder, Southern Scribe, Writer's Forum, International Living, Changi, Far East Traveler, The Rotarian, and Home and Country. He has written for e-zines such as Tempo, Worldwide Freelance Writer, Zinos, Human Beams, Themestream.com, Writers Mirror, BootsnAll.com, and the vu.
