Located on the islands of Borneo, the Lower Kinabatangan Segama Wetlands span an area of 788.03 square km. The site was added to the Ramsar List on October 28, 2008. The wetland area constitutes three Forest Reserves, the Kuala Maruap and Kuala Segama Forest Reserve, Kulamba Wildlife Reserve, and the Trusan Kinabatangan Forest Reserve. These wetlands serve as an important habitat for numerous resident and migratory birds. They are also a vital habitat of the Bornean orangutans and are significant for the conservation of orangutans.
The Pulai River starts at the Mount Pulai and drains into the Tebrau Straits. At the mouth of the river is the largest seagrass bed of the country. A vast mangrove ecoregion is also located here. Intensive research is carried out in the ecoregion to study the unique collection of flora and fauna here.
Tanjung Piai is a cape in Malaysia’s Pontian District, representing Peninsular Malaysia’s southernmost point. The coastline of the cape features rows of unspoiled mangrove forests that are highly significant in conversation. 22 species of mangrove trees grow in this ecosystem. The mangroves also act as an important bird habitat and both resident and migratory birds can be observed here. The Tanjung Piai’s coastal mangroves are part of an Important Bird Area and also a Ramsar wetland of international significance. Several hotels and resorts have been built around the region. However, the government mandates that environmental rules and regulations are maintained strictly by those owning private property in the area.
Bera Lake, located in southwest Pahang, Malaysia is a natural freshwater system of lakes. The 35 km long and 20 km wide lake drains into the Pahang River. The Bera Lake is one of the unique and remote wetland wildernesses in the country. It is peninsular Malaysia’s largest freshwater swamp. The ecosystem, consisting of islands of peat swamp forests and a patchwork of dry lowland dipterocarp forests, is rich in flora and fauna. The ecosystem is protected by the Ramsar Convention and has a core zone of 260 square km, and a buffer zone of 275 square km.
The Ramsar sites in DRC play a vital role in the conservation of rare and endangered flora and fauna of the region. These are some of the last remaining sites in the country where human intervention and exploitation of natural resources are not allowed. However, years of civil war and political unrest in the country has adversely affected these natural habitats in the country and flora, and fauna in the region have been subjected to illegal human activities. International attention is thus necessary to protect these vulnerable habitats in DRC.
