Malaysia is recognised as one of the world’s megadiverse countries, and is listed among the top 12 biodiversity rich countries, in terms of species richness and endemism. This biological diversity spans through ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity, but, there seems to be a general lack of awareness of the importance of biodiversity throughout the country, as well as significant knowledge gaps. The National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022 –2030 aims to tackle that through its five goals...
Jan 08, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast COP28 , the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was held in Dubai from 30 November to 13 December 2023. It was bound to be a controversial COP, being held in the UAE, whose economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas. That said, among the many outcomes from the negotiations was the agreement to “transition away from fossil fuels" (as opposed to phasing out of all fossil fuels) and US$700 million being pledged to the "loss and damage" fu...
Jan 03, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are at the end of 2023 – as always, it's been quite a year for our environment and natural resources, so we take a look back at the year past with the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga , Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua, who will remind us about some of the big stories from 2023. In particular, we discuss the achievements of the (now former) Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) and the challenges that remain ahead, before we focus on Pahang, a...
Dec 13, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast The rise in price for imported rice in Malaysia saw consumers chasing cheaper locally grown products - but Malaysia isn't producing enough rice to support our local demand. In the village of Long Semadoh in Sarawak though, rice is abundant in both variety and amount - they grow what is known as heirloom rice. Environmental journalism portal Macaranga recently released an in-depth article on this, called " Sowing Seeds of Resilience in Heirloom Rice " which looks at heirloom rice farming in Saraw...
Dec 11, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast In March 2022, a global commitment was made to negotiate a comprehensive plastics treaty, addressing the entire life cycle of plastic. Now at the end of 2023, countries are still grappling with disagreements, particularly from "low-ambition" nations disputing fundamental terms like "plastics" and "life cycle." Despite some progress, such as increased support for tackling harmful additives, the recent third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC) ended in...
Dec 06, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Born in 1823, Alfred Russel Wallace was a pioneering naturalist and biologist whose significant contributions to the field of natural history paralleled those of Charles Darwin. Wallace independently formulated the theory of evolution through natural selection, a concept he developed during his extensive explorations of the Malay Archipelago, and his groundbreaking work in the 19th century is said to have laid the foundation for modern evolutionary biology. Wallace's collections from the Malay A...
Dec 04, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after Carbon Dioxide and reducing methane emissions is crucial due to its significant impact on short-term global warming. Recognising this importance is often hindered by unclear information, but scientists are working hard to increase awareness on the issue, as methane emission reductions are considered a readily achievable and cost-effective solution, making them a low-hanging fruit in the quest for overall emission reduction. Malays...
Nov 29, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast As November draws to a close, we look-back at some of the top environmental news from the month past with Law Yao Hua, the co-founder of environmental journalism portal Macaranga . This month, we discuss how Sarawak is officially the first state in the country to enact an anti-climate change law, and why this is a significant move in our country, before we turn our attention to some of the findings in the Auditor-General's Special Audit on Forest Management and Environmental Impact report, that ...
Nov 27, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta is our ongoing tourism-themed series on Earth Matters, which aims to highlight lesser-known ecotourism spots right here in Malaysia. Done in collaboration with the Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY), we want to take you back to the great outdoors, and experience the many off-the-beaten-track nature spots our country has to offer. This month, we're going to Langkawi, a UNESCO Global Geopark - OK, not exactly an unknown gem, but Langkawi has been in the...
Nov 26, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's been almost a year since the new coalition government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took power. While the PM has focused on fighting corruption and the rising cost of living, how are his and his administration's Green credentials shaping up? We discuss this with Adam Farhan, the co-founder and director of RimbaWatch , while also noting what the government should focus on for the next four years, when it comes to protecting our natural resources and environment. Image Credit:...
Nov 22, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023 was one of the platforms for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to exchange on climate solutions, barriers to overcome and opportunities realised in different regions. The meeting was held last week in Johor Bahru, and we catch up with Kieran Li Nair from the Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD), to hear her perspective of what went down during this most recent meeting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 20, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast At last year’s COP27 summit in Egypt developing nations celebrated a victory when they secured an agreement on the Loss and Damage Fund – something that had been advocated for for decades. Following that, a transitional committee composed of members from developed and developing countries were tasked with discussing what this fund would look like - from who would pay into this fund to where it would be located - ahead of a final decision being made at COP28 in Nov/ Dec 2023. After what has been ...
Nov 15, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know tigers were once found in Borneo? And that orangutans once roamed Selangor? What happened to them, in these areas? These are some of the questions Lim Tze Tshen aka Ah Tshen, a Vertebrate Palaeontologist and Zooarchaeologist tries to uncover, through his work. As a Vertebrate Palaeontologist, he researches animal fossils that have backbones, especially mammal species that can be found in the limestone caves in Malaysia. As a zooarchaeologist, he does research on animal remains found...
Nov 08, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Malaysian government launched the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) this year, outlining Malaysia’s plans towards achieving a sustainable and inclusive energy system, that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, and moves us towards a low carbon economy. However, organisations like Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) have voiced concerns over some of the proposals in the roadmap, including hydrogen, and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies, which they believe require m...
Nov 06, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast The first draft of the groundbreaking Global Plastics Treaty - a new law to address plastic pollution - will be negotiated from November 11-19, 2023. This is a crucial step in the global fight against plastic pollution, but what does this actually mean for us? We discuss what the Global Plastics Treaty is all about, and the major challenges that lie ahead in implementing such a significant treaty with Shantini Guna Rajan, a Policy Lead, WWF-Malaysia . Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.co...
Nov 01, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast The good people from environmental journalism portal Macaranga return, for another roundup of top environmental news from the month past. Lots of big (and rather alarming) news from October 2023 - Kelantan authorities are seeking to make changes to forest classification - RimbaWatch reports that there is an "unprecedented proposal" to remove all environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) in Kelantan from the Kelantan State Structure Plan, Local Plan and Special Area Plan. Then just last week, we hea...
Oct 30, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta is our ongoing tourism-themed series on Earth Matters, which aims to highlight lesser-known ecotourism spots right here in Malaysia. Done in collaboration with the Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY), we want to take you back to the great outdoors, and experience the many off-the-beaten-track nature spots our country has to offer. Last time, we explored the Kinabatangan River, and now we're still in Sabah, but in Kundasang, which is located at the foot...
Oct 29, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Malaysia recently conducted a mid-term review of its National Policy on Biological Diversity (NPBD) 2016 - 2025 , in response to the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in December 2022. The new strategy was unveiled yesterday, the 24th of October 2023, and aims to fulfil global biodiversity targets by 2030. This is a crucial moment for Malaysia's dedication to conserving its natural heritage, and its involvement in the worldwide endeavour to safeguard biodiversity. We discuss Ma...
Oct 25, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Protecting coasts and oceans has multiple benefits for the environment, economy, society and culture, and in line with that, Malaysia is working hard to increase its biodiversity-rich coastal and marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2025. To date, Malaysia has protected only 5% of its ocean area, but the goal is to double that to protect at least 10% of its total land and marine areas, in line with the National Biodiversity Policy and the international Convention on Biological Diversity to which Mal...
Oct 17, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Themed “Economic Reforms, Empowering the People,” Budget 2024 was announced on the 13th of October 2023, by Malaysia's Prime Minister & Finance Minister, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Second Belanjawan MADANI has allocated RM393.8 billion - the highest budget ever tabled by any government in Malaysia’s history, with RM90 billion from the total allocated for development expenditure. We speak to three experts to discuss both highlights and missed opportunities from Budget 2024 in terms of allo...
Oct 16, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast KNOTs - or Knowledge: New Old Twists - is a social enterprise dedicated to promoting engaging and meaningful learning experiences for children, regardless of location. They do this through their Vanishing Classroom, which reintroduces outdoor and traditional learning methods to 21st-century students, and they encourage the utilisation of ecological ecosystems and outdoor environments. Their goal is to offer kids an immersive, hands-on education that goes beyond simply transferring knowledge, ins...
Oct 11, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two years after filing a defamation lawsuit against Indigenous grassroots organisation SAVE Rivers — logging company Samling withdrew the case, with a joint agreement between both parties. Following the successful outcome for SAVE Rivers, we caught up with the organisation's chairman and founding member, Peter Kallang, to discuss the group's plans moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 04, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Two years after filing a defamation lawsuit against Indigenous grassroots organisation SAVE Rivers , the logging company Samling withdrew the case with a joint agreement between both parties. Initially headed to the Miri High Court for trial on Monday, 18th September, the case was cancelled after a last minute settlement. We spoke to the lawyer representing SAVE RIVERS, Simon Siah, about the history of the case, and what this joint agreement means for both parties moving forward. We also caught ...
Oct 02, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many of us rejoiced at the birth of baby Axel, the first-ever gibbon born at a rehabilitation centre in Malaysia to rescued parents Ebony and Coley. For the first time after 10 years of operations, the Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS) of Malaysia finally has a family so close to being released back into the wild , but before that can happen, Ebony, Coley and Axel will be closely monitored to ensure that they can survive and function like a proper gibbon family there. This process also includes ...
Oct 02, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast WCS-Malaysia ’s main activities revolve around helping the Malaysian government in conducting biological monitoring and supporting protection efforts of wildlife such as tiger, elephant, orang-utan as well as sharks and rays. Wildlife conservationist Dr. Mark Rayan Darmaraj assumed the role of Country Director for WCS-Malaysia back in 2021, and continues to work on implementing conservation strategies that protect habitats and species. We catch up with Mark to discuss WCS-Malaysia's work in more...
Sep 27, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast The co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga , Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn, join us for a round-up of top environmental news from September 2023. This month, we look at big legal cases involving indigenous communities and their long-standing struggle for customary land rights in Malaysia, and how we expect to see even more legal suits concerning these issues playing out in the courtroom. Still on the topic of legal suits, we also discuss the implications of a recent Court of Ap...
Sep 25, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Raised in Canada, residing in Malaysia, Anuar McAfee 's background is in the field of education, but he is also an avid photographer, birder, conservationist, and author of the bilingual bird guidebook, Birds of Terengganu . The Director of the International Centre at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), and a committee member of the Malaysian Nature Society's Kuala Terengganu branch, Anuar uses the power of photography to help more of us understand the beauty and wonders of nature, while a...
Sep 24, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Numbers vary, but most estimates state that there are about 4,000 tigers left in the wild - a far cry from their previous 100,000 population. The Eye on the Tiger exhibition is a photography exhibition featuring tigers, from over 30 of the world’s leading professional wildlife photographers. Presented by the Royal Albert Hall and Save Wild Tigers , the exhibition - which first premiered in 2018 - showcased stunning framed shots of tigers, which were available for purchase, with profits going to ...
Sep 20, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rare earth mining is big business for countries with reserves, such as Malaysia, which has an estimated 16.1 billion tonnes of subterranean rare earth deposits. Rare earths are essential for green technology and climate goals, but their extraction and processing can cause environmental and social impacts. Malaysia aims to balance the economic benefits and environmental costs of rare earth mining, and to ensure transparency and accountability in the industry - but how? What are the challenges of ...
Sep 18, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Green Wira Programme by Zero Waste Malaysia is aimed at empowering local school teachers with zero waste knowledge and skill sets to build zero waste schools in Malaysia. The programme ultimately aims to build a waste-free and sustainable future for Malaysia, starting from early education schools. We find out more from the Green Wira Programme Lead, Irene Chooi, from Zero Waste Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 13, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
