North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF) is the largest remaining forest area in the State of Selangor, covering an area of 73,660ha in the north-western part of the state. The peat swamp complex is divided into Sungai Karang FR in the North and Raja Musa FR in the South. Adjacent areas of the forest reserve have been cultivated for agriculture or undergone various development projects. Several parts of the NSPSF in the Raja Musa FR have been susceptible to fire in the past 10 years. An area of about 3,000ha of forest was burnt regularly over the last five years and has become grassland. Fires have been recorded in this area in most years during dry periods and with each fire the damaged area expands.

The total area for the Berjuntai Bestari development is almost 12,000ha located in Batang Berjuntai, which is 70km away from Kuala Lumpur. Berjuntai Bestari Plan (RKK) was a result of the Selangor State Government’s commitment to sustainable development. All planning, design, development and community management are to be based on a sustainable development model with emphasis on ecological integration and community well-being. It is also part of the strategy to implement the Local Agenda 21 on sustainable development. The aim is to create a township that is balanced in terms of economic development, social well-being and environmental conservation, which is in line with the State’s vision to achieve the status of a sustainable city. One of the sustainable development strategies of RKK is to use the approach of holistic land use planning, focusing on development that will not negatively impact the environment, but maintain environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) such as forest, rivers, lakes etc.

The proposed pilot area for integrated sustainable management and rehabilitation of peatlands covers a total of 4,000ha, which includes a portion of the Raja Musa FR and Berjuntai Bestari. About an area of 2,000ha comprises the permanent forest reserve (southern portion of the Raja Musa Forest Reserve), and another 2,000ha under the ownership of the private sector such as PKPS and KDEB. It has been agreed that the PKPS and KDEB land which are adjacent to the Raja Musa FR will be included as a pilot site, following a stakeholder consultation meeting held on the 6^th February 2006.

Problems and Issues at the Proposed Pilot Site

Peat swamp forest or peatlands are areas particularly sensitive to water levels. The lowering of the water table results in the drying of peat which leads to a higher susceptibility to fire. The root causes of fires in peatlands are often related to the drainage and poor water management in the peat swamp forests and peatlands that cleared for agriculture or other purposes. It can be observed through satellite imagery (see Figure 5) that many areas which have previously been burnt, or areas that are highly susceptible to fires in the dry periods lie adjacent to the borders of the Raja Musa FR. The majority of these areas have also been drained for logging or agriculture development etc. The lack of proper management of this area would result in repeated and further burning of the forest. This could also be accelerated with the El Nino phenomenon.

Fires have also occurred within the forest reserve. Several former logging canals within the Raja Musa Forest Reserve which are no longer being used continue to drain water out from the peat swamp forest to the adjacent river systems, often passing through the boundaries of the FR. The draining of water, especially during dry season had caused a dramatic lowering of the water table, making the area very susceptible to fire. More than 5000ha of forest, especially along the canals within the NSPSF was badly affected by fires from 1995-2005.

A lack of understanding on the nature of peat has often led to the mismanagement of this ecosystem. Lack of integration and proper planning between development agencies also results in the fragmentation of peat, hence causing its degradation and natural environment destruction.

This project aims to develop a sustainable management practices for peatlands through an integrated approach involving the rehabilitation of degraded sites, which could minimize occurrences of future peatland fires and their associated haze, and at the same time generate economical benefits for communities living in and around the peatlands.