WETLAND FORESTS IN

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM:

The Endangered

Ecosystems

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WETLAND FORESTS

22-23 MARCH 2012

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

TROPICAL PEATLAND WORLDWIDE

�Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn

in:in:in:in:

South America;South America;South America;South America;

Africa;Africa;Africa;Africa;

India, India, India, India,

Papua New Guinea; andPapua New Guinea; andPapua New Guinea; andPapua New Guinea; and

Southeast Asia (about 30M ha / Southeast Asia (about 30M ha / Southeast Asia (about 30M ha / Southeast Asia (about 30M ha /

60% of the world area)60% of the world area)60% of the world area)60% of the world area)

ASEAN (estimated):ASEAN (estimated):ASEAN (estimated):ASEAN (estimated):

Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia –––– 50 ha50 ha50 ha50 ha

Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia –––– 21 M ha21 M ha21 M ha21 M ha

Lao PDR Lao PDR Lao PDR Lao PDR –––– 20K ha20K ha20K ha20K ha

Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia –––– 2.5 M ha2.5 M ha2.5 M ha2.5 M ha

Myanmar Myanmar Myanmar Myanmar –––– 3.5K ha3.5K ha3.5K ha3.5K ha

The Philippines The Philippines The Philippines The Philippines –––– 11K ha11K ha11K ha11K ha

Singapore Singapore Singapore Singapore –––– 1 ha1 ha1 ha1 ha

Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam –––– 36K ha36K ha36K ha36K ha

Brunei Brunei Brunei Brunei –––– 100K ha100K ha100K ha100K ha

Source: APFP

2008 - MODIS 250m

• Peat Swamp Peat Swamp Peat Swamp Peat Swamp ………….90,884 ha (19%).90,884 ha (19%).90,884 ha (19%).90,884 ha (19%)

• (17% of total land area)(17% of total land area)(17% of total land area)(17% of total land area)

• Freshwater Freshwater Freshwater Freshwater ………….12,668 ha (3%).12,668 ha (3%).12,668 ha (3%).12,668 ha (3%)

• (2% of total land area)(2% of total land area)(2% of total land area)(2% of total land area)

• Mangrove Mangrove Mangrove Mangrove ………….18,418 ha (4%).18,418 ha (4%).18,418 ha (4%).18,418 ha (4%)

• (3% of total land area)(3% of total land area)(3% of total land area)(3% of total land area)

HoB in Brunei Darussalam

HoB in Brunei Darussalam

57.7%[1.5% of HoB]

58%58%58%58%

[1.5% of HoB][1.5% of HoB][1.5% of HoB][1.5% of HoB]

Land Status:-

•Forest Reserve

•State Land

•Private land

Forest land uses:-

•Production

•Protection (water

resources)

•Conservation

•Agriculture (Other

development projects)

•Villages

Forest types:-

•Montane

•Mixed

Dipterocarp

•Peat Swamp

•Old Secondary

Forest

•Secondary/shrub

s/Bush

Estimated Number Of Tree Species in Brunei Darussalam according to their forest types and

habitats (Ashton 2003)

Forest TypeForest TypeForest TypeForest Type Estimated No. of SpeciesEstimated No. of SpeciesEstimated No. of SpeciesEstimated No. of Species Percentage Borneo Percentage Borneo Percentage Borneo Percentage Borneo

endemismendemismendemismendemism

Sea shore 25 0

MangroveMangroveMangroveMangrove 33 0

BackBackBackBack----mangrove, bank of brackish riversmangrove, bank of brackish riversmangrove, bank of brackish riversmangrove, bank of brackish rivers 50 5

White water and rocky river banksWhite water and rocky river banksWhite water and rocky river banksWhite water and rocky river banks 200 35

Rivers of the plains, alluvium river banksRivers of the plains, alluvium river banksRivers of the plains, alluvium river banksRivers of the plains, alluvium river banks 200 15

Floodplains (freshwater swamp forest, empran)Floodplains (freshwater swamp forest, empran)Floodplains (freshwater swamp forest, empran)Floodplains (freshwater swamp forest, empran) 600 25

PSFPSFPSFPSF 200 25

Kerangas 300 50

MDF, sandy, sandy clay soils 1200 50

MDF, clay soils 900 35

Upper dipterocarp forest 600 40

Lower montane forest 500 45

Upper montane forest 100 50

Wetland forests = 1383 of 4908 (30%)

LEGAL & POLICY FRAMEWORK

Land statusLand statusLand statusLand status

Forest reserveForest reserveForest reserveForest reserve

StatelandStatelandStatelandStateland

By sectoral By sectoral By sectoral By sectoral ---- agriculture , museum etc..agriculture , museum etc..agriculture , museum etc..agriculture , museum etc..

(private land)(private land)(private land)(private land)

Forest Act

Wildlife Act

Land Code

TCP Master Plan

EIA

NFP 1989

OnOnOnOn----going threats (Brunei):going threats (Brunei):going threats (Brunei):going threats (Brunei):

�---- Global warming / increase in ambient Global warming / increase in ambient Global warming / increase in ambient Global warming / increase in ambient

temp. temp. temp. temp. –––– increase rate of decompositionincrease rate of decompositionincrease rate of decompositionincrease rate of decomposition

�---- Frequent Forest firesFrequent Forest firesFrequent Forest firesFrequent Forest fires

�---- Poor natural regenerationPoor natural regenerationPoor natural regenerationPoor natural regeneration

�---- Improper conversionImproper conversionImproper conversionImproper conversion

�---- Infrastructural DevelopmentInfrastructural DevelopmentInfrastructural DevelopmentInfrastructural Development

�---- Loss of water loggedLoss of water loggedLoss of water loggedLoss of water logged

�---- Sand mining Sand mining Sand mining Sand mining

Peatland Degradation:Peatland Degradation:Peatland Degradation:Peatland Degradation:

30% PSF to Agriculture30% PSF to Agriculture30% PSF to Agriculture30% PSF to Agriculture

30% PSF to logged / degraded over 30% PSF to logged / degraded over 30% PSF to logged / degraded over 30% PSF to logged / degraded over

3M ha 3M ha 3M ha 3M ha –––– burntburntburntburnt

ASEAN ASEAN ASEAN ASEAN ---- 12 M ha cleared12 M ha cleared12 M ha cleared12 M ha cleared

ON-GOING TREND OF CONVERSION : -

Change in forest ecosystemChange in forest ecosystemChange in forest ecosystemChange in forest ecosystem

Change in vegetation composition / Change in vegetation composition / Change in vegetation composition / Change in vegetation composition /

plant communitiesplant communitiesplant communitiesplant communities

Change in forest genetic /erosionChange in forest genetic /erosionChange in forest genetic /erosionChange in forest genetic /erosion

Reduce / loss of biodiversity / species diversityReduce / loss of biodiversity / species diversityReduce / loss of biodiversity / species diversityReduce / loss of biodiversity / species diversity

Reduce conservation & ecotourism valuesReduce conservation & ecotourism valuesReduce conservation & ecotourism valuesReduce conservation & ecotourism values

Prone to frequent firesProne to frequent firesProne to frequent firesProne to frequent fires

Prone to artificial calamities Prone to artificial calamities Prone to artificial calamities Prone to artificial calamities

Loss of carbon stock / peatLoss of carbon stock / peatLoss of carbon stock / peatLoss of carbon stock / peat

High associated cost High associated cost High associated cost High associated cost –––– economic damage, health economic damage, health economic damage, health economic damage, health

of peopleof peopleof peopleof people

Loss of wildland & CultureLoss of wildland & CultureLoss of wildland & CultureLoss of wildland & Culture

BRUNEI HEART OF BORNEO

BRUNEI HEART OF BORNEO

BRUNEI HEART OF BORNEO

BRUNEI HEART OF BORNEO

Vital Roles:Vital Roles:Vital Roles:Vital Roles:

Economic Economic Economic Economic –––– plants, fish, ecotourismplants, fish, ecotourismplants, fish, ecotourismplants, fish, ecotourism

Ecological & Environmental Ecological & Environmental Ecological & Environmental Ecological & Environmental

–––– reduce flood peak, maintain base flows reduce flood peak, maintain base flows reduce flood peak, maintain base flows reduce flood peak, maintain base flows

in rivers, water supply in rivers, water supply in rivers, water supply in rivers, water supply

Ethnic Ethnic Ethnic Ethnic ---- source of livelihoodsource of livelihoodsource of livelihoodsource of livelihood

Food security Food security Food security Food security ---- repository of repository of repository of repository of

foodfoodfoodfood

Under sustainable forestry managementUnder sustainable forestry managementUnder sustainable forestry managementUnder sustainable forestry management

Institutionalization of the statusInstitutionalization of the statusInstitutionalization of the statusInstitutionalization of the status

ProjectsProjectsProjectsProjects

58%[1.5% of HoB]

POTENTIALS

Conservation forestsConservation forestsConservation forestsConservation forests

Ecotourism paradiseEcotourism paradiseEcotourism paradiseEcotourism paradise

Botanical paradise (wildlife)Botanical paradise (wildlife)Botanical paradise (wildlife)Botanical paradise (wildlife)

Research and Education Research and Education Research and Education Research and Education

Environmental assetEnvironmental assetEnvironmental assetEnvironmental asset

Prominent biodiversity hotspots

Substantial Reductions in CarbonSubstantial Reductions in CarbonSubstantial Reductions in CarbonSubstantial Reductions in Carbon

Loss from Improved Forest Management Loss from Improved Forest Management Loss from Improved Forest Management Loss from Improved Forest Management

at Scales of a Hectare of Malaysian at Scales of a Hectare of Malaysian at Scales of a Hectare of Malaysian at Scales of a Hectare of Malaysian

ForestForestForestForest

Annual Reductions in GlobalAnnual Reductions in GlobalAnnual Reductions in GlobalAnnual Reductions in Global

Carbon Emissions that Would Result from Carbon Emissions that Would Result from Carbon Emissions that Would Result from Carbon Emissions that Would Result from

Adoption of Improved Tropical Forest Adoption of Improved Tropical Forest Adoption of Improved Tropical Forest Adoption of Improved Tropical Forest

Management PracticesManagement PracticesManagement PracticesManagement Practices

Francis E. Putz*, Pieter A. Zuidema, Michelle A. Pinard, Rene G. A. Boot, Jeffrey A. Sayer, Douglas Sheil, Plinio Sist, Elias,

Jerome K. Vanclay, 2008

1990199019901990

(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)

2000200020002000

(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)

2005200520052005

(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)

2010201020102010

(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)(million tonnes)

Tonnes Per ha Tonnes Per ha Tonnes Per ha Tonnes Per ha

(2010)(2010)(2010)(2010)

Brunei

Darussalam81818181 76767676 74747474 72727272 188188188188

Cambodia 609 537 495 464 46

Indonesia 16335 15182 14299 13017 138

Lao PDR 1186 1133 1106 1074 68

Malaysia 2822 3558 3362 3212 157

Myanmar 2040 1814 1734 1654 52

Philippines 641 655 660 663 87

Singapore

Thailand 908 881 877 880 46

Vietnam 778 927 960 992 72

Carbon stock in living forest biomass (FA02010)

ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion

�Wetland forests in the brink of extinction

�Need multi-sectoral efforts to protect and conserve the ecological island

�Need to align the policies and promote more adaptive development

growth

�Establish market for environmental services of the wetland forests

e.g. PPP – polluters pays principle / carbon trading mechanism

WETLAND FORESTS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAMWETLAND FORESTS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAMWETLAND FORESTS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAMWETLAND FORESTS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

�GATEWAY TO NEW DISCOVERIESGATEWAY TO NEW DISCOVERIESGATEWAY TO NEW DISCOVERIESGATEWAY TO NEW DISCOVERIES

�GETAWAY PARADISEGETAWAY PARADISEGETAWAY PARADISEGETAWAY PARADISE

�ONE OF THE PILARS OF THE ECONOMIC ONE OF THE PILARS OF THE ECONOMIC ONE OF THE PILARS OF THE ECONOMIC ONE OF THE PILARS OF THE ECONOMIC

GROWTHGROWTHGROWTHGROWTH