Maliau Basin’s next decade: A strategic plan for Ecosystem Restoration Excellence

The Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA), located in the heart of Borneo, is one of Southeast Asia’s last remaining untouched forest ecosystems. Known as the “Lost World of Sabah,” the basin’s remote geography and intact biodiversity make it a natural wonder of global significance. First recognised as a conservation area in 1981 and later elevated to a Class 1 Protection Forest Reserve, MBCA has never been logged and remains a vital refuge for rare and endemic species.

Over the past two decades, a strong partnership between Sabah Foundation and Preferred by Nature has helped expand the conservation footprint around MBCA, growing from 58,840 hectares to more than 173,000 hectares through the addition of forest corridors and buffer zones. While the core forest remains intact, many of these newly protected areas are degraded and require targeted restoration.

The Strategic Management Plan 2025–2034 marks the third phase of collaboration between the two partners. This new plan builds on a long track record of conservation success and aims to strengthen protection through ecosystem restoration, nature-based finance, scientific research, and long-term planning.

Why now?

The newly added areas include degraded buffer zones and forest corridors that lack canopy cover and forest structure, leaving them vulnerable to further decline. Restoring these landscapes is essential for safeguarding biodiversity, strengthening ecological connectivity across the Danum-Maliau-Imbak (DaMaI) landscape, and future-proofing ecosystem integrity.

At the same time, global demand for high-integrity carbon offset projects is rising. MBCA presents a rare opportunity to meet that demand by linking credible climate finance with measurable restoration outcomes, supported by data, science, and local leadership.

With extensive experience through long-running initiatives like INFAPRO and INIKEA, Sabah Foundation is well-positioned to guide this next chapter. However, the scale and complexity of the current challenge call for updated tools, refined strategies, and new partnerships to achieve impact at the landscape level.

Key areas of focus

A new management roadmap

The updated Strategic Management Plan will define priorities for the next decade, using new ecological data, stakeholder consultation, and policy alignment to guide implementation. It will address both core and buffer areas and include the finalisation of MBCA’s nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Financing forest restoration through carbon

A carbon finance strategy will identify restoration zones with high carbon sequestration potential and align them with high-integrity offset markets. Ground-truthed satellite data and carbon assessments will ensure transparency, with the potential to mobilise private sector investment.

Establishing a Centre for Excellence in restoration

MBCA will be developed as a regional and international learning hub for ecosystem restoration. This includes expanding collaboration with institutions such as the Nordic Rainforest Research Network and Malaysian universities to promote field-based research, technical training, and best practice sharing.

Monitoring impact to guide action

A robust monitoring system will be established to track restoration outcomes over time. This will combine remote sensing, ecological field protocols, and standardised data management to provide actionable insights for project teams, donors, and carbon investors.

Sustaining expertise for long-term success

Targeted training and knowledge sharing will help support implementation of the plan over the coming decade. This includes focused technical input on carbon accounting, ecosystem services, and land use planning, building on Sabah Foundation’s long-standing expertise in forest management and restoration.

Looking Ahead

The Strategic Management Plan 2025–2034 reflects not only a commitment to protecting one of Sabah’s most iconic natural areas but also a transition toward global leadership in forest restoration. Through science-based action, responsible investment, and decades of partnership, Maliau Basin is poised to move from the “Lost World of Sabah” to a living model for how the world can restore and reconnect with tropical forest landscapes—one forest at a time.

To read our latest news on Borneo, please click here.