Perceptions of forests and their restoration within an oil-palm landscape in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Abstract

The restoration of natural forests is increasingly recognised as an important strategy for addressing interconnected climate, biodiversity, and social challenges. This study explores local perspectives and values surrounding forests and forest restoration within an oil palm plantation landscape in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, we sought to understand: (a) the landscape history context of the local area, (b) the ways in which plantation-resident communities value and use forests within oil palm landscapes, and (c) perspectives on how restoration could be approached within the local context. This study contributes novel insights into how communities living and working within oil palm–forest landscapes perceive forests, restoration, and participation in restoration activities prior to restoration implementation. By examining these perspectives within a socially and economically embedded plantation context, the study helps address a limited understanding of the social dimensions of restoration in inhabited commodity-production landscapes and provides insights relevant to the design of more socially informed and locally appropriate restoration initiatives.