The Ulu Muda Forest Complex is the northern Peninsular Malaysia’s largest remaining tract of contiguous rainforest and is one of the last remaining lowland dipterocarp forests in the region capable of supporting large herds of the Asian elephant and other endangered wildlife. The forest is one of the ‘Hornbill Triangle’ sites, supporting ten hornbill species (one third of total hornbill diversity in Asia). As a very important water catchment area, the forest plays a pivotal role in national food security, regional water security and the economic growth of the region’s northern states. Three dams (Muda, Pedu and Ahning) located within the forest complex provide water for the irrigation of Malaysia’s ‘rice bowl’, the largest grain-producing area in the country. Improved management and conservation of the forest areas is essential to safeguarding the forest’s ecosystem services, notably water quality, biodiversity and local livelihoods.