WWF and P&G Partner for Landscape Conservation in Peninsular Malaysia
- Date: 05 June 2025
A look into WWF-Malaysia’s holistic landscape conservation project in Peninsular Malaysia, dedicated to protecting biodiversity—including Malayan tigers—restoring degraded areas, and enhancing local livelihoods through an integrated WWF Living Landscape Approach.
WWF’s latest Living Planet Report reveals that wildlife populations have declined by an average 73% since 1970. Urgent action is needed to protect and restore nature and the species that depend on healthy ecosystems to thrive. One such species is the Malayan tiger. Fewer than 150 of these critically endangered animals live in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching, and the effects of our changing climate. Protecting this iconic species not only benefits the species itself, but the larger landscape as well. The forests that tigers live in are also critical watersheds throughout Asia, so protecting these places helps prevent drought and reduce flooding. Additionally, these forests are also home to many diverse species, so safeguarding tigers in turn helps other animals who rely on forested habitats. That is why protecting this iconic species, a source of national pride for Malaysia, requires an integrated approach that considers landscape connectivity, community participation, and biodiversity conservation.
Collaboration between NGOs, governments, and companies is critical to help drive effective management of the landscapes important for people and wildlife. That is why WWF-Malaysia is working with partners on a transformative landscape conservation project. The project is helping to protect tigers and the forests of Peninsular Malaysia while benefiting local communities in a landscape that produces key commodities such as palm oil. P&G has supported this project for 2 years in Phase 1 and is now supporting Phase 2 of the project as part of its land target to protect, restore, or improve greater than 1.5 million acres of land by 2030. WWF and P&G have partnered for over 15 years; learn more about the partnership here.
The Central Forest Spine (CFS) is a group of forests spanning over 5.3 million hectares in Peninsular Malaysia. The CFS is an ecological treasure and home to a wide range of species. The CFS plays an important role in sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen back into the air. This ancient forest is comprised of many rivers and serves as an important water source in Peninsular Malaysia. The forest’s thick vegetation protects eroding soil, and the canopy of trees helps regulate the ecosystem’s atmosphere. This incredible ecosystem is also home to the Orang Asli, the Indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, who rely on the Central Forest Spine forests for their livelihood. Given the complex nature of this landscape, WWF created a landscape conservation program that balances biodiversity conservation and economic development of the local communities.
The conservation strategy for the project employs a WWF Living Landscape Approach. Instead of focusing solely on the specific protected areas of the Malayan tiger, the approach considers the larger landscape and connections between people, plants, and animals. Conservation efforts aim to support interconnectedness through collaboration with local community members. WWF is implementing this strategy with three key pillars – Protect, Produce, and Restore. These elements support the business case for nature – that conservation has far-reaching impacts for nature, business, and people.
PROTECT
The survival of the Malayan tiger population depends, in large part, on the ecosystem health and connectivity of the forest landscape. WWF’s conservation efforts include wildlife corridors – special passageways that connect disparate parts of the forest, enabling access to critical resources and areas for migration. A land bridge is a type of wildlife corridor that helps animals cross over roads safely.
As part of its conservation strategy, the Government of Malaysia has undertaken a significant initiative called the Central Forest Spine Masterplan that connects several fragmented forests. Specific to this landscape, the government has established wildlife corridors to connect two of the nation’s greatest forests, namely the Titiwangsa range in the north and west, and the Taman Negara range in the central east. These wildlife corridors will help not only tigers, but also other species in the region, such as the Sambar deer, Malayan sun bear, and Asian elephant. In fact, because tigers need such a large habitat and can benefit from these wildlife corridors, conservation efforts will also help many other species.
Illegal snare found while patrolling the forests
From the onset of the project, it has been imperative to collaborate with community members. This conservation work aims to enable the people of Peninsular Malaysia to become the protectors of the Malayan tiger and the ecosystem in which it lives. The project includes training and capacity building for forest rangers as well as incorporating firsthand insights from community members who have inhabited the landscape for generations. These rangers help remove threats such as snares set up by poachers. The data collected from the monitoring and reporting efforts will be used to generate key reports that will inform tiger conservation strategies in later phases of the conservation project, and for years to come.
PRODUCE
As part of the WWF Living Landscape Approach, this project also helps spread awareness about the importance of conservation efforts to local palm oil producers. This work includes a detailed landscape study to better understand how the land is being used and how more responsible agricultural land use practices can be incorporated. By encouraging producers to adopt sustainable production methods, the impacts on tiger and prey habitats will be lessened while working to enhance the livelihoods of the famers. The partnership between WWF and P&G demonstrates how corporate partners can positively impact landscapes important to their business.
RESTORE
The final component in this project includes restoring ecosystems with native plant species to strengthen local biodiversity, improve ecosystem services, and help mitigate environmental issues. Restoration interventions that use native tree species can provide many benefits including enhancing the resilience of an ecosystem, supporting biodiversity, and contributing to the long-term sustainability of the landscape. Restoration is essential to improve the structure, function, and biodiversity of degraded or deforested ecosystems. Restoration efforts also help to reestablish habitats for native plants and animals, including tigers - ultimately improving overall ecosystem health. The Sungai Yu corridor was restored from a barren patch to become a healthy habitat for wildlife.
Positive impacts from the conservation efforts are already being observed. Poaching in the area has declined due to timely and effective monitoring and patrolling. The restoration interventions of ecological planning, native species selection, and strategic landscape design provide a safe habitat for mammals to roam. The removal of illegal snares is also improving outcomes for both tigers and their prey. Strategies that take biodiversity into consideration are underway to facilitate responsible palm oil production and supply chain management.
Conservation efforts like the Malayan tiger project demonstrate how corporations can make a lasting impact to protect the planet. An integrated WWF Living Landscape Approach for the restoration of the CFS that supports both the wildlife and people of Peninsular Malaysia, has inspired WWF to develop innovative solutions that work for nature, people, and business.
All photos are from a recent, interactive coffee table book about the tiger conservation work produced by WWF-Malaysia and P&G. Click here to read the full version.