26.3 Issues and Challenges
Due to its fragile nature, any disturbance of the peatlands is expected to change the
natural ecological balance. Therefore, many environmental issues ranging from loss
of biodiversity, habitats, biomass and carbon emission can be expected as follows.
26.3.1 Fragmented Forest
The largest contiguous PSF in Peninsular Malaysia is the North Selangor Peat
Swamp Forest (81,000 ha). The Southeast Pahang Peat Swamp Forest includes a
larger area (>100,000 ha) of forest but is fragmented into four separate blocks by
strips of degraded land along rivers and power lines (Fig. 26.4) and in many cases
surrounded by land uses which may negatively affect the hydrology of intact peat
swamp forest (Fig. 26.5). Sarawak state has a larger total area of PSF (more than
300,000 ha) and largest peatland area (1.6 million ha) but it is divided into 139 peat
basins/domes (Academy of Science Malaysia 2018) and most of these basins have
been opened up for oil palm plantations and other activities. As a result, the largest
remaining contiguous block of PSF is in Maludam National Park which covers
53,000 ha (Mohd-Azlan and Indraneil 2016).
In many cases, remaining PSF is surrounded by drained agricultural land (primarily oil palm and to a lesser extent rubber and other crops) as well as urban
development and infrastructure. This fragmentation frequently has a serious impact
on the overall water regime in the related peatland hydrological unit (PHU). A key
challenge to maintain the remaining PSF is to work with nearby landowners within
the PHU to ensure that the water regime in areas adjacent to the forest does not lead
to over-drainage or impoundment.
Table 26.3 Industrial plantation distribution in the peatlands of Malaysia (modified Miettinen et al.
2016)
State
Oil palm (ha)
Pulp (ha)
Other/Unknown (ha)
Total (ha)
Peninsular Malaysia
275,680
0
3670
279,350
Sabah
66,000
0
200
66,200
Sarawak
717,830
3540
3720
725,090
Total
1,059,510
3540
7590
1,070,640
Table 26.4 Proportion of oil
palm on peat in Malaysia
(Harun et al. 2015; Miettinen
et al. 2016)
Region
Oil palm area (ha)
Oil palm on peat
(ha)
(%)
Peninsular Malaysia 2,503,682
275,680 11.0
Sabah
1,340,317
66,000
4.9
Sarawak
1,167,173
717,830 61.5
Total
5,011,172
1,059,510 21.1
684
F. Parish et al.
Due to its fragile nature, any disturbance of the peatlands is expected to change the
natural ecological balance. Therefore, many environmental issues ranging from loss
of biodiversity, habitats, biomass and carbon emission can be expected as follows.
26.3.1 Fragmented Forest
The largest contiguous PSF in Peninsular Malaysia is the North Selangor Peat
Swamp Forest (81,000 ha). The Southeast Pahang Peat Swamp Forest includes a
larger area (>100,000 ha) of forest but is fragmented into four separate blocks by
strips of degraded land along rivers and power lines (Fig. 26.4) and in many cases
surrounded by land uses which may negatively affect the hydrology of intact peat
swamp forest (Fig. 26.5). Sarawak state has a larger total area of PSF (more than
300,000 ha) and largest peatland area (1.6 million ha) but it is divided into 139 peat
basins/domes (Academy of Science Malaysia 2018) and most of these basins have
been opened up for oil palm plantations and other activities. As a result, the largest
remaining contiguous block of PSF is in Maludam National Park which covers
53,000 ha (Mohd-Azlan and Indraneil 2016).
In many cases, remaining PSF is surrounded by drained agricultural land (primarily oil palm and to a lesser extent rubber and other crops) as well as urban
development and infrastructure. This fragmentation frequently has a serious impact
on the overall water regime in the related peatland hydrological unit (PHU). A key
challenge to maintain the remaining PSF is to work with nearby landowners within
the PHU to ensure that the water regime in areas adjacent to the forest does not lead
to over-drainage or impoundment.
Table 26.3 Industrial plantation distribution in the peatlands of Malaysia (modified Miettinen et al.
2016)
State
Oil palm (ha)
Pulp (ha)
Other/Unknown (ha)
Total (ha)
Peninsular Malaysia
275,680
0
3670
279,350
Sabah
66,000
0
200
66,200
Sarawak
717,830
3540
3720
725,090
Total
1,059,510
3540
7590
1,070,640
Table 26.4 Proportion of oil
palm on peat in Malaysia
(Harun et al. 2015; Miettinen
et al. 2016)
Region
Oil palm area (ha)
Oil palm on peat
(ha)
(%)
Peninsular Malaysia 2,503,682
275,680 11.0
Sabah
1,340,317
66,000
4.9
Sarawak
1,167,173
717,830 61.5
Total
5,011,172
1,059,510 21.1
684
F. Parish et al.