Earth Matters

On this episode of Nature Reads, we speak to Malaysian children's author and scuba diver Gloria Chieng, together with co-host Jennifer Neoh Tan, Bookshop Manager at Sunda Shelves. We explore the books and experiences that inspired Gloria's love of nature, how her time beneath the waves led to her debut picture book, Paco the Hermit Crab, and why stories can help children connect with the ocean and the importance of protecting it.

Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a monthly show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us, in collaboration with independent bookstore Sunda Shelves.

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Sustainable finance has become a major part of the global push towards tackling climate change and protecting nature. By helping direct investment towards projects that deliver environmental and social benefits, it has the potential to reshape how development happens. Here in Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission Malaysia are developing a Sustainable Finance Taxonomy to help classify which economic activities can be considered sustainable. But civil society groups say that the framework needs stronger safeguards for forests, biodiversity and community rights, and that without those protections, projects that damage nature could still end up being labelled as "sustainable". We take a closer look at why these concerns matter, and what they could mean for the future of sustainable development in Malaysia, with Hilary Kung, Senior Researcher at Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), and Gulzhan Musaeva, an independent expert on sustainable finance.

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Land reclamation is often promoted as a driver of economic growth, but it's also one of the most controversial forms of development, with lasting impacts on the environment, coastal communities, and traditional livelihoods. Now, a recent Court of Appeal judgment involving the Penang South Islands reclamation project has sparked a new debate, not just about the environmental impacts of reclamation, but about who has the legal authority to approve it in the first place. Although the appeal against the project was dismissed, the court's written judgment has prompted environmental groups to question whether the proper legal authority existed to approve reclamation over Malaysia's territorial sea and seabed. They argue the issues raised go far beyond Penang and could have implications for how future reclamation projects are governed across the country. Joining us to unpack what the ruling means, why civil society groups are still calling for answers, and what this could mean for the future of coastal development, is filmmaker and Programme Coordinator for Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim, or JEDI, Andrew Han.

*Watch Andrew’s film “Doa Seorang Nelayan” here.

Image Credit: Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim Facebook

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Birds are often described as indicators of the health of our environment. When bird populations change, they're often telling us something about the ecosystems we all depend on. That's one reason projects like MY Garden Birdwatch matter. Returning this July after a four-year break, the nationwide survey invites Malaysians to spend just 30 minutes observing birds in their local area and contribute to a growing body of scientific knowledge. Joining us to share more is Liu Lai-Wah, an avid birdwatcher and Secretary of the Malaysian Nature Society Selangor Branch Bird Group.

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Ever so often, we hear about another patch of forest being cleared, excised or reclassified. But if you've ever tried to find out exactly what happened, when it happened, or whether it was even legal, you'll know just how difficult that information can be to access. That's exactly the problem journalist Law Yao Hua set out to solve. Drawing on years of reporting, hundreds of official gazettes and forest reserve maps, he has created Fate of Our Forests, a platform that brings together more than two decades of official changes to forest reserves across Peninsular Malaysia. It's an ambitious project that aims to make forest data more accessible, transparent and useful for everyone. Yao Hua joins us to tell us how the platform came together, what it can reveal, and why understanding the fate of our forests should matter to all Malaysians.

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Climate action doesn't only happen at the annual UN Climate Conference, or COP. Throughout the year, negotiators, policymakers and civil society organisations meet to tackle the complex work of turning global climate commitments into practical action. Last month saw a packed calendar of major international gatherings, including the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin, the UNFCCC's mid-year negotiations in Bonn, and London Climate Action Week. Together, these meetings helped shape the conversations that will eventually feed into the next COP, particularly around climate finance, adaptation and the growing focus on a just transition. To help us understand what emerged from these discussions, and why they matter for Malaysia and the wider Southeast Asian region, we’re joined by Nithi Nesadurai, Director and Regional Coordinator of the Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, or CANSEA, who attended all three events.

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The transfer of three Malaysian elephants to Japan has sparked widespread debate over the past few months. While the move was described as a conservation partnership between two zoos, campaigners have questioned whether the transfer complied with Malaysian law, raised concerns about the elephants' welfare, and called for greater transparency over how the decision was made. In this conversation, we unpack the key issues surrounding the case, from the legal questions and ongoing investigations, to what experts say about the elephants' condition and why many believe this matters beyond just these three animals. Joining us to do that are Rajesh Nagarajan, animal rights lawyer and President of Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (PEKA Malaysia); Vimala Raghavan, Secretary-General of PEKA Malaysia; Datin Shereen Yunos, animal rights activist and member of Kembalikan DAK and representing the Selamatkan DAK coalition; and Dr William Keith Lindsay, a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist. 

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The more successful a tourist island becomes, the more waste it often has to manage. That's one of the central ideas behind a new report titled Pathways Towards Circularity: The Zero Waste Islands Framework, from GAIA Asia Pacific, which argues that many island destinations are trapped in an extractive cycle. Products are imported, consumed, and discarded, while local communities are left to deal with the environmental and financial costs. The report proposes a different path, one built around zero waste principles, local resource management, and community-led solutions, with many solutions for Malaysia too. We discuss this with Ambily Adithyan, Regional Zero Waste Cities Officer with GAIA Asia Pacific, who also shares successful case studies from around the world, where communities significantly reduced waste and improved resource management, and without the use of expensive “fixes” like waste-to-energy incineration projects.

Image Credit: Zero Waste Asia Facebook

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For July 2026's episode of Nature Reads, we speak to Rahayu Zulkifli, Chief Executive Officer of Marine Conservation and Research Organisation Malaysia (PULIHARA), together with co-host Dylan Jefri Ong, co-founder of Sunda Shelves. We explore the books that sparked Rahayu's love of nature and conservation, before diving into Tigers of Terengganu by A. Locke, a vivid account of a Malaysia where tigers still roamed the forests and people lived much closer to the wild. Along the way, we reflect on what the book reveals about our changing relationship with wildlife and why it continues to resonate today.

Nature Reads on Earth Matters is a monthly show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us, in collaboration with independent bookstore Sunda Shelves.

Image Credit: Phoenix Books NZ

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El Niño is often thought of as a weather phenomenon, bringing hotter and drier conditions to parts of the world. But according to the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia, the bigger story may not be the weather itself, but rather how prepared Malaysia is to deal with the pressures that come with it, from water shortages and pollution risks to energy security and the management of critical infrastructure. Joining us to unpack these issues is Piarapakaran Subramaniam, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER), and CEO of the Centre for Water and Energy Sustainability (CWES).

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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