Earth Matters

Macaranga Wrap-up is our monthly show on Earth Matters where we give you a roundup of the top environmental news from the month past, curated by the co-founders of the environmental journalism portal Macaranga. Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua return this March with updates on some illegal wildlife trading cases, involving both African rhinoceros and reptiles. We will also take a look at the recent ruling involving the European Union and the Malaysian government, where the World Trade Organisation rejected Malaysia's complaint against an EU decision that biodiesel made from palm oil should not be considered a renewable biofuel, though the EU will also have to make some adjustments to the measures they introduced. Finally, over in Johor, the Merambong seagrass meadow next to Forest City Johor, is reportedly thriving after restoration. A development + conservation success story? We discuss this and more. 

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Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta is our ongoing tourism-themed series on Earth Matters, which aims to highlight lesser-known ecotourism spots right here in Malaysia. Done in collaboration with the Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY), we want to take you back to the great outdoors, and experience the many off-the-beaten-track nature spots our country has to offer. Last month, we did an overview of what Tawau, Sabah has to offer, but today we dive into stunning Semporna, nestled on the eastern coast of Borneo and not too far from  Tawau town. We explore the rich history and cultural heritage of this town, and also its breathtaking tapestry of biodiversity, from vibrant coral reefs to lush rainforests. Helping us on this adventure is Andrew Sebastian, the Founder & CEO of the Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Malaysia (ECOMY).

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Fun fact: Asian arowana once sold for more than RM500,000! But did you also know that they were once so common, that locals were hauling them up by the dozens to eat? But the fish have been endangered for the past 50 years, and are rarely seen in our rivers and lakes now. Local environmental journalism portal Macaranga wrote a two-part series on the past decline of wild arowanas and current efforts to conserve them, and we find out more from journalists and co-authors of the piece, Law Yao Hua (Editor, Macaranga) and Tracy Keeling (Earth Journalism Networks' CITES Legal Trade Journalism Fellow) and Dr Haslawati Baharuddin, a research scientist from the Fisheries Research Institute, Department of Fisheries Malaysia.

Image credit: Eric Chiang/Macaranga

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Rantaian Urban Green Spaces or RUGS is a conservation initiative with the primary objective of overseeing and fostering collaborative efforts among multiple stakeholders to preserve, revitalise, and interconnect the dispersed green areas within the Klang Valley. Throughout the Klang Valley, smaller, isolated green patches often receive less attention compared to larger forest expanses in other regions of the country.  But these green pockets remain crucial habitats for Malaysia's diverse flora and fauna, thus the need for protection and restoration of these spaces. Under the stewardship of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), RUGS works on inclusive planning processes and the empowerment of local communities, and is said to be the first of its kind in Klang Valley and Peninsular Malaysia. As we celebrate International Day of Forests and World Water Day this March, we find out more about RUGS from Vivian Soon (Wildlife and Conservation Officer) and Ng Sean Fong (Data and Policy Officer) who are both with the Malaysian Nature Society.

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Many Penan and Kenyah communities from the Baram Peace Park up in Northern Sarawak, are rejecting logging in their ancestral lands, whether certified as sustainable or not. From their experience, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) -  a crucial component for all companies who are aiming for sustainable and ethical supply chains - has not been upheld time and again. In the Baram Peace Park, local communities who oppose logging have to fight really hard to protect their territories and rights on a daily basis. While not opposing development, the communities are calling for development that actually protects the forests and their local cultures, instead of destroying them. What has the experience been for these communities, throughout the years? Ahead of International Day of Forests, we speak to Celine Lim, the Managing Director of SAVE Rivers, to discuss how and why local communities in the Upper Baram Forest Area are fighting to protect the forests there.

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Carnivorous plants, with their remarkable ability to capture and digest prey, have captivated the imagination of plant enthusiasts and researchers alike. Here in biodiverse Malaysia, these plants thrive in various ecosystems, each species evolving its own remarkable mechanisms to survive in nutrient-poor environments. We speak to three members of the Malaysia Carnivorous Plants group or MyCP - Gideon Lim and Nicholas Tan who are co-founders, and Justin Chew, who manages the group's communications and strategy - to explore the intricacies of carnivorous plants, including their ecological significance, and discover the ongoing efforts to protect and preserve these extraordinary species in Malaysia today.

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Urban community forests are collectively managed green spaces within cities, serving multiple purposes such as recreation, biodiversity conservation, and education. Urban and community forests play a vital role in our cities and communities, from improving air quality and reducing the urban heat island effect, to boosting property values, fostering community, and enhancing mental and physical health. Ahead of International Day of Forests - celebrated annually on the 21st of March - we want to raise awareness on the importance of all urban community forests, which are in danger of being lost forever due to rapid urbanisation. We catch up with Alicia Teoh, the Founder and Secretary of the Shah Alam Community Forest Society, to discuss the role these urban forests play in improving our quality of life, and why we must protect them at all costs.

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Plastic contaminates the entire planet - we eat it, we breathe it, it's been found in our blood stream. The Break Free From Plastic Movement – a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution – unveiled their 2023 Global Brand Audit results in early February, revealing the world's worst plastic polluters. The annual brand audit is described by the Movement as a participatory community initiative in which branded plastic waste is gathered, counted, and documented to identify the companies responsible for plastic pollution. The brand audits have been running for six consecutive years, and in 2023, 250 brand audits were conducted by 8,804 volunteers in 41 countries, and together, they collected and audited over five hundred thousand pieces of plastic waste. We speak to Miko Alino, the Project Coordinator for Corporate Accountability at the Break Free From Plastic Movement, to discuss the findings and key insights from the report, and how the movement hopes the Brand Audit Report will influence corporate accountability regarding plastic waste.

Image credit: Break Free From Plastic

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Pangolins, often referred to as scaly anteaters or ‘tenggiling’ here in Malaysia, are fascinating creatures renowned for their unique armour-like scales and elusive nature. Despite their ecological importance in pest control, pangolins face dire threats from the illegal wildlife trade - trafficked for their scales and meat - and have the unfortunate distinction of being the most trafficked mammals globally. Facing extinction due to unsustainable exploitation, conservation efforts are crucial to safeguard pangolins and maintain ecosystem balance, as their decline disrupts ecosystems, risking biodiversity loss and compromising ecosystems' resilience. We celebrated World Pangolin Day earlier in February, and in conjunction with that, we catch up with Kanitha Krishnasamy (Director, Traffic Southeast Asia) and Elizabeth John (Senior Communications Officer, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia) to discuss what more can be done to protect these precious creatures.

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We're closing off February this week, cue another roundup of top conservation news with the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga, Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn. 2023 was the planet's warmest year on record, and just last Saturday, Met Malaysia issued a Level 1 Heat Wave Warning. Scientists have underlined the need for urgent action, but it has also led coral ecologists to warn about coral bleaching and even add new alert levels to track potential risks to coral reefs. We discuss this first, before turning our attention to the recently convened 2nd meeting of the Ad Hoc Joint Task Force (JTF) on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and discussions around the smooth implementation and understanding of the EUDR here in Malaysia and Indonesia. Finally, we look to East Malaysia, where Sarawak has nearly doubled the population of its crocodiles, but this has also led to increased human-crocodile conflicts - we discuss the implications of this conservation success and more. 

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