The project focuses on strengthening rural resilience while incorporating climate change adaptation, building on the work done by GEC with support from HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad (HSBC Malaysia) over the past 12 years, established back in 2011. 

The goal under this project is to plant 12,000 trees at degraded peatland, mangrove and rural village areas in Selangor with active community participation. The project promotes rural resilience (the ability to maintain livelihood options and reduce agricultural risk due to climate change effects) in SHGSU, SGAT and SHBKH by incorporating climate change adaptations into practices of rehabilitation of degraded areas for carbon sequestration in peatland, mangrove, and rural village ecosystems. 

The project will also seek to increase understanding of the value of peatland, mangrove, and village environments, as well as to strengthen the links between local livelihoods and the protection of these ecosystems through tree planting initiatives and sustainable management practices, in accordance with the government's "100 Million Tree-Planting Campaign," which is part of the Greening Malaysia Programme, one of the national agendas for addressing climate change and improving the quality of life. 

In addition, the project also supports government’s efforts to protect peatland, mangrove forest and rural villages environment through tree planting initiatives and sustainable management practices.

Duration: April 2023 - April 2024

Funder: HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad

Partner: Selangor State Forestry Department, Government of Malaysia, local authorities and local stakeholders

Aim/objective:

The immediate objectives include:

• To rehabilitate 10 hectares (6,000 trees) of degraded peatland area in Raja Musa Forest Reserve
• To rehabilitate 2 hectares (4,000 trees) of degraded mangrove ecosystem in Tebuk Mendeleng, Sabak Bernam
• To plant 2,000 forest fruit trees species in the 2 local villages
  

Locations: 

1. Degraded peatland area in Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR), Kuala Selangor.
2. Mangrove ecosystem in Tebuk Mendeleng, Kampung Dato Hormat, a riverine village located at the riverbank of Bernam River in Sabak Bernam.
3. Kampung Raja Musa (adjacent to RMFR), Kampung Pulau Kempas and Kampung Bukit Cheeding (adjacent to Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve).

Key Activities:

• Forest Rehabilitation in North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, Selangor.
• Mangrove Rehabilitation in Tebuk Mendeleng, Kampung Dato Hormat, Sabak Bernam, Selangor.
• Capacity building for local communities and increase rural resilience to climate change impacts.

For more information about the project, please e-mail us at outreach@gec.org.my