**3. Malaysia's protected area**

Malaysia has established a network of PAs for the conservation of biological diversity. Some of these permanent reserved forests, national parks, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries, nature reserves, bird sanctuaries and marine parks have been established as early as the 1930s. Terrestrial PAs (% of total land area) in Malaysia United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and international agreements [7]. State governments are already gazetting important new areas to encourage further shift towards conservation, for example the Sedili Kecil Swamp Forest in Johor and the limestone hills in Perlis. As for Sabah and Sarawak, these both States have special status when they joined Malaysia in 1963 in which they have jurisdiction on wildlife and forests [8]. Among prominent PA managing authorities in Malaysia include PERHILITAN, Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia, State Forestry Departments (Peninsular Malaysia), Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Department of Marine Parks Malaysia, Johor National Parks Corporation, Perak State Parks Corporation, Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah), and, Forest Department of Sarawak.

The National Forestry Act (1984) has earmarked permanent reserved forest located in various parts of the country. In 1992, the National Forestry Policy was revised to take into account the sustainable use of genetic resources, the importance of biological diversity conservation and as well as the role of local communities in forest development. For now, Malaysia has about 14.4 million ha of permanent reserved forests. Taman Negara Pahang or Pahang National Park is an ASEAN Heritage Park [8]. This, in part, explains the reason behind Government's commitment on protection of biodiversity with particular attention to vulnerable to exclusion community. Consequently, Malaysia is currently a party to several multilateral environmental agreements such as Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (**Table 1**).

respond and adapt to as well as mitigating the impacts of climate change —for example, by reducing risks from natural hazards and providing a carbon sink through forests, 7.8 million

conservation areas covering at least 17% of the world's terrestrial areas and 10% of marine areas—the areas aimed at creating new opportunities for biodiversity and ecosystem ser-

Over the years, the importance of PAs has been at the centre of global concern against the threat of human factors which should be incorporated within environment risk management and the understanding of the necessity to the broader international sustainability and climate change agenda in a sustainable manner. PAs impacts are inherently and increasingly acknowledged not only ecologically, but culturally; taking into account the spectrum of Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs). International programmes for the protection of representative ecosystems remain relatively progressive (allowing specific environmental challenges of globalisation with respect to terrestrial environments to be addressed), with less advances in marine and freshwater biomes [6]. Using the August 2014 version of the World Database on Protected Areas, the protected area coverage was calculated. In 2014, the database underwent a major update, based on the overwhelmingly positive response to a CBD request for parties to the convention. The UNEP-WCMC took step to compile the UN List of Protected Areas and found that until August 2014, 124 countries had submitted new data while 15 were in the pro-

Malaysia has established a network of PAs for the conservation of biological diversity. Some of these permanent reserved forests, national parks, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries, nature reserves, bird sanctuaries and marine parks have been established as early as the 1930s. Terrestrial PAs (% of total land area) in Malaysia United Nations Environmental Program and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, as compiled by the World Resources Institute, based on data from national authorities, national legislation and international agreements [7]. State governments are already gazetting important new areas to encourage further shift towards conservation, for example the Sedili Kecil Swamp Forest in Johor and the limestone hills in Perlis. As for Sabah and Sarawak, these both States have special status when they joined Malaysia in 1963 in which they have jurisdiction on wildlife and forests [8]. Among prominent PA managing authorities in Malaysia include PERHILITAN, Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia, State Forestry Departments (Peninsular Malaysia), Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Department of Marine Parks Malaysia, Johor National Parks Corporation, Perak State Parks Corporation, Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Parks, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah), and, Forest Department of Sarawak.

 of which are in PAs. The report facilitates how the work will support effectively PAs policy implementation in the countries' efforts in meeting Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Since 2012, a total area of new PAs totalling

have been designated. Target 11 calls for effectively and equitably managed

km2

of 1.6 million km2

178 National Parks - Management and Conservation

vices—by 2020 [6].

cess of submitting [6].

**3. Malaysia's protected area**


**Table 1.** Partial list of legislation relevant to biological diversity [9].
