Major Reasons for Deforestation in Malaysia

By Melanie J. Martin, Demand Media

The nation of Malaysia, which encompasses part of the island of Borneo as
well as a peninsular land mass across the South China Sea, suffers from a high rate
of deforestation. Malaysia holds tropical rainforests as well as peat swamp forests,
both of which feature diverse ecosystems threatened by a number of human
activities (see Reference 3). This deforestation threatens a number of endangered
species, such as the orang-utan, which lives only on the islands of Borneo and
Sumatra.

Oil Palm Plantations
The rapid expansion of oil palm plantations has led deforestation to skyrocket
in Malaysia. In fact, oil palm agriculture acts as the leading threat to biodiversity
across Southeast Asia (see Reference 4). Palm oil is an ingredient in numerous
products from foods to cosmetics, and it has even been heralded as a bio fuel,
though its "green" virtues in the latter case are hotly debated (see Reference 1). Oil
palm growers have cut massive swaths of natural forest to make room for oil palm
plantations, replacing the diverse natural ecosystem with a monoculture crop.
According to the World Watch Institute, Malaysia was the world's largest producer of
palm oil until in 2006, when Indonesia took the lead. However, Malaysia remains one
of the world's top producers, which comes at the expense of its forests (see
Reference 2).

Logging and Mining
Harvesting timber -- often through illegal logging -- remains a serious threat to
the island of Borneo, as Dr. Luca Tacconi, director of the Asia Pacific Network for
Environmental Governance, writes in his book "Illegal Logging: Law Enforcement,
Livelihoods and the Timber Trade." Frequently, he writes, timber is brought from the
Indonesian to the Malaysian side of Borneo for processing. However, Malaysia's own
illegal logging issues remain serious as well (see Reference 7). Mining also
contributes to the degradation of Malaysia's natural forests.

Forest Fires
According to NASA, multiple factors often cause deforestation simultaneously.
One factor may stem from another, exacerbating the problem. Forest fires act as a
driver of deforestation in Malaysia, but these fires frequently stem from human
activities such as clearing land for oil palm plantations and other slash-and-burn
agriculture (see Reference 1). In other words, fires intended to be controlled often
grow out of control. Fires have been particularly devastating for Malaysia's peat
swamp forests, reaching the built up layers of peat below the surface as well as the
rest of the ecosystem (see Reference 6).


Tourism
In some areas of Malaysia, tourism has led to deforestation to create facilities
such as resorts. However, ecotourism initiatives are increasing in Malaysia,
according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. About 7
percent of Malaysia's visitors are particularly interested in ecotourism, says the FAO,
particularly in Malaysian Borneo (see Reference 8).