Agriculture is the third engine of growth in Malaysia which contributed US$16.55 billion or 7.7% of Malaysia’s GDP in 2011 which increased to 10.1% in 2012. Malaysia’s agriculture sector largely consists of oil palm, rubber, rice fields, cocoa, fruit orchards, industrial crops (tuberous crops, fibre, and medicinal plants), vegetable farms, livestock rearing and aquaculture farms.

Sustainable utilization of agrobiodiversity resources is a key component within the agriculture sector in Malaysia. Agencies such as the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) come under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA). Collectively these implementing agencies works towards ensuring that genetic resources including plants, microbes, farm animals and arthropods are continuously conserved and sustainably used. These agrobiodiversity resources are essential for future breeding purposes, improving plant varieties or animal breeds; to develop traits that are resistant to pests and diseases; for utilization as biofuel, biopesticides and in food product development.

Plant genetic resources including rice, fruits, medicinal plants, biopesticidal plants, ornamental plants, underutilized fruits etc. are conserved in Malaysia both via in-situ and ex-situ means and mainly in germplasms throughout Malaysia. For example, rice germplasms collection conserved in seed gene banks are as follows; in MARDI, a total of 12,091 rice accessions is found, the Department of Agriculture in Sabah has 1,000 accessions and the Agricultural Research Centre in Sarawak contain 3,938 rice accessions. There has been a substantial increase in these rice accessions since the last reporting period.

In relation to animal genetic resources, conservation of these resources comes within the purview of the DVS and MARDI for the improvement of new varieties. Malaysia has a National Animal Embryo Centre (NAEC) which conducts farm animal research and development (R&D) in collaboration with national and international agencies.

With regard to insect genetic resources, there are more than 30,000 preserved specimens conserved at the Insect Museum at MARDI, DOA and local universities for R&D as well as education and awareness purposes. With regard to microbial and fungal genetic resources, a number of research institutes and universities have registered their respective microbial collections with the World Data Centre for Microorganisms (WDCM). These collections will be continuously increased and registered for future R&D and education purposes.

Six countries with at least 99% of their areas are classified as dry and sub-humid lands: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova, and Turkmenistan. Malaysia, on the other hand, by its location between the equator and the latitudes 8 degrees north latitude, experiences an equatorial climate with both seasonal monsoon rains as well as frequent convection thunderstorms.

Some parts of the country experience dry seasons, but even then, the average monthly rainfall is ca. 20 mm. While Malaysia hosts a variety of xerophyte flora, they are primarily confined to specialized habitats such as limestone or karst topography, quartzite ridges, coastal sand dunes or heath forests.

Generally speaking, however, Malaysia does not have significant arid/or semi-arid areas.

Forest biodiversity in Malaysia consists of lowland evergreen forest, lowland dipterocarp forest, heath forests, limestone forests, mixed dipterocarp forests, hill dipterocarp forests and hill mixed dipterocarp forest.

Malaysia is committed to maintain at least 50% of her land area under forest and tree cover in perpetuity as pledged under the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. This is attained through the protection of forests and the application of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices. In 2012, approximately 18.01 million hectares or 54.5% of Malaysia remains forested. Of this area, approximately 14.5 million hectares have been designated as PRF/PFE. With regards to land capability and overall land use, it is noted that there is a need for further development to meet the requirements of a growing population and the country’s socio economic development agenda.

Malaysia has benefited tremendously from her forest resources. The rich diversity of the forests has contributed direct economic benefits derived from timber products and other non-timber forest produce. Certain indigenous plants, animals and their derivatives have long been used in traditional medicine by various ethnic and indigenous groups in Malaysia.

The total export earnings from timber and timber products in 2012 amounted to US$6.16 billion. The forestry sector contributed US$2.93 billion or one percent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of US$286.96 billion in 2012. In 2012, the forestry sector in Peninsular Malaysia provided direct employment to 37,443 persons in various industries.

Inland waters biodiversity can be categorised as peat swamp forests, freshwater swamp forest, riparian forests, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They also include streams, groundwater, springs, cave waters, floodplains, as well as bogs, marshes and swamps; which are traditionally grouped as inland wetlands. Malaysia’s estimated total wetland area excluding lakes, oxbow lakes, river systems, sandy beaches, rocky shores and coral reefs is 5.19 million hectares.

As a signatory to the RAMSAR Convention, one of Malaysia’s obligations is to designate wetlands of international significance as RAMSAR sites within the country. To date, six RAMSAR sites have been designated; which are Tasek Bera in Pahang, Pulau Kukup, Sungai Pulai and Tanjung Piai in Johor, the Kuching Wetlands National Park in Sarawak and the Lower Kinabatangan Segama Wetlands (LKSW) in Sabah. By designating these sites, the government is committed to ensure the maintenance of the ecological character of the sites.

In relation to RAMSAR at the national level, Malaysia has published a National RAMSAR Information Toolkit as a resource document for wetlands managers and planners. It provides information that would assist decision-makers in listing aspects/criteria for other potential RAMSAR sites as well as draw attention to the many important wetland sites in Malaysia.

Peat swamp forests are water logged forests and still contributes a significant portion of forest cover in Malaysia. There is an estimated 1.54 million hectares still remaining. Majority of peat swamps are found in the State of Sarawak (estimated around 70%), less than 20% in Peninsular Malaysia and the remainder in Sabah. Threats to peat swamp forest include land use change for agriculture and other developmental activities.

Malaysia continues to work with other countries and organizations in transboundary conservation efforts. Malaysia became a partner to the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) in November of 2012. Bako Buntal Bay, in Sarawak, was accepted as a flyway site in May 2013. Being the partner of EAAFP further signifies Malaysia’s commitment to the RAMSAR Convention.

Bako Buntal Bay, Malaysia’s first EAAFP site is an important habitat for migratory waterbirds. Thirty-two species of shorebirds comprising an estimated 20,000-25,000 individuals winter in the bay and its immediate environs.

Several globally threatened and near threatened species such as the Nordmann’s Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher and Far Eastern Curlew make their stops here. The area supports more than 10% of the global population of the Chinese Egret while the numbers of Red Knot and Great Knot are among the highest for any site in Malaysia. These recordings make Bako Buntal Bay globally significant as an important site for waterbirds. This site has a huge potential for ecotourism which can potentially generate alternative income sources for the local communities in this area while supporting conservation efforts.

Islands and their surrounding near-shore marine areas constitute unique ecosystems often comprising many plant and animal species that are endemic—found nowhere else on Earth. They are also key to the livelihood, economy, well-being and cultural identity of 600 million islanders—one-tenth of world population.

Island species are also unique in their vulnerability: of the 724 recorded animal extinctions in the last 400 years, about half were island species. Over the past century, island biodiversity has been subject to intense pressure from invasive alien species, habitat change and over-exploitation, and, increasingly, from climate change and pollution. This pressure is also keenly felt by island economies.

Among the most vulnerable of the developing countries, small island developing States (SIDS) depend on the conservation and sustainable use of island biodiversity for their sustainable development.

Malaysia's large and accessible islands have a long history of exploration and utilization. The Island of Penang is actually the second most densely populated state in the country, second in population density only to the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur. The side of the island facing the mainland has undergone complete urbanization to meet residential, trade, manufacturing, industrial and international shipping needs.

The northern shores of the island have been heavily developed to meet the booming beach hotel business while the southern parts of the island have been developed as an economic free-trade zone to attract investments in the form of electronics, semiconductor, and other light to medium industries. However, in addition to having the oldest Botanic Gardens in the country, the island now boasts Malaysia’s newest and smallest National Park.

Many of the larger and more accessible islands including Langkawi, Pangkor, Tioman and Redang all have either airports or airstrips, and all are utilized by the sizable marine fishing industry as well as both the local and international tourism industry.

The attractiveness of these islands for tourism has put increasing developmental pressure on these islands and has raised concerns about the impact of human activity on fragile coastal habitats such as coral reefs and turtle landing beaches.

Marine and coastal biodiversity consist of coastal hill dipterocarp forests, mangrove forests, mud flats, coral reefs and sea grass areas.

Malaysia has a coastline of some 4,800 km, and sits on the geologically stable Sunda Shelf. About half the coastline is beaches and slightly less than half is fringed with mangrove forest. There is relatively little rocky coastline. Both the beach and mangrove ecosystems boast distinct, unique and spectacular biodiversity, and provide a broad range of ecological services ranging from tourism and recreation to providing critical habitat for reptilian, crustacean, mollusc and fish species. Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) on the coasts of Malaysia have been identified and mapped in the NPP. These ESAs include mangrove forests, marine parks, critical coastal erosion areas and turtle landing sites.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs in Malaysia are estimated to cover close to 4,006 km2. Coral reefs support not less than 700 species of fish that are dependent on coral reefs as a habitat. Coral reefs are valuable economic and ecological resources. They have important ecosystem functions that provide crucial goods and services to hundreds of millions of people, mostly in developing countries. They are the foundation of a significant proportion of the global tourism industry, and are a major source of biodiversity.

It is reported that USD 5.5 billion is generated from the coral reefs of the world annually. Within Southeast Asia, the potential sustainable economic value of coral reefs is substantial, as is the potential economic loss if these resources are degraded. One estimate puts the value of coral reefs at US$115,740 per hectare per year. This places Malaysia's reefs at a value of US$45.31 billion per year. Malaysia is part of the "Coral Triangle", an area recognised by scientists to contain the world's richest marine biodiversity. Coral diversity is highest in East Malaysia, estimated at over 550 species while Peninsular Malaysia has over 480 species of coral. Coral reefs represent an economically important ecosystem and are the foundation of a significant percentage of the country's tourism industry. Economically, coral reef-related businesses in Malaysia are worth approximately US$635 million annually in food, fisheries, tourism and even pharmaceuticals. Malaysian coral reefs have been categorised as fair based on the average live coral cover of 46.4% in 2012. This showed an improvement from the year 2011 of which the average live coral cover was only 42.6%. This indicates that the reefs are recovering from the mass bleaching event in 2010. A further survey in 2013 saw a positive sign of steady recovery with 48.3 % live coral cover.

There are many local threats to coral reefs in Malaysia which include destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution, sedimentation as well as physical impacts from tourism activities such as diving, snorkelling and boating.

Against the local threats above, mass coral reef bleaching has emerged over recent years as a global threat; which is difficult to manage at the local level and has potentially devastating effects. The first significant mass coral reef bleaching event reported in Malaysia was in 1998, as a result of which, an estimated 40% of corals in reefs around Peninsular Malaysia died. Reefs had barely recovered before the 2010 mass coral reef bleaching event occurred, which fortunately saw lower coral death rates ranges from 5% to 10%. This is due to effective management of local threats to reduce stress and allows for natural recovery.

Consequently, Malaysia has developed a Coral Reef Bleaching Response Plan, which aims to put in place a number of actions in response to coral bleaching related events. The key objectives of the plans are to:-

• Raise awareness among key stakeholders of the possible impacts of mass coral bleaching;
• Formulate guidelines for actions to respond to coral bleaching and establish a bleaching reporting/information system for public networking and information sharing; and
• Establish a coral bleaching committee/unit involving government, non-governmental agencies and universities that would encourage immediate and long term actions to reduce local stresses to coral reefs.

The Plan also contains 4 primary components that contribute towards the overall response mechanism which include:

• Early Warning Systems: In view of the increase in coral bleaching monitoring internationally, information is available from a variety of sources that serves as early warning of climate conditions that favour bleaching. This aids towards predicting bleaching events;
• Response Triggers: In view of the fact that bleaching occurrences are not uniform, the plan therefore, identifies a number of triggers that result in programmed actions. This provides flexibility in implementation, and allow for adaptive management in different scenarios;
• Management Actions: implementation of a variety of actions that would reduce or eliminate local threats to coral reefs and thereby enhancing the survivability of coral reefs to bleaching events; and
• Communications: a significant element of the plan involves communications with various stakeholders. The provision of timely, accurate information helps stakeholder groups understand these events and therefore increases the likelihood of cooperation with management authorities towards efforts to reduce the impacts of coral bleaching events.

Mangroves

Peninsular Malaysia has a coastline of about 1,972 km that borders the South China Sea in the East, the Straits of Johor in the South, and Straits of Malacca in the West. About 72% of the coastline in West Peninsular Malaysia is made up of mud coasts, while the rest is sand coasts interspersed with capes, promontories and headlands of granite and sandstone. Most of the mangrove areas are found fringing this coastline. Mangroves in Peninsular Malaysia are found largely sheltered along the west coast that borders the Straits of Malacca. Key near-shore islands such as the Pulau Klang in Selangor and Pulau Kukup in Johor are also predominantly colonized by mangroves.

Sabah and Sarawak contain almost 82% of the nation’s mangroves. In Sabah mangrove forests are found largely on the east coast facing the Sulu Sulawesi Seas. In Sarawak, these forests are located at the river mouths of Rajang and the Trusan- Sundar. In Malaysia, there are about 38 species of true mangroves and generally, mangrove plant species diversity is comparable with the global diversity; as at least 70 species from 28 families have been recorded.

Within the PRFs in Malaysia, the country recorded mangrove areas at 544,032 hectares in 2012; showing an upward trend from the last reporting period where in 2009, mangroves areas was recorded at 539,142 hectares. Peninsular Malaysia, in 2012, recorded total mangrove areas of 98,848 hectares. The State of Sabah has the largest area of mangrove forest in the country and within PRFs, the figure in 2012 stands at 333,019 hectares. Meanwhile, the total mangrove forest area in Sarawak in 2012 is 112,165 hectares.

In 2005, Malaysia launched the ‘Tree Planting Programme with Mangrove and Other Suitable Species along the National Coastlines’ as part of mangrove forest conservation and environmental protection activities. The implementation of this programme is in line with the National Forestry Policy 1978 (NFP) and the National Physical Plan I (NPP).

During the nine-year period of its’ implementation from 2005 to 2013, Malaysia has succeeded in planting 6.2 million seedlings of mangrove trees and other suitable tree species encompassing 2,500 hectares of coastal area throughout the country. The success of this planting programme was achieved through an integrated approach and through the involvement of various parties including the Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM), the Forest Department Sarawak, Sabah Forestry Department, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and local communities.

Eight mountain ranges are present in Peninsular Malaysia, namely the Nakawan, Kedah-Singgora, Bintang, Keledang, Titiwangsa, Benum, Tahan and Timur Ranges. Collectively, these highlands make up close to 20% of the land area of Peninsular Malaysia. The general alignment of the mountain ranges is in a north-south direction. The Main Range, also known as the Banjaran Titiwangsa, is the largest, most prominent and continuous mountain range in Peninsular Malaysia. It stretches approximately 500 km from the border of Malaysia with Thailand in the north to Negeri Sembilan where its height decreases and merges into the State of Malacca’s coastal plain.

In Sabah, at least 12 different vegetation types are found throughout the State based on elevation and soil type. Since the overall topography of Sabah is mountainous, mountain biodiversity is very vast and important. The iconic Mt. Kinabalu which stands at 4,095 metres is comparatively well studied and has recorded plant species richness to be over 5,000 species (2.5 % of world flora) in an area less than 1,200 km2

The State of Sarawak can be classified topographically into three principal terrain groups: the alluvial coastal plain, the mountainous interior and the central belt of generally undulating country between the coastal plain and the interior. Sarawak’s mountain ranges rises to over 1,500 metres and thereby forms the divide between Sarawak and Kalimantan (Indonesia).

The highest peaks in Sarawak are Murud at 2,424 metres and Mulu at 2,371 metres. Around 37% of the state is over 300 metres in elevation. The highlands form the headwaters of most of the major rivers that flow within Sarawak. The Kelabit Highlands are the headwaters for the important Limbang and Baram rivers in Sarawak. The mountains located in the east side of the State receive the highest rainfall in Malaysia, at times exceeding 4,000 mm in a year.

There are outstanding geological and geomorphological features of the Sarawak highlands such as the Mulu Caves which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the volcanic tablelands of the Usun Apau and Linau- Balui, as well as the spectacular peaks of Mount Murud and Batu Lawi that are formed by massive sandstone of the Meligan Formation.

In relation to land use patterns, the Sarawak highlands is characterised by large expanse of forested areas, with scattered settlements along river valleys. Small-hold agriculture is situated at close by settlements, on gentler slopes and river basins. National Parks and other Totally Protected Areas are mostly concentrated on the northern region, and these include the Gunung Mulu National Park, Pulong Tau National Park, Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and the Batang Ai National Park. The major threat to montane flora and fauna is habitat destruction. The development of various types of infrastructures impact the conservation of natural montane flora and fauna communities.

By assigning an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) rank of 1 to all land areas above the elevation of 1,000m, the National Physical Plan (NPP) addresses the conservation of highland biodiversity by managing development and habitat loss in sub-montane and montane ecosystems in Peninsular Malaysia. Multiple protected area approaches are used to protect mountainous areas across Sabah and Sarawak as well.