Malaysia - Causes of Deforestation case study

Question 1

What are the seven causes of deforestation in Malaysia?

Answer 1

• palm oil production
• road building
• subsitence farming
• logging
• mineral extraction
• energy development
• population growth

Question 2

Give two facts about palm oil production.

Answer 2

• a hectare can produce up to 7 tons of oil

- in 2010, nearly 90% of palm oil production was in Malaysia and Indonesia

Question 3

What is the local impact of palm oil production?

What is the global impact of palm oil production?

Answer 3

• huge habitat destruction
• oil spills polluting waterways
• greenhouse gas emissions increase
• increase emissions everywhere as it’s transferred

Question 4

What happens to rainforest cover as roads are added?

What are the impacts of road building?

Answer 4

• decreases
• allows access for loggers
• connecting roads may cause more clearing of the rainforest

Question 5

What is subsitence farming?

Give two facts about this type of farming?

Answer 5

• producing food and materials for only the farmer and their family
• tribal communities use slash and burn
• slash and burn accounts for 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions

Question 6

What are the advantages of logging in Malaysia?

What are the disadvantages of logging in Malaysia?

Answer 6

• the industry could create 30,000 jobs
• estimated to generate $200 - $400 million for the country
• in 2014, they gained $8 million which is 12cents per person
• produces infertile and vulnerable land

Question 7

How much has the mining of bauxite increased from 2013 to today?

Answer 7

200,000 tonnes to 20 million tonnes

Question 8

What are the social, economic and environmental impacts of mining bauxite?

Answer 8

SOCIAL - residents forced to give up their land for it, locals have to live with the pollution, dust and busy roads
ECONOMIC - state collected 5% royalty on exports
ENVIRONMENTAL - catastrophic damage to coast Pahang

Question 9

Describe the Bakun Dam.

Answer 9

• 5 decades of delays, completed in 2011
• highest dam in Asia, 205 metres
• flooded over 700km[squared] of forests and farmland

Question 10

How have the reservoirs and dams caused environmental problems?
[energy development]

Answer 10

• flooding kills wildlife and displaces locals
• can get clogged with silt making them useless
• can generate diseases such as yellow fever and malaria

Question 11

How much forest was lost between all countries in 2013?

[population growth]

Answer 11

29.72 million