Deforestation

Deforestation: how fast?

is the cutting down and removal of forest.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, about 10 million hectares of forest were cut down each year worldwide between 2015 and 2020: less than the 12 million a year between 2010 and 2015, but still an area about the size of Iceland every year. Most of it is tropical rainforest.

Rates vary: they have slowed in some countries, such as Brazil in some years, and risen in others.

Key terms

Malaysia: the case study

Malaysia is a country in South-east Asia: peninsular Malaysia, and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Much of it was once covered by rainforest.

According to Global Forest Watch, Malaysia lost 8.1 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2019: a fall of 28% since 2000. Its loss of (old, untouched forest) has slowed in recent years, but it lost nearly a fifth of it between 2002 and 2022.

Malaysia is the world's , after Indonesia, producing about a quarter of the world's supply.

Key terms

Causes of deforestation in Malaysia

Cause	In Malaysia
	The biggest cause: forest cleared for and rubber plantations
	Small farms cleared by families to grow food
	Valuable hardwoods sold abroad, especially from Sarawak
Road building	Roads such as the Pan Borneo Highway open up forest to loggers and farmers
	Mining, such as for bauxite in Pahang
	The in Sarawak flooded a reservoir of about 695 km² of forest
Settlement and population growth	Government schemes moved families to new farmland cleared from forest; a growing population needs land and food

Exam tip

Don't just list causes: give a Malaysian example for each, such as oil palm plantations or the Bakun Dam.

Key terms

Impacts of deforestation

Positive: palm oil and timber earn Malaysia money from exports and create many jobs, helping the country develop. Roads and dams bring electricity and transport.
Negative: once forest is gone, the money from timber, tourism and forest products is lost for good.

with no trees to protect it, heavy rain washes the thin, fertile topsoil away. Rivers fill with silt, harming fish and making floods more likely.

Contribution to climate change: trees store carbon. When they are burnt or rot, it's released as carbon dioxide; and fewer trees are left to absorb it. Global Forest Watch estimates Malaysia's tree cover loss from 2001 to 2019 released 3.55 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

People: Indigenous communities lose land; about 10,000 Indigenous people were moved for the Bakun Dam.

Key terms

Exam practice

Plan your own answer first, then open the model answers to see what each level looks like.

9 marks · about 9 minutes

To what extent do the economic benefits of deforestation outweigh its environmental costs? Use a case study.

To what extent means: Weigh up how far something is true, with evidence on both sides, then give a clear judgement.

Link it

Use the facts from:

Deforestation in Malaysia (Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak, 2000 to 2022)

Level 1 (Basic)· 3/9 marks (band 1–3)

Deforestation makes money from wood and palm oil, but it destroys habitats and causes climate change. The costs are bigger.

Why this level: Simple points on both sides but no case study detail, and the judgement isn't supported. To reach Level 2: use facts from a named country to explain the benefits and the costs.

Level 2 (Clear)· 5/9 marks (band 4–6)

In Malaysia, forest has been cleared for oil palm and rubber plantations. Malaysia is the world's second-largest palm oil producer, which earns export income and creates jobs. However, this has environmental costs: Malaysia lost 8.1 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2019, destroying habitats, and this loss released an estimated 3.55 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Why this level: Clear benefits and costs with accurate Malaysia facts. But it doesn't weigh them or say which is greater. To reach Level 3: compare short-term and long-term effects, and reach a supported judgement.

Level 3 (Detailed)· 8/9 marks (band 7–9)

Deforestation has brought Malaysia real economic benefits. It is the world's second-largest palm oil producer, making about a quarter of world supply, and palm oil, rubber and timber earn export income and create many jobs, including in poorer rural areas. Roads such as the Pan Borneo Highway and the Bakun Dam's electricity also support development. However, the environmental costs are large. Malaysia lost 8.1 million hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2019, a fall of 28% since 2000, destroying habitats for species such as orangutans. Without the canopy, soil erosion washes away fertile topsoil and fills rivers with silt. The tree cover loss released an estimated 3.55 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, adding to climate change. People are affected too: about 10,000 Indigenous people were moved for the Bakun Dam. Overall, the benefits don't outweigh the costs: the income is real but often short-term, while the loss of forest, biodiversity and stored carbon is long-lasting and hard to reverse.

Why this level: Detailed, accurate evidence on both sides from the Malaysia case study, weighed against each other, with a judgement that explains why. This is Level 3.

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