How to stop peatland becoming fuel for haze-causing fires that choke Malaysia

Drained and dried peatland in the Raja Musa Forest Reserve in Selangor was rehabilitated by using sand bags and fallen logs to block abandoned canals that had been dug to float out timber. — Filepic/The Star

Most of Malaysia’s peatland comprises peat swamp forest, which is said to be a critically endangered category of forested wetlands, and is usually located in coastal areas in all states except Kedah, Penang and Perlis.

Permanently waterlogged, these peat swamp forests are made up of layers of peat soil and water so acidic that many of the plants and animals that manage to survive in these places do not occur anywhere else in Asia.