A MULTI-stakeholder effort to safeguard 4,800ha of degraded peatland near the Pekan Forest Reserve in Pahang has reached a key milestone.
YP Plantation Holdings Sdn Bhd (YPPH) and the Global Environment Centre (GEC) recently concluded the first phase (2021–2025) of their joint fire prevention and conservation project, carried out in partnership with local communities and government agencies.
The project was initiated following frequent forest fires in the area, which have affected thousands of hectares of peatland in the last 15 years.
The project was also part of an initiative by YPPH, which started in 2020, to balance the development of its new Pekan Timur and Barat oil palm plantations with a peatland conservation initiative.
Simultaneously, YPPH adopted a new Sustainable Palm Oil Policy to ensure long-term sustainable management for all its plantations throughout Pahang.
“When GEC surveyed the site with YPPH in September 2020, we noted highly degraded peatlands in the buffer zone between the YPPH plantations and the forest reserve boundary 500m to 1km away,” said GEC director Faizal Parish.
“This area experienced frequent fires which destroyed the natural vegetation. The root cause of the degradation was the extensive network of drainage canals that had been dug as part of previous logging operations.
“These canals lowered the water table in the peatlands, making them more susceptible to fire,” he added.
YPPH immediately blocked the drainage canals along its boundary to start raising the water levels in the buffer zone to prevent fires and create the right conditions for forest regeneration.
Faizal said GEC then worked with local communities to help them understand the dangers of frequent fires and initiated community-based fire prevention measures, including daily patrols of fire-prone areas.
Further canal blocks were installed together with the Pahang Forestry Department and Enggang (Pekan) Sdn Bhd.
“In the last five years, the project has successfully eliminated almost all fires in the buffer zone between the plantation and the forest, enabling the recovery of the natural ecosystem in the area,” he added.
The initiative secured several key achievements, most notably through the rewetting and enhanced natural regeneration of more than 1,000ha of degraded peatland.
By successfully restoring water levels and introducing regular community-led patrols, the project established an active, robust fire prevention system.
“We are now jointly exploring options for a second phase, which includes expanding the project to nearby areas along the eastern boundary of the Southeast Pahang Peat Swamp Forest,” said YPPH chief executive officer Datuk Muhamad Fairuz Kamal Mat Noh.
YPPH reiterated their commitment to support the long-term conservation of the peat swamp forest and its buffer zone.
“We hope that our action will be an inspiration to other companies,” Muhamad Fairuz added.
The event showcased knowledge sharing on project activities and achievements, Best Management Practices (BMP), traditional sewang dance from Jakun Orang Asli tribe, as well as an exhibition on some of the key impacts of the project.
Sixteen different stakeholders from state and local government as well as local communities were presented with appreciation plaques during the event.
