Swamp recovers from peat fires

1 Vandebon (right) watering the newly-planted Ramin Melawas sapling, planted to mark the new tree-planting effort by volunteers at the Raja Musa Forest Reserve. On the left is Dr Mohd Puat.2 State Forestry Department officer Azhar Said (right) washes his hands in a water-break. Looking on is a young boy from the EU Delegation.3 Faizal (left) holding peat-acidic and partly decomposed plant matter as he explains to the gathered EU ambassadors and volunteers about its importance.4 This plant, a bladderwort, in GEC director Faiza Parish’s fingers, may not look like much, but it’s an important indicator of the Raja Musa swamp’s water cleanliness, as the plant would otherwise not thrive in the acidic peat waters.

The Raja Musa Forest Reserve in Kuala Selangor has rebounded from last year’s peat fires and now serves as an example of peat swamp conservation.

It has become a shining example of how private-public partnership and engagement can help rehabilitate an important carbon sink in the state.