Tropical Forests: Project in Malaysia

Project in Malaysia

Pulong Tau National Park in Sarawak, Malaysia

Transboundary protection of biodiversity

The conservation of tropical forest as a public good requires cooperation on several levels: between industrialised and developing countries and between local players interested in a forest resource. Switzerland participates actively in the development of solutions aimed at achieving cooperation between the indigenous population, commercial forestry enterprises and forest authorities. This should make it possible to conserve and regenerate the basic means of existence of the indigenous communities in these regions by economically and ecologically acceptable means.

This ITTO project facilitated the creation of the Pulong Tau National Park in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is therefore contributing to the conservation of the last remaining natural mountain forests in northern Borneo and to the improvement of the living conditions of the indigenous communities including the Penan, the Kelabit and the Lun Bawang. The project promotes measures to protect biodiversity and initiatives to encourage the development of the local communities, both socially and economically, inter alia by promoting trade in forest products from the buffer zones of the National Park. Efforts are being made to extend the existing core zone of the park. This would not only enable the Pulong Tau National Park to be linked to the Kayan Mentarang National Park in neighbouring Indonesia, but also protect the Batu Lawi forest area, which is one of the central settlement areas of the Penan communities.