Petaling Jaya

Malaysia

Petaling Jaya

Introducing

The Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) is a remnant of the Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve—an area of 6,590 hectares established in 1898. As it stands, KDCF is approximately 322 hectares of lowland mixed-dipterocarp forest.

Besides being home to a diversity of flora and fauna, it also provides relief to the public from the pressures of urban life. At one time, threatened by plans for housing development, it was finally gazetted in 2010 as a Forest Reserve for conservation, education and recreation, in response to a tireless public campaign. Today, the forest endures as a greenbelt in an otherwise concrete jungle, demonstrating the power of community engagement and action in conservation.

Straddling the border of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur is Bukit Gasing Forest Reserve. Formerly a rubber estate, the 100-hectare area is now a secondary forest rich in biodiversity and a temporary escape from hectic city life for hikers and nature lovers. However, plans for housing developments threaten a substantial portion of Bukit Gasing. Besides leading to forest and biodiversity loss, this move will also bring the safety issues associated with hill slope developments.