Editing Sarawak (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Julan_waterfall_01.jpg|thumb|Julan waterfall (located at [[Usun Apau Plieran]]) is the highest waterfall in Sarawak<ref>{{cite web |title=Trekking to Western Julan waterfall, the highest in Sarawak |url=https://sarawaktourism.com/itinerary/western-julan-waterfall/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=7 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007224415/https://sarawaktourism.com/itinerary/western-julan-waterfall/ |archive-date=7 October 2018}}</ref>]]
The total land area of Sarawak is nearly {{cvt|124450|km2|sqmi}},<ref name="statistics"/> making up 37.5 per cent of the total area of Malaysia, and lies between the northern latitudes 0° 50′ and 5° and eastern longitudes 109° 36′ and 115° 40′ E.<ref name="stateplanning">{{cite web |title=Geography of Sarawak |url=http://www.spu.sarawak.gov.my/geography.html |website=Official website of state planning unit Chief Minister's Department of Sarawak |access-date=14 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423011032/http://www.spu.sarawak.gov.my/geography.html |archive-date=23 April 2015}}</ref> Its {{cvt|750|km|mi}} of coastline is interrupted in the north by about {{cvt|150|km|mi}} of Bruneian coast.<ref name="Welman">{{cite book |author=Frans Welman |title=Borneo Trilogy Sarawak: Volume 2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A-H-O8pxUnMC&pg=PA132 |access-date=28 August 2013 |publisher=Booksmango |isbn=978-616-245-089-1 |pages=132, 134, 136–138, 177 |date=9 March 2017}}</ref> A total of its {{cvt|45.5|km|mi}} coastline have been [[Coastal erosion|eroding]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://water.gov.my/jps/resources/auto%20download%20images/5844e2ec68076.pdf |title=Coastal erosion management in Malaysia |author=Ir. Ooi Choon Ann |journal=Director of Coastal Engineering Division Department of Irrigation and Drainage of Malaysia, Proc. 13th Annual Seminar of the Malaysian Society of Marine Sciences |via=Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources of Malaysia |year=1996 |access-date=14 October 2019 |pages=9 (10) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014050909/https://water.gov.my/jps/resources/auto%20download%20images/5844e2ec68076.pdf |archive-date=14 October 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1961, Sarawak including neighbouring [[Sabah]], which had been included in the [[International Maritime Organization]] (IMO) through the participation of the United Kingdom, became joint associate members of the IMO.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/CN/1961/CN.144.1961-Eng.pdf |title=Convention on the Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organization Done at Geneva on 6 March 1948 [Communication From the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland] |publisher=United Nations |date=13 November 1961 |access-date=15 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215055512/https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/CN/1961/CN.144.1961-Eng.pdf |archive-date=15 December 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Sarawak is separated from Kalimantan Borneo by ranges of high hills and mountains that are part of the central mountain range of Borneo. These become loftier to the north, and are highest near the source of the Baram River at the steep [[Bukit Batu Lawi|Mount Batu Lawi]] and [[Mount Mulu]]. [[Mount Murud]] is the highest point in Sarawak.<ref name="Welman"/>

Sarawak has a [[tropical geography]] with an [[tropical rainforest climate|equatorial climate]] and experiences two [[monsoon]] seasons: a northeast monsoon and a southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon occurs between November and February, bringing heavy rainfall while the southwest monsoon, which occurs between March and October, brings somewhat less rainfall. The climate is stable throughout the year except for the two monsoons, with average daily temperature varying between {{cvt|23|C|F}} in the morning to {{cvt|32|C|F}} in the afternoon at coastal areas. [[Miri, Malaysia|Miri]] has the lowest average temperatures in comparison to other major towns in Sarawak and has the longest daylight hours (more than six hours a day), while other areas receive sunshine for five to six hours a day. Humidity is usually high, exceeding 68 per cent, with annual rainfall varying between {{cvt|330|cm|in}} and {{cvt|460|cm|in}} for up to 220 days a year.<ref name="stateplanning"/> At highland areas, the temperature can vary from {{cvt|16|C|F}} to {{cvt|25|C|F}} during the day and as low as {{cvt|11|C|F}} during the night.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Geography of Sarawak |url=http://www.sarawak.gov.my/web/home/article_view/159/176/ |website=The official website of Sarawak Government |publisher=Sarawak Government |access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref>

Sarawak is divided into three [[ecoregion]]s. The coastal region is rather low-lying and flat with large areas of swamp and other wet environments. Beaches in Sarawak include Pasir Panjang<ref>{{cite web |title=Pasir Panjang, Kuching |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/pasir-panjang/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227125143/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/pasir-panjang/ |archive-date=27 December 2015}}</ref> and Damai beaches in Kuching,<ref>{{cite web |title=Damai Beach Resort |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/damai-beach-resort/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227125311/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/damai-beach-resort/ |archive-date=27 December 2015}}</ref> Tanjung Batu beach in Bintulu,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tanjung Batu Beach, Bintulu |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/tanjung-batu-beach/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117112532/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/tanjung-batu-beach/ |archive-date=17 November 2015}}</ref> and Tanjung Lobang<ref>{{cite web |title=Brighton Beach/Tanjung Lobang |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/brighton-beach-tanjung-lobang/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413155555/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/brighton-beach-tanjung-lobang/ |archive-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> and Hawaii beaches in Miri.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hawaii Beach |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/hawaii-beach/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413162747/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/hawaii-beach/ |archive-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> Hilly terrain accounts for much of the inhabited land and is where most of the cities and towns are found. The [[port]]s of Kuching and [[Sibu]] are built some distance from the coast on rivers while Bintulu and Miri are close to the coastline where the hills stretch right to the South China Sea. The third region is the mountainous region along the Sarawak{{ndash}}Kalimantan border, where a number of villages such as [[Bario]], [[Ba'kelalan]], and [[Usun Apau Plieran]] are located.<ref name="Welman"/> A number of rivers flow through Sarawak, with the [[Sarawak River]] being the main river flowing through Kuching. The [[Rajang River]] is the longest river in Malaysia, measuring {{cvt|563|km}} including its tributary, [[Balleh River]]. To the north, the Baram, Limbang and Trusan Rivers drain into the [[Brunei Bay]].<ref name="Welman"/>

[[File:Rajang delta.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Rajang River]] is the longest river in Malaysia]]
Sarawak can be divided into two geological zones: the [[Sunda Plate|Sunda Shield]], which extends southwest from the Batang Lupar River (near [[Simanggang|Sri Aman]]) and forms the southern tip of Sarawak, and the [[geosyncline]] region, which extends northeast to the Batang Lupar River, forming the central and northern regions of Sarawak. The oldest rock type in southern Sarawak is [[schist]] formed during the [[Carboniferous]] and [[Permian|Lower Permian]] times, while the youngest [[igneous rock]] in this region, [[andesite]], can be found at [[Sematan]]. Geological formation of the central and northern regions started during the late [[Cretaceous]] period. Other types of stone that can be found in central and northern Sarawak are [[shale]], [[sandstone]], and [[chert]].<ref name="stateplanning"/> The Miri Division in eastern Sarawak is the region of [[Neogene]] strata containing organic rich rock formations which are the prolific [[Oil reserves|oil and gas reserves]]. The rocks enriched in organic components are [[mudstone]]s in Lambir, Miri and Tukau Formations of [[Middle Miocene]]-[[Lower Pliocene]] age.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Togunwa |first1=Olayinka |last2=Abdullah |first2=Wan |date=10 August 2017 |title=Geochemical characterization of Neogene sediments from onshore West Baram Delta Province, Sarawak: paleoenvironment, source input and thermal maturity |journal=Open Geosciences |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=302–313 |doi=10.1515/geo-2017-0025 |bibcode=2017OGeo....9...25T |issn=2391-5447 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Significant quantities of Sarawak soil are [[Orthent|lithosols]], up to 60 per cent, and [[podzol|podsols]], around 12 per cent, while abundant [[Alluvium|alluvial soil]] is found in coastal and riverine regions. 12 per cent of Sarawak is covered with [[peat swamp forest]].<ref name="stateplanning"/> [[Limestone]] with well-developed [[karst]] topography and cave systems is found scattered from west to east Sarawak, but concentrated in certain regions such as in the Bau district in the west and southwards near the Kalimantan border.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hutchison |first=Charles S. |title=Geology of north-west Borneo: Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah |date=2005 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=0-08-046089-5 |location=Amsterdam |oclc=162130402}}</ref>

There are thirty national parks,<ref>{{cite web |title=Sarawak National Parks |url=http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp.html |publisher=Sarawak Forestry Department |access-date=25 June 2017 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020031608/http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> among which are [[Niah National Park|Niah]] with its eponymous caves,<ref>{{cite web |title=Niah National Park, Miri |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/niah-national-park-miri/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=26 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226131410/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/niah-national-park-miri/ |archive-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> the highly developed ecosystem around [[Lambir Hills National Park|Lambir Hills]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Lambir Hills National Park |url=http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-np-lambir.html |publisher=Sarawak Forestry Corporation |access-date=26 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530045056/http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-np-lambir.html |archive-date=30 May 2015}}</ref> and the [[World Heritage Site]] of [[Gunung Mulu National Park|Gunung Mulu]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gunung Mulu National Park |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1013 |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016060027/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1013 |archive-date=16 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gunung Mulu National Park (Malaysia) |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/2431/ |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=19 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116095437/https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/2431/ |archive-date=16 November 2015}}</ref> The last contains [[Sarawak Chamber]], one of the world's largest underground chambers,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Vergano |first1=Dan |title=China's "Supercave" Takes Title as World's Most Enormous Cavern |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140927-largest-cave-china-exploration-science/ |access-date=6 April 2017 |magazine=National Geographic |date=27 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131062902/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140927-largest-cave-china-exploration-science |archive-date=31 January 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Deer Cave]], the largest cave passage in the world,<ref>{{cite web |title=Deer Cave and Lang's Cave |url=http://www.mulunationalpark.com/show-caves-deer-langs.php |publisher=Mulu National Park |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712112352/http://www.mulunationalpark.com/show-caves-deer-langs.php |archive-date=12 July 2015}}</ref> and [[Clearwater Cave]], the longest cave system in [[Southeast Asia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Clearwater cave and Wind Cave |url=http://www.mulunationalpark.com/show-caves-clearwater-wind.php |publisher=Gunung Mulu National Park |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712094552/http://www.mulunationalpark.com/show-caves-clearwater-wind.php |archive-date=12 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Gunung Mulu National Park |url=http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/es/places/states-of-malaysia/sarawak/gunung-mulu-national-park |publisher=Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board |access-date=27 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017082915/http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/es/places/states-of-malaysia/sarawak/gunung-mulu-national-park |archive-date=17 October 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Landscapes of Sarawak">
File:Mulu_Pinnacles.jpg|alt=Tall, light grey stone columns protruding above a forest|Pinnacles at [[Gunung Mulu National Park]]
File:Mount_Murud_Summit_02.jpg|The vegetations at the summit of [[Mount Murud]]
File:South China Sea, Sarawak (7246670486).jpg|[[South China Sea]] view from Sarawak
File:Bako National Park (3678650933).jpg|alt=A mudflat receding into the sea in the distance, with a cloud-topped mountain beyond|Parts of the [[Bako National Park]]
</gallery>

===Biodiversity===
{{See also|Fauna of Borneo|Deforestation in Borneo|Sarawak Biodiversity Centre}}
Sarawak contains large tracts of [[tropical rainforest]] with diverse plant species,<ref>{{cite web |title=Borneo plants |url=http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/about_borneo_forests/borneo_animals/borneo_plants/ |publisher=World Wide Fund for Nature |access-date=2 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425204321/http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/about_borneo_forests/borneo_animals/borneo_plants |archive-date=25 April 2016}}</ref> which has led to a number of them being studied for medicinal properties.<ref>{{cite news |title=Medicinal plants around us |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/24/medicinal-plants-around-us/ |access-date=16 November 2015 |work=The Malaysian Nature Society |publisher=The Borneo Post |date=24 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140830015043/http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/24/medicinal-plants-around-us/ |archive-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> [[Mangrove]] and [[Nypa fruticans|nipah]] forests lining its [[estuary|estuaries]] comprise 2% of its forested area, peat swamp forests along other parts of its coastline cover 16%, [[Kerangas forest]] covers 5% and [[Dipterocarpaceae]] forests cover most mountainous areas. The major trees found in estuary forests include ''bako'' and ''nibong'', while those in the peat swamp forests include ''ramin'' (''[[Gonystylus bancanus]]''), ''meranti'' (''[[Shorea]]''), and ''medang jongkong'' (''[[Dactylocladus stenostachys]]'').<ref name="stateplanning"/>

[[File:How to peel a banana with your foot (26443349170).jpg|thumb|left|upright|An orangutan peeling a banana at Semenggoh Wildlife Reserve.]]
Animal species are also highly varied, with 185 species of mammals, 530 species of birds, 166 species of snakes, 104 species of lizards, and 113 species of amphibians, of which 19 per cent of the mammals, 6 per cent of the birds, 20 per cent of the snakes and 32 per cent of the lizards are [[endemism|endemic]]. These species are largely found in Totally Protected Areas. There are over 2,000 tree species in Sarawak. Other plants includes 1,000 species of orchids, 757 species of ferns, and 260 species of palm.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sarawak National Park – Biodiversity Conservation |url=http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-bc.html |publisher=Sarawak Forestry Department |access-date=17 November 2015 |archive-date=28 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128010731/http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-bc.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> The state is the habitat of endangered animals, including the [[borneo pygmy elephant]], [[proboscis monkey]], [[orangutan]]s and [[Sumatran rhinoceros]]es.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8296131/Rainforest-is-destroyed-for-palm-oil-plantations-on-Malaysias-island-state-of-Sarawak.html?image=5 |title=Rainforest is destroyed for palm oil plantations on Malaysia's island state of Sarawak (Image 1 and Image 2) |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=21 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206085015/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8296131/Rainforest-is-destroyed-for-palm-oil-plantations-on-Malaysias-island-state-of-Sarawak.html?image=5 |archive-date=6 February 2011}}<br />{{*}} {{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8296131/Rainforest-is-destroyed-for-palm-oil-plantations-on-Malaysias-island-state-of-Sarawak.html?image=8 |title=Rainforest is destroyed for palm oil plantations on Malaysia's island state of Sarawak (Image 3) |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=21 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207212130/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/8296131/Rainforest-is-destroyed-for-palm-oil-plantations-on-Malaysias-island-state-of-Sarawak.html?image=8 |archive-date=7 February 2011}}<br />{{*}} {{cite web |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/05/05/sumatran-orangutans-rainforest-home-faces-new-threat/ |title=Sumatran Orangutans' rainforest home faces new threat |work=[[Agence France-Presse]] |publisher=The Borneo Post |date=5 May 2013 |access-date=21 August 2014}}<br />{{*}} {{Cite iucn |author=Meijaard, E. |author2=Nijman, V. |author3=Supriatna, J. |name-list-style=amp |title=''Nasalis larvatus'' |volume=2008 |page=e.T14352A4434312 |date=2008 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T14352A4434312.en |access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref> Matang Wildlife Centre, Semenggoh Nature Reserve, and [[Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary]]<ref>{{cite web |title=25 success stories |url=http://www.itto.int/direct/topics/topics_pdf_download/topics_id=2796&no=0&disp=inline |publisher=[[International Tropical Timber Organization]] (ITTO) |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613011444/http://www.itto.int/direct/topics/topics_pdf_download/topics_id%3D2796%26no%3D0%26disp%3Dinline |archive-date=13 June 2015 |pages=44–45 |url-status=dead}}</ref> are noted for their orangutan protection programmes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Semenggoh Nature Reserve |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/semenggoh-nature-reserve/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508013152/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/semenggoh-nature-reserve/ |archive-date=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Matang Wildlife Centre |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/matang-wildlife-centre/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514234944/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/matang-wildlife-centre/ |archive-date=14 May 2015}}</ref> Talang{{ndash}}Satang National Park is notable for its turtle conservation initiatives.<ref>{{cite web |title=Talang-Satang National Park |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/talang-satang-national-park/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116071641/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/talang-satang-national-park/ |archive-date=16 November 2015}}</ref> [[Birdwatching]] is a common activity in various national parks such as Gunung Mulu National Park, Lambir Hills National Park,<ref>{{cite web |title=Birding in Sarawak |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/birding-in-sarawak/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516085037/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/birding-in-sarawak/ |archive-date=16 May 2015}}</ref> and [[Similajau National Park]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Similajau National Park |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/similajau-national-park/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508014847/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/similajau-national-park/ |archive-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> Miri{{ndash}}Sibuti National Park is known for its coral reefs<ref>{{cite web |title=Diving in Miri-Sibuti Coral Reefs National Park |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/diving-in-miri-sibuti-coral-reef-national-park/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504000343/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/diving-in-miri-sibuti-coral-reef-national-park/ |archive-date=4 May 2015}}</ref> and Gunung Gading National Park for its ''[[Rafflesia]]'' flowers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gunung Gading National Park |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/gunung-gading-national-park/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516085552/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/gunung-gading-national-park/ |archive-date=16 May 2015}}</ref> [[Bako National Park]], the oldest national park in Sarawak, is known for its 275 proboscis monkeys,<ref>{{cite web |title=Bako National Park |url=http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-np-bako.html |publisher=Sarawak Forestry Corporation |access-date=26 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925040118/http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-np-bako.html |archive-date=25 September 2015}}</ref> and Padawan Pitcher Garden for its various carnivorous [[pitcher plant]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Padawan Pitcher Plant & Wild Orchid Centre |url=http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/padawan-pitcher-plant-wild-orchid-garden/ |publisher=Sarawak Tourism Board |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409045310/http://sarawaktourism.com/attraction/padawan-pitcher-plant-wild-orchid-garden/ |archive-date=9 April 2015}}</ref> In 1854, [[Alfred Russel Wallace]] visited Sarawak. A year later, he formulated the "Sarawak Law" which foreshadowed the formulation of his (and [[Charles Darwin|Darwin's]]) theory of evolution by [[natural selection]] three years later.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Alan |title=Wallace and the Sarawak Law |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/07/14/wallace-and-the-sarawak-law/ |access-date=15 November 2016 |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=14 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115022532/http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/07/14/wallace-and-the-sarawak-law/ |archive-date=15 November 2016}}</ref>

The Sarawak state government has enacted several laws to protect its forests and endangered wildlife species. Some of the protected species are the orangutan, [[green sea turtle]], [[Sunda flying lemur|flying lemur]], and [[piping hornbill]]. Under the Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998, Sarawak natives are given permissions to hunt for a restricted range of wild animals in the jungles but should not possess more than {{cvt|5|kg}} of meat.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lian |first1=Cheng |title=Protected wildlife on the menu |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/03/31/protected-wildlife-on-the-menu/ |access-date=16 November 2015 |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=31 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401105507/http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/03/31/protected-wildlife-on-the-menu/ |archive-date=1 April 2013}}</ref> The Sarawak Forest Department was established in 1919 to conserve forest resources in the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/pages.php?mod=webpage&sub=page&id=75&menu_id=0&sub_id=115 |publisher=Official website of Forest Department Sarawak |access-date=16 November 2015 |quote=Mr. J.P. Mead became the first Conservator of Forests, Sarawak Forest Department, in 1919. The objectives of the Department were to manage and conserve the State's forest resources. |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161119121104/http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/pages.php?mod=webpage&sub=page&id=75&menu_id=0&sub_id=115 |archive-date=19 November 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Following international criticism of the [[logging]] industry in Sarawak, the state government decided to downsize the Sarawak Forest Department and created the Sarawak Forestry Corporation in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barney |first1=Chan |title=6. INSTITUTIONAL RESTRUCTURING IN SARAWAK, MALAYSIA |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai412e/AI412E10.htm |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]] |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719063139/http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai412e/AI412E10.htm |archive-date=19 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sarawak Forestry Corporation – About Us – FAQ |url=http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/aboutus-faq.html |publisher=Sarawak Forestry Corporation |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512164659/http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/aboutus-faq.html |archive-date=12 May 2015}}</ref> The Sarawak Biodiversity Centre was set up in 1997 for the conservation, protection, and sustainable development of biodiversity in the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Sarawak Biodiversity Centre – Profile |url=http://www.sbc.org.my/about-sbc |publisher=Sarawak Biodiversity Centre |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206075233/http://www.sbc.org.my/about-sbc |archive-date=6 December 2014}}</ref>

==== Conservation issues ====
[[File:Sarawak, Cultural Village 11.jpg|thumb|A logging camp along the [[Rajang River]]]]
Sarawak's rain forests are primarily threatened by the logging industry and palm oil plantations.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tom |first1=Young |title=Malaysian palm oil destroying forests, report warns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/feb/02/malaysian-palm-oil-forests |access-date=28 July 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529234141/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/feb/02/malaysian-palm-oil-forests |archive-date=29 May 2014}}</ref> The issue of human rights of the [[Penan]] and deforestation in Sarawak became an international environmental issue when Swiss activist [[Bruno Manser]] visited Sarawak regularly between 1984 and 2000.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Elegant |first=Simon |title=Without a Trace |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,172580,00.html |date=3 September 2001 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time magazine Asia]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref> Deforestation has affected the life of indigenous tribes, especially the Penan, whose livelihood is heavily dependent on forest produce. This led to several blockades by indigenous tribes during the 1980s and 1990s against logging companies encroaching on their lands.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sarawak and the Penan |url=http://bmf.ch/en/about-us/sarawak-and-the-penan/ |access-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708203915/http://www.bmf.ch/en/about-us/sarawak-and-the-penan/ |archive-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> Indeed, illegal logging in particular has decimated the forest regions indigenous populations depend on for their livelihoods, depleting fish, wildlife, but also traditional medicinal herbs and construction staples like Palm.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Sarawak, Malaysia Infringement of the Rights of Indigenous People by Continuous Illegal Logging Practices |journal=Human Rights Now |date=2016 |page=16 |url=http://hrn.or.jp/eng/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/0df9bf57ee7d367d4dbfac6dcfbf7c37.pdf |location=Tokyo, Japan}}</ref> There have also been cases where [[Aboriginal title|Native Customary Rights]] (NCR) lands have been given to timber and plantation companies without the permission of the locals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Native Customary Rights in Sarawak |date=19 February 2010 |url=http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/malaysia/native-customary-rights-sarawak |publisher=[[Cultural Survival]] |access-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005075934/http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/malaysia/native-customary-rights-sarawak |archive-date=5 October 2015}}</ref> The indigenous people have resorted to legal means to reinstate their NCR. In 2001 the High Court of Sarawak fully reinstated the NCR land claimed by the Rumah Nor people, but this was overturned partially in 2005. However, this case has served as a precedent, leading to more NCR being upheld by the high court in the following years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rumah Nor: A Land Rights Case for Malaysia |url=http://borneoproject.org/our-work/rumah-nor-a-land-rights-case-for-malaysia |publisher=The Borneo Project |access-date=17 November 2015 |archive-date=8 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208085935/http://borneoproject.org/our-work/rumah-nor-a-land-rights-case-for-malaysia |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Jessica |first1=Lawrence |title=Earth Island News – Borneo Project – Indigenous victory overturned |url=http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/borneo_project2/ |publisher=[[Earth Island Institute]] |access-date=17 November 2015}}</ref> Sarawak's mega-dam policies, such as the [[Bakun Dam]] and [[Murum Dam]] projects, have submerged thousands of hectares of forest and displaced thousands of indigenous people.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rhett |first1=Butler |title=Power, profit, and pollution: dams and the uncertain future of Sarawak |date=3 September 2009 |url=http://news.mongabay.com/2009/09/power-profit-and-pollution-dams-and-the-uncertain-future-of-sarawak/ |publisher=Mongabay |access-date=17 November 2015 |quote=One dam has already displaced 10,000 native people and will flood an area the size of Singapore.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bakun Dam |url=https://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/bakun-dam |publisher=[[International Rivers]] |access-date=17 November 2015}}</ref> Since 2013, the proposed [[Baram Dam]] project has been delayed due to ongoing protests from local indigenous tribes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sarawak, Malaysia |url=https://www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/sarawak-malaysia |publisher=[[International Rivers]] |access-date=17 November 2015 |quote=Work on access roads to the dam site began but came to a halt in October 2013 when local communities launched two blockades to stop construction and other project preparations from proceeding.}}</ref> Since 2014, the Sarawak government under chief minister [[Adenan Satem]] started to take action against [[illegal logging]] in the state and to diversify the economy of the state.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vanitha |first1=Nadaraj |title=Battle Against Illegal Logging in Sarawak Begins |url=http://www.establishmentpost.com/battle-illegal-logging-sarawak-begins/ |access-date=18 November 2015 |publisher=The Establishment Post |date=21 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921054212/http://www.establishmentpost.com/battle-illegal-logging-sarawak-begins/ |archive-date=21 September 2015}}</ref> Through the course of 2016 over 2 million acres of forest, much of it in orangutan habitats, were declared protected areas.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/sarawak-announces-department-of-national-parks-and-wildlife-to-open-next-year/ |title=Sarawak establishes 2.2M acres of protected areas, may add 1.1M more |author=Mike Gaworecki |newspaper=Mongabay |date=19 August 2016 |access-date=22 August 2016}}</ref>

Sources vary as to Sarawak's remaining forest cover: former chief minister [[Abdul Taib Mahmud]] declared that it fell from 70% to 48% between 2011 and 2012, the Sarawak Forest Department and the Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment both held that it remained at 80% in 2012,<ref name="Taibawangforests">{{cite news |last1=Joseph |first1=Tawie |title='What's really left of our forest, Taib?' |url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/10/25/whats-really-left-of-our-forest-taib/ |access-date=16 November 2015 |work=Free Malaysia Today |date=25 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102121203/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/10/25/whats-really-left-of-our-forest-taib/ |archive-date=2 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Types and Categories of Sarawak's Forests |url=http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/pages.php?mod=webpage&sub=page&id=593&menu_id=0&sub_id=160 |publisher=Sarawak Forest Department |access-date=16 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122014750/http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/pages.php?mod=webpage&sub=page&id=593&menu_id=0&sub_id=160 |archive-date=22 November 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Wetlands International]] reported that it fell by 10% between 2005 and 2010, 3.5 times faster than the rest of Asia combined.<ref>{{cite report |title=Impact of oil palm plantations on peatland conversion in Sarawak 2005-2010 |date=January 2011 |url=http://archive.wetlands.org/Portals/0/publications/Report/Sarvision%20Sarawak%20Report%20Final%20for%20Web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820120140/http://archive.wetlands.org/Portals/0/publications/Report/Sarvision%20Sarawak%20Report%20Final%20for%20Web.pdf |archive-date=20 August 2017 |access-date=25 June 2017 |website=Wetlands International}}</ref>