2025 Reports

Ecological Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Petagas River System in Malaysian Borneo

Mustafa, Saleem; Abdul Kadar, Nazia; Bin Syed Hussein, Muhammad Ali

This case study concerns a unique intervention for ecological restoration of a coastal river in Sabah, Malaysia. Human interaction in the form of fishing, waste disposal and habitat degradation undermined the ecosystem services of this river. Restoration of biodiversity starting with rebuilding the population of giant freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergi) led to the creation of trophic links and enriched the biodiversity. The harvest type of the shrimp ranching was replaced by the recruit type of ranching as the population started rebuilding. Research should continue to generate data that will provide adequate knowledge to support ongoing efforts towards mitigating the impact of climate change and adaptation of the community to the dynamics of changes.