The Orang Asli are restoring their honoured forests in Malaysia
The Orang Asli, the Indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, have long been known as the people of the forest. For generations, their lives have been interwoven with nature — drawing food, shelter, medicine and identity from the rainforest they call home. To the Orang Asli, the forest is sacred. It sustains life and, in return, they nurture and protect it.
Today, both the Orang Asli and their forests face growing challenges from unsustainable development practices.
This loss is not only personal, it has profound impacts on the surrounding ecosystem. Deforestation on this scale threatens biodiversity, degrades soil and disrupts local weather and water cycles.
In response, the community organization Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan Masyarakat (YKPM) partnered with the UNDP-Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) to help the Orang Asli protect and restore their land. Together, they launched an agroforestry enterprise that combines traditional knowledge with sustainable livelihoods.