The Policy to Protect Malaysia's Biodiversity

Malaysia is recognised as one of the world’s megadiverse countries, and is listed among the top 12 biodiversity rich countries, in terms of species richness and endemism. This biological diversity spans through ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity, but, there seems to be a general lack of awareness of the importance of biodiversity throughout the country, as well as significant knowledge gaps. The National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022 –2030 aims to tackle that through its five goals, 17 targets, and 61 actions, by providing the direction and framework for Malaysia to not only conserve its biodiversity, but to promote its sustainable use, and ensure fair and equitable sharing of its benefits in the face of increasingly complex challenges, both now and in the future. We discuss this and more with Preetha Sankar, an environmental lawyer.