SIG joined forces with WWF-Switzerland in October 2022 to support resilient forest ecosystems around the world through WWF’s Forests Forward programme. The first project, launched in 2022, helps protect and restore the Central Pacific Landscape in Mexico – a critical jaguar habitat.
The second joint project, implemented by WWF-Malaysia, aims to strengthen the resilience of a landscape to provide vital ecosystem services for the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia – ensuring water security and enabling economic growth, as well as contributing to the nation’s food security. Empowering local communities to champion conservation is a key component of achieving this.
“Strong, collective private-sector action is crucial to halting and reversing forest loss and degradation globally,” says Tim Cronin, Forests Forward Global Lead.
“This is not just the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do, given the critical role of forests and other natural resources in underpinning our communities and economies. The leadership shown by SIG in supporting this work helps us to demonstrate these connections, especially between forests and freshwater supply.”
As one of the last remaining large intact lowland forests in Malaysia, Ulu Muda is a biodiversity hotspot and provides a key ecological connection to other forest blocks in Peninsular Malaysia. Located in the state of Kedah, it is home to a huge number of plants and animals, including a large population of endangered Asian elephants.