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A quick scan of peatlands in Malaysia

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  • Peatland conservation and restoration

Malaysia’s peatlands mainly consist of peat swamp forest, a critically endangered category of forested wetland characterised by deep layers of peat soil and waters so acidic that many of the plants and animals found in them do not occur in the other tropical forests of Asia.  The peatlands of Malaysia play a critical role in preserving water supply, regulating and reducing flood damage, providing fish, timber and other resources for local communities and regulating the release of greenhouse gases by storing large amounts of carbon within peat.  They also support a host of globally threatened and restricted-ranged plants and animals.

A quick scan of peatlands in Malaysia