ABOUT SoNC
Our Changing Nature
The State of Nature Conservation in Malaysia (1991)
Published by the Malayan Nature Society to mark its 50th Anniversary, this volume brings together contributions from experts across Malaysia. It provides a snapshot of the country’s forests, geology, flora, and fauna at that point in time, serving as a reference for students, naturalists, and anyone interested in understanding Malaysia’s natural heritage.
The traders and explorers of centuries past have noted the richness of life that can be found on our shores, both in East and West Malaysia. This prompted them to delve deeply into cataloguing and identifying the diverse array of biology, notably with Alfred Wallace who endeavoured for almost a decade around the Malay Archipelago. His efforts were succeeded by later naturalists and conservationists, many of whom were active members of the Malaysian Nature Society, who have witnessed first-hand the squandering of Malaysia’s biodiversity in return for development.
In 1991, under the auspices of the International Research and Development Centre, Canada, the Malaysian Nature Society published ‘The State of Nature Conservation in Malaysia’. The maiden release of this publication highlighted the status quo of nature conservation in Malaysia from the heyday of the Society, pioneered by naturalists, and each expounded either individually or in combination by setting the descriptive narratives of taxa, ecosystems, or geographical regions.
The three decades of anthropogenic development since this publication have been less than kind to our natural environment. The proliferation of plantations, large-scale developments, and other pressures preceded the decline of charismatic fauna such as Malayan Tiger and Asian Elephant, and the extirpation of species such as Sumatran Rhino and Leatherback Turtle. While Malaysia is a Party to several multilateral environmental agreements, most notable being the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the consensus amongst conservation practitioners is that these have not quite achieved the intended effect of sustainably conserving Malaysia’s natural resources.
Internationally recognised sites of biological importance, inter alia, UNESCO Biospheres, Ramsar Sites, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, etc. are still vulnerable to de facto development and degradation.
After 34 years, the time is ripe to revisit and reassess the present state of conservation in Malaysia. The State of Nature Conservation in Malaysia 2025 aims to:
- Account for the environmental baseline conditions around Malaysia.
- Highlight pertinent management shortcomings.
- Suggest and/or exemplify ways forward. This updated edition will serve as a reference point for policymakers, researchers, civil society and the general public.
Our Changing Nature
The State of Nature Conservation in Malaysia (1991)
Published by the Malayan Nature Society to mark its 50th Anniversary, this volume brings together contributions from experts across Malaysia. It provides a snapshot of the country’s forests, geology, flora, and fauna at that point in time, serving as a reference for students, naturalists, and anyone interested in understanding Malaysia’s natural heritage.
The traders and explorers of centuries past have noted the richness of life that can be found on our shores, both in East and West Malaysia. This prompted them to delve deeply into cataloguing and identifying the diverse array of biology, notably with Alfred Wallace who endeavoured for almost a decade around the Malay Archipelago. His efforts were succeeded by later naturalists and conservationists, many of whom were active members of the Malaysian Nature Society, who have witnessed first-hand the squandering of Malaysia’s biodiversity in return for development.
In 1991, under the auspices of the International Research and Development Centre, Canada, the Malaysian Nature Society published ‘The State of Nature Conservation in Malaysia’. The maiden release of this publication highlighted the status quo of nature conservation in Malaysia from the heyday of the Society, pioneered by naturalists, and each expounded either individually or in combination by setting the descriptive narratives of taxa, ecosystems, or geographical regions.
The three decades of anthropogenic development since this publication have been less than kind to our natural environment. The proliferation of plantations, large-scale developments, and other pressures preceded the decline of charismatic fauna such as Malayan Tiger and Asian Elephant, and the extirpation of species such as Sumatran Rhino and Leatherback Turtle. While Malaysia is a Party to several multilateral environmental agreements, most notable being the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the consensus amongst conservation practitioners is that these have not quite achieved the intended effect of sustainably conserving Malaysia’s natural resources.
Internationally recognised sites of biological importance, inter alia, UNESCO Biospheres, Ramsar Sites, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, etc. are still vulnerable to de facto development and degradation.
After 34 years, the time is ripe to revisit and reassess the present state of conservation in Malaysia. The State of Nature Conservation in Malaysia 2025 aims to:
- Account for the environmental baseline conditions around Malaysia.
- Highlight pertinent management shortcomings.
- Suggest and/or exemplify ways forward. This updated edition will serve as a reference point for policymakers, researchers, civil society and the general public.