‘SMPEM has reduced peat swamp forest fires’
KUALA LUMPUR: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) is currently implementing the Sustainable Management of Peatland Ecosystems in Malaysia (SMPEM) project as one of the initiatives to prevent peatland fires due to dry weather following the El Nino phenomenon.
Its minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the SMPEM project aims to sustainably and comprehensively manage peatlands in Malaysia to conserve resources, prevent degradation and fires through a holistic approach by strengthening institutional governance, improving coordination between agencies and involving local communities.
“Among the early results obtained from the activities of the SMPEM project and development projects under the 12th Malaysia Plan, namely the Peat Swamp Forest Management and Conservation Project in permanent forest reserves in Peninsular Malaysia is the control and reduction of peat swamp forest fire incidents.
“This can be seen with the reduction of peat swamp forest fire incidents in Peninsular Malaysia in 2023, involving an area of only 25.2 hectares compared to 385.2 hectares in 2020,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said peat swamp forest fires reported in 2020 in Selangor and Pahang, totaling 160 and 171.7 hectares respectively, were also reduced to only 6.9 hectares and 2.1 hectares last year.
Nik Nazmi said fire prevention activities in peatlands are also carried out in collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Department under the SMPEM project.
Besides this, he said fire prevention activities under this project also involve training for State Forestry Department staff and local communities, the purchase of forest fire control equipment, raising awareness about the importance of peatlands, peat swamp forest restoration programs and also monitoring groundwater levels in peatlands.
“I urge for cooperation among various parties to strengthen the conservation and preservation of the invaluable peatland ecosystem for the current and future generations,” he said.