A conservation park in Sarawak, Malaysia, meant to be co-managed by Indigenous communities, is now a timber concession with significant tree loss.

The transformation of the Baram Peace Park into a logging site undermines local efforts for sustainable management and self-governance. The report highlights how industrial interests have overtaken community-led conservation initiatives, leading to environmental degradation and loss of cultural heritage.

Local Indigenous groups had hoped to protect their land while preserving traditional ways of life, but now face the reality of deforestation and resource depletion.

The long-term vulnerability includes further ecological damage and a decline in biodiversity. The loss of forest cover also increases the region's susceptibility to climate change impacts such as more severe droughts and floods.

What is the long-term climate outlook for this region?

The continued logging threatens the resilience of local ecosystems, making them less capable of withstanding future climate shocks. The loss of forest cover exacerbates issues like soil erosion and water scarcity, which could lead to more frequent natural disasters.

The long-term outlook is negative due to ongoing deforestation.