Asia > South-Eastern Asia > Malaysia > Malaysia Environment Profile

Malaysia: Malaysia Environment Profile

2015/02/18

Bako National Park - Kuching - Tourism

Malaysia is nation in Southeast Asia consisting of two disjunctive parts:

(1) Peninsular Malaysia bordering Thailand; and

(2) the northern one-third of the island of Borneo (the southern two thirds of Borneo being territory of Indonesia).

Malaysia's chief environmental issues include: Palm oil plantations supplanting native forest; water pollution from raw sewage discharges; deforestation; air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires, chiefly from slash-and-burn activity.

History

Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in present day Malaysia during the late 18th and early19th centuries; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services and tourism.

Geography

Location: Southeast Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and the northern third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea, south of Vietnam. It has a strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea.

Geographic Coordinates: 2 30 N, 112 30 E

Area: 329,847 km2 (328,657 km2 land and 1190 km2 water)

Arable land: 5.46%
Permanent crops: 17.54%
Other: 77% (2005)

Land Boundaries: 2669 km. Border countries: Brunei 381 km, Indonesia 1782 km, Thailand 506 km

Coastline: 4675 km (Peninsular Malaysia 2068 km, Malaysian Borneo 2607 km)

Maritime Claims: Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles; exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles and continental shelf: to 200 meters (m) depth or to the depth of exploitation; specified boundary in the South China Sea.

Natural Hazards: Flooding; tsunami; landslides; forest fires

Terrain: Coastal plains rising to higher elevation topography of hills and mountains. The highest point is Gunung Kinabalu (Mount Kinabalu) 4100 m

Climate: Malaysia lies entirely within the equatorial zone. The climate is governed by a regime of the northeast and southwest monsoons. The northeast monsoon blows from October to March, and produces intense rains which pound the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and frequently cause widespread floods. It also causes the wettest season in Sabah and Sarawak. The southwest monsoon period occurs between May and September, and is a drier period for the entire nation.

Ecology and Biodiversity

See main articles: Ecoregions of Malaysia; Malaysia Biodiversity and Protected Areas Factsheet

There are a number of diverse ecoregions of Malaysia, including rainforests, peat swamp forests, montane alpine meadows and mangroves:

Borneo lowland rainforests
Borneo montane rainforests
Borneo peat swamp forests
Kinabalu montane alpine meadows
Myanmar Coast mangroves
Peninsular Malaysian montane rainforests
Peninsular Malaysian peat swamp forests
Peninsular Malaysian rainforests
South China Sea Islands
Sunda Shelf mangroves
Tenasserim-South Thailand semi-evergreen rainforests
Biological diversity in Indo-Burma
Biological diversity in Sundaland

Protected Areas

There are a large number of protected areas of Malaysia, including both State and National holdings. These areas range over the gamut of forest types, mangrove systems, peat swamps, riverine areas and alpine meadows. The protection extended is particularly important because of the narrow endemism of many of Malaysia's species, and also because of imminent threats, particularly of extensive palm oil plantations.
Environmental Agreements

Malaysia is party to international environmental agreements on 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, and Wetlands.

Water Resources

Total Renewable Water Resources: 580 cu km (1999)

Freshwater Withdrawal: total: 9.02 cu km/yr (17% domestic, 21% industrial 62% agricultural). Per capita: 356 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural Resources

See main article: Malaysia Natural Resources

Important natural resources historically exploited in Malaysia include petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite.

Malaysia Protected Areas

The protected areas of Malaysia include a number of National Parks, State Parks, Marine Reserves, Wildlife Reserves and protected RAMSAR wetland sites.

National Parks and Preserves

Mount Kinabalu National Park
Gunung Mulu National Park
Endau Rompin National Park
Gunung Ledang Johor National Park
Tanjung Piai Johor National Park
Pulau Kukup Johor National Park
Islands off Mersing Johor National Park
Gunung Stong State Park
Taman Negara National Park
Krau Wildlife Reserve
Penang National Park
Royal Belum State Park
Perlis State Park
Wang Pinang Reserve
Selangor Heritage Park
Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam
Sungai Dusun Wildlife Reserve
Templer’s Park
Bako National Park
Gunung Mulu National Park
Niah National Park
Lambir Hills National Park
Similajau National Park
Gunung Gading National Park
Kubah National Park
Batang Ai National Park
Loagan Bunut National Park
Tanjung Datu National Park
Talang Satang National Park
Bukit Tiban National Park
Maludam National Park
Rajang Mangroves National Park
Gunung Buda National Park
Pulong Tau National Park
Kuching Wetlands National Park
Santubong National Park
Wind Cave Reserve
Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary
Stutung Reserve
Matang Wildlife Center
Crocker Range Park
Pulau Tiga Park
Tawau Hills Park
Tun Sakaran Marine Park
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
Turtle Islands National Park

World Heritage Sites

Mount Kinabalu National Park
Gunung Mulu National Park

Biosphere Reserves

Tasik Chini Biosphere Reserve

Significant (Ramsar) Wetlands

Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands
Tasek Bera
Pulau Kukup
Pulau Sungai
Kuching Wetlands National Park
Tanjung Piai
 

Bako-National-Park