Deforestation in Malaysia is three times faster than Asia

Malaysia's deforestation rate is three times faster than that of all Asian countries combined and even peat-rich forests along the coast of Sarawak state, the largest state on Borneo is wiped out faster.

This is the research result conducted by Satellite Map and Monitoring Company SarVision in collaboration with scientists from Wagenigen University of the Netherlands.

The deforestation rate of all Asian countries in the past 5 years was 2.8%, while, around the same time, in Malaysia there were 353,000 ha or one third of swamp forests were destroyed, It is estimated that Malaysia averages about 2% of the forests in Sarawak each year, mainly converted to palm trees for oil.

According to the study, the current deforestation rate in Sarawak is 3.5 times faster than the whole of Asia , while the rate of destruction in peat swamp forests is 11.7 times.

If this trend is not prevented, then by the end of this decade, Malaysia will not have any natural peat forest, where there are many rare animals such as elephants, rhinos and many kinds of wood and precious plants. Other rare growth.

Currently, palm oil companies of Malaysia and Indonesia are being pressured by major Western customers to stop expanding palm cultivation through the destruction of natural forests. However, India and China are still Malaysia's top trading partners, so deforestation for palm trees still takes place in the country.

The Malaysian government declares that there are only 8-13% of palm plantations on peat-rich forest land, but according to SarVision's figures, 20% of Malaysia's palm oil is obtained from forests planted on peat land after the forest. naturally broken. For Sarawak, this number even reached 44%.

SarVision estimates that 510,000 hectares of natural forests in Malaysia are destroyed for palm trees, emitting 20 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, because 10% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation and swamp forest fires contain a lot of coal mud caused.

The organization has urged Malaysia to stop deforestation for palm trees, and to call for an end to the promotion of biofuel use in the European Union.