CONNECTIVITY SCIENCE AND THE CENTRAL FOREST SPINE:
RECONNECTING A FRAGMENTED FUTURE

The Central Forest Spine (CFS) represents Malaysia’s flagship initiative to restore ecological connectivity across fragmented tropical forests. This presentation explores how connectivity science provides both the theoretical and practical foundation for reconnecting Malaysia’s landscapes through the CFS Master Plan for Ecological Linkages 2022–2040. Drawing from empirical findings and lessons from the UNDP–GEF Improving Connectivity in the Central Forest Spine Landscape (IC-CFS) project (2015–2024), it assesses key governance, fiscal, and institutional challenges. It highlights how mechanisms such as the Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) and Malaysian Forest Fund (MFF) can sustain restoration financing and federal
–state coordination. The session concludes with policy directions for embedding connectivity into Malaysia’s environmental governance and sustainable development agenda.

VIDEO RECORD

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DR. AGKILLAH MANIAM

Green Spine Network

Dr. Agkillah Maniam is the Founder and Director of the Green Spine Network, focusing on forest governance, biodiversity finance, and landscape connectivity. She previously served as Director of Forest Management at the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) and Perak State Project Coordinator for the UNDP–GEF Improving Connectivity in the Central Forest Spine Landscape (IC-CFS) project. Dr. Maniam holds a Ph.D. in Politics and International Relations from the University of Auckland, where her research examined federal–state dynamics in implementing Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine policy and programme. Her professional interests lie in linking connectivity conservation, natural capital accounting, and sustainable forest financing. She has collaborated with multiple agencies including Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, PLANMalaysia, and international partners, to advance science-based and finance-driven conservation across Malaysia’s forest landscapes.