Case Study: Sarawak – forestation / deforestation
Location:
North of Borneo in the Indonesian islands.
Rain Forest
The cycle of growth and decay is very much faster. There are three stores of nutrients the soil, the leaf litter and the biomass. In a rainforest most of the nutrients are in the biomass.
The trees also protect the very thin soil from the torrential rains. In an area with a full canopy on 1/10 of the rainfall reaches the ground. If the threes are removed the majority of the biomass is removed along with most the nutrients, whilst the remaining nutrients are leached out of the soil. This leads to desertification after only a few years.
Logging
Time line
Today - In the Baram River Basin alone there are more than 30 logging companies. Some equipped with 1,200 bulldozers. Working on 1 million ac. of land traditionally belonging to indigenous tribes.
Within the territory of the Penan 72% of the land officially laid out for commercial exploitation.
Inefficient and wasteful practices
This represents a significant loss of revenue & employment to the state.
The role of Japan
Virtually all export dest. Asian markets.
Japan 46%
Tiwan 22%
Korea 16.4%
Others 15.6%
The role of Jap. is pivotal Jap. relies on Malaysia for 85% of Trop. Wood imports.
Jap. banks provide capital loans.
Jap. companys provide heavy equip. (Bulldozers)
Jap. insurance for Jap. ships that transport logs to Jap. sawmills.
Once milled the wood is used for:
Politics of timber & corruption
Pol. Begin and end with money.
In a state were 1.5 M are subsistence farmers this income represents a staggering concentration of wealth.
Legislation of concessions
Corruption of Taib Mahmud and Rahman Yakub
Taib Mahmud
Corruption became clear in the elections of 1987. At a press conference April 9, ’87, announced freezing of 25 concessions totalling 2.75 M ac. Belonging to relatives and friends of the former minister Rahman Yakub Est. value of these holding range US$9 Billion – US$22 Billion.
Each of Yakubs 8 daughters was an owner of a concession.
In retaliation of these revelations, Yakub revealed the names of the relatives, friends, political associates’ etc. of Mahmud’s that had been given concessions totalling 3.52 Million ac.
Between These two faction of the ruling elite they controlled 6.38 M. ac. (1/2 of all logging concessions, 1/3 of total forested area).
Final point, although a democracy only 625,000 people are eligible to vote.
The Governments View
Employment
Tim. Indirectly emp. 160,000
75% of these jobs in the forest harvest sub-sector.
Has helped to lessen, rural poverty – major objective of the NEP (national economic policy)
Social Benefits
Policy: Plough back earnings for development to improve well being at large
Gov. revenue stems from levies on collected forest products.
In 1992, this amounted to RM700M (US$ $200,000,000)
Money provides services:
Funds è Dev. projects in harvested areas
Other social Bens:
Wild fruits are also profitable source of incomes harvested by villages to sell to townies.
Forest Management
Cutting Diameter Limits
Dbh = diameter at breast height.
However, no min dia in some state land forests. Through not all mature and over mature tress are removed. For instance, only 1/3 of total volume of mature and over-mature trees harvested.
The FMP is a legally binding paper. It is revised from time to time to incorporate research.
Forest Engineering Plan (FEP)
Since 1983 the FMP of hill concessions within PFE (Permanent Forest Estate) has included a FEP based on the FOA/UNDP (Food & Agriculture Organisation / United Nations Development Plan) recommendations.
Objective:
Harvesting System
Cutting only tree greater than a min. dia is designed to leave enough trees to allow another crop at the end of the cutting cycle.
Since 1970’s, selective end systematic harvest of hill mixed dipterocarps forest has been practised. Only mature trees are felled protecting the soil, and leaving lower canopy untouched the soil, and leaving lower canopy untouched. This allows saplings to grow into another crop.
Cutting Cycle
Forests need to regenerate and regrow:
Peat swamp 45 years
Hill mixed Dipterocarps 25 years.
Each concession is given an max annual harvest allowance dependant of the cutting cycle.
Silviculture
Maximise sustainable output.
The remaining sapling grows faster due to increased light. However remove too much and there is too much soil erosion
Research
Sarawak’s Forest Policy
Forest dept. est. 1919
"Manage and conserve the state’s forest resource"
A forest policy
Major strategies include:
Legislation and role of forest Dept.
In 1950’s 3 ordinances were introduced to legislate the for the commission.