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Malaysia
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
62.3% or about 20,456,000 ha of Malaysia is forested, according to FAO. Of this 18.7% ( 3,820,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Malaysia had 1,807,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Malaysia lost an average of 96,000 ha or 0.43% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Malaysia lost 8.6% of its forest cover, or around 1,920,000 ha.
Malaysia's forests contain 3,212 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Malaysia has some 1671 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 13.9% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 9.3% are threatened. Malaysia is home to at least 15500 species of vascular plants, of which 23.2% are endemic. 4.1% of Malaysia is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
2011 Update
In May 2011, Sassan Saatchi of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Lab and colleagues published a paper in PNAS with new carbon stock estimates for global tropical forests.
| Forest definition (canopy cover %) | 10% tree cover | 25% tree cover | 30% tree cover | | Forest Area (M ha) | 30 | 25 | 25 | | Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C) | 4,015 | 3,599 | 3,527 | | Belowground forest carbon (Mt C) | 1,060 | 946 | 926 | | Total forest carbon (Mt C) | 5,075 | 4,544 | 4,453 | | Average Carbon Density (t C/ha) | 172 | 179 | 180 |
M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values
Malaysia Environmental profile | Malaysia pictures
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Malaysia
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Malaysia: Forest Cover, 2010
| Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 32855 |
| Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 20456 |
| Percent Forest Cover | 62 |
| Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | 3820 |
| Primary Forest, % total forest | 19 |
| Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 0 |
| Percent other wooded land | 0 |
Malaysia: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
| Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 3820 | 19 |
| Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 14829 | 72 |
| Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | 1807 | 9 |
Malaysia: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 22376 | 21591 | 20890 | 20456 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -79 | -140 | -87 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.36 | -0.66 | -0.42 | |
Malaysia: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
| FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 20420 | 19932 | 19317 | 18649 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -49 | -49 | -128 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.2 | -0.24 | -0.64
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Malaysia: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 3820 | 3820 | 3820 | 3820 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Malaysia: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
| PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 1956 | 1659 | 1573 | 1807 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -30 | -17 | 47 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent)
Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -1.63 | -1.06 | 2.81 | |
Malaysia: Primary designated function (percent)
| Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
| 62 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
Malaysia: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
| OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
| Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
| 98 | 2 | 0 |
| PRIVATE OWNERSHIP |
| Individuals | Business entities and institutions | Local, indigenous and tribal communities |
| - | - | - |
| HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS |
| Public administration | Individuals | Business
entities and Institutions | Communities | Other |
| 90 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Malaysia: Growing stock in forest
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total
(million m3) | Per hectare
(m3) | Coniferous
(million m3) | Broadleaved
(million m3) | % commercial species |
| 4239 | 207 | - | - | - |
| GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
| Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
| - | - | | | |
Malaysia: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(million metric tons) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 2822 | 3558 | 3362 | 3212 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS
(per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 157 |
ANNUAL CHANGE
(1 000 t/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 74 | -39 | -30 |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE
(t/ha/yr) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| 3.9 | -0.8 | -0.8 |
Malaysia: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
| FOREST FIRE |
| 1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
| 2 | 100 |
| EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
| Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Malaysia: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 48428 | 21946 | 26706 | - |
WOODFUEL
Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
| 4613 | 3831 | 3557 | - |
Malaysia: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals
(million US$) | Value per ha forest
(US$) |
| Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
| 2706 | - | 43 | - | - |
Malaysia: Employment in forestry 1990-2005
TOTAL
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 78 | 68 | 127 |
IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 76 | 66 | 125 |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION
(1000 full-time employees) |
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
Malaysia: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (1992)
Sub-national forest policy: Yes
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2006) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1984)
Sub-national forest law: Yes
Malaysia: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
| 2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
| # | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
| 11000 | - | 8400 | - | 8600 | - |
Malaysia: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005
| Forest revenue | Public expenditure (1000 US$) |
| Domestic funding | External funding | Total |
| (1000 US$) | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments |
| 424123 | 98547 | - | - | - | 98547 | -
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Malaysia: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010
CbD:
UNFCCC:
Kyoto Protocol:
UNCCD:
ITTA:
CITeS:
Ramsar:
World Heritage Convention:
NlbI:
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Malaysia: Environment
| Environment - current issues | air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires | | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands | | Natural hazards | flooding, landslides, forest fires |
Malaysia: Land use / Resources
| Land use (%) | arable land: 5.48%
permanent crops: 17.61%
other: 76.91% (2001) | | Natural resources | tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite |
Malaysia: Economy
| Economy - overview: | Malaysia, a middle-income country, transformed itself from 1971 through the late 1990's from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy. Growth was almost exclusively driven by exports - particularly of electronics. As a result, Malaysia was hard hit by the global economic downturn and the slump in the information technology (IT) sector in 2001 and 2002. GDP in 2001 grew only 0.5% because of an estimated 11% contraction in exports, but a substantial fiscal stimulus package equal to US $1.9 billion mitigated the worst of the recession, and the economy rebounded in 2002 with a 4.1% increase. The economy grew 4.9% in 2003, notwithstanding a difficult first half, when external pressures from SARS and the Iraq War led to caution in the business community. Growth topped 7% in 2004 and 5% in 2005. Healthy foreign exchange reserves, low inflation, and a small external debt are all strengths that make it unlikely that Malaysia will experience a financial crisis over the near term similar to the one in 1997. The economy remains dependent on continued growth in the US, China, and Japan, top export destinations and key sources of foreign investment. | | GDP - per capita | $10,400 (2005 est.) | | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 5.1% (2005 est.) | | Agriculture - products | Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah - subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper, timber | | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 7.2%, industry: 33.3%, services: 59.5% (2005 est.) | | Industries | Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging | | Population below poverty line (%) | 8% (1998 est.) | | Debt - external | $56.72 billion (30 June 2005 est.) | | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 14.5%, industry 36%, services 49.5% (2000 est.) |
Malaysia: Population / Demographics
| Population (July 2005) | 23,953,136 | | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 1.80% | | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 72.9 | | Percent rural (2003) | 36.1% | | Median age (years) | total: 23.92 years | | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 3.07 (2005 est.) | | Ethnic groups (%) | Malay 50.4%, Chinese 23.7%, Indigenous 11%, Indian 7.1%, others 7.8% (2004 est.) |
Largest Cities in Malaysia
Cities and urban areas in Malaysia with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
| City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 1448600 | 4060000 |
| Johor Bahru | Malaysia | 722200 | 722200 |
| Ipoh | Malaysia | 561700 | 746300 |
| Kuching | Malaysia | 368000 | 368000 |
| Kuala Terengganu | Malaysia | 302900 | 302900 |
| Kuantan | Malaysia | 293400 | 293400 |
| Kota Bahru | Malaysia | 290900 | 290900 |
| Seremban | Malaysia | 265500 | 265500 |
| Georgetown | Malaysia | 231800 | 231800 |
| Kota Kinabalu | Malaysia | 216400 | 216400 |
| Sandakan | Malaysia | 212400 | 212400 |
| Taiping | Malaysia | 208300 | 208300 |
| Kajang-Sungai Chua | Malaysia | 201800 | 201800 |
| Alor Setar | Malaysia | 199100 | 199100 |
| Sibu | Malaysia | 177100 | 177100 |
| Tawau | Malaysia | 168500 | 168500 |
| Kluang | Malaysia | 164600 | 164600 |
| Sungai Petani | Malaysia | 141900 | 141900 |
| Miri | Malaysia | 136600 | 136600 |
| Melaka | Malaysia | 127400 | 127400 |
| Bandar Penggaram | Malaysia | 101000 | 101000 |
Malaysia: Infrastructure
| Telephones - main lines in use | 4,571,600 (2003) | | Telephones - mobile cellular | 11,124,100 (2003) | | Roadways (km) | total: 71,814 km
paved: 55,943 km
unpaved: 15,871 km (2001) |
Malaysia: Health
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 72.24 years
male: 69.56 years
female: 75.11 years (2005 est.) | | Infant mortality rate | 17.7 deaths/1,000 live births | | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 0.4% (2003 est.) | | Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria are high risks in some locations (2004) |
Malaysia
: References & Data Sources
 Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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