Championing Sustainable Forest Management: Deramakot Forest Reserve regains FSC FM/COC Certification

Covering an expansive area of 55,507 hectares, this production and conservation forest has reclaimed its certification status after facing disruptions mainly caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This renewal underscores Deramakot Forest Reserve's status as the world's longest-standing FSC-certified tropical forest. Its certification has paved the way for extending FSC forest management certification to other forest management units (FMUs), including those dedicated to conservation efforts, in particular Ulu Segama-Malua, Trusmadi & Sg Kiluyu, Ulu Kalumpang-Wullersdorf Forest Reserves, North Gunung Rara, FMU17A, Timimbang-Botitian, and Trusan Sugut Forest Reserve, all of which is pending re-certification.

The journey towards sustainability traces back to 1989 when the Sabah Forestry Department collaborated with GTZ (German Agency For Technical Co-operation) on a programme for sustainable forest management. Deramakot Forest Reserve, initially a commercially logged-over area, became a testing ground for sustainable practices. The success of this endeavour demonstrated the compatibility of sustainable forest management with wildlife preservation, leading to its state-wide adoption in Sabah by 1997.

The Sabah Forestry Department's dedication to FSC certification standards at Deramakot Forest Reserve is yielding promising results. Beyond offering a "green premium," FSC certification facilitates market access, ensures legality, fosters multi-stakeholder engagement, and promotes biodiversity conservation and best forest management practices, including reduced-impact logging techniques.

Deramakot Forest Reserve stands as a testament to what can be achieved with state backing and institutional commitment. Its impact transcends economic benefits, contributing significantly and positively to carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation and other ecosystem services as well as livelihoods. One study[1] suggest that replicating Deramakot's management approach across Borneo's production forests could lead to substantial carbon sequestration and enhanced conservation of forest-dwelling vertebrates. 

“If the management approach used in Deramakot were applied to all Bornean production forests, additional 1.88×109 Mg of carbon could be sequestered and a much richer assemblages of forest dwelling vertebrate species could be conserved" (N. Imai et. al., 2009).

Moving forward, verifying Deramakot Forest Reserve's positive impacts on carbon capture, biodiversity preservation, watershed management, soil conservation, and recreational opportunities, through FSC Ecosystem Services Procedure, represents the next meaningful phase of its sustainable management journey.

Stay tuned for a full story about Deramakot, coming soon!