Causes of deforestation

• Logging


  • Trees are chopped down to use wood for things like building materials/furniture
  • 80% of deforestation in Malaysia is logging
  • world’s largest exporter of tropical wood
  • total habitat destruction
• Mineral extraction


  • mining of oil/tin
  • 99% of Malaysia’s supply is coal
  • coal is an important energy source
• Population pressures


  • poor urban people encouraged by gov to move
  • 15,000 hectares of rainforest knocked down for settlers
• Commercial farming


  • Malaysia - largest exporter of palm oil in the world
  • large areas of the rainforest have been cleared to convert to palm oil plantations
• Subsistence farming


  • growing/hunting to support the community
  • small scaled
• Road building


  • logging companies use an extensive network of roads for heavy machinery/ to transport wood
• Energy development


  • high rainfall creates ideal conditions for hydro-electric power (HEP)
  • several dams in Malaysia
  • Bakun Dam - supplies energy for lots of industries in Malaysia