By Emin Madi
KOTA KINABALU : – The legacy of the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) extends beyond wildlife protection and environmental conservation – it has played a significant role in elevating Malaysia, particularly Sabah (through Yayasan Sabah), as a respected global leader in conservation.
Today, DVCA is undeniably a world-renowned hub for research and eco-tourism.
The Danum Valley Studies Centre (DVSC) has grown into an internationally recognised tropical rainforest research station, on par with institutions such as Barro Colorado Island in Panama and La Selva in Costa Rica.
One of DVCA’s most notable achievements since its establishment 40 years ago is the creation of one of the region’s most active environmental education programmes, alongside fostering international collaboration and facilitating ongoing technology transfer between developed and developing nations.
Ultimately, Danum Valley has emerged as a world-class, multi-functional example of tropical forest conservation, scientific research, environmental education, and sustainable management.
The vast body of scientific knowledge generated through research at Danum Valley continues to contribute meaningfully to global understanding of rainforest ecology, conservation, restoration, and human-environment interactions.
Key contributors to Danum Valley’s success include Yayasan Sabah, the Danum Valley Management Committee (DVMC), and their long-standing partnership with the UK’s Royal Society.
According to Yayasan Sabah, the environmental education initiatives at Danum Valley have been varied, multi-tiered, and highly impactful.
Thousands of Malaysian schoolchildren have had their first rainforest experience through the Sabah Nature Club (SNC), established on Oct 7, 1988, and launched by the then Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
SNC is supported by Yayasan Sabah, with Danum serving as one of its core activity centres.
The presence of Danum Valley’s globally recognised research programme has also indirectly inspired numerous pioneering and collaborative forest management and restoration projects.
From Vision to Reality
The story of DVCA began in 1980 when the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Sabah made the visionary decision to manage 438 sq km of concession land in Ulu Segama, Lahad Datu, specifically for wildlife conservation, education, and research.
The area was not designated as a park due to concerns that transferring it out of Yayasan Sabah’s control might eventually result in logging by other parties.
Retaining the status quo was seen as a more secure option for long-term preservation.
At that time, the remote upper reaches of the Segama River, where DVCA is located, were likely uninhabited or only rarely so.
DVCA encompasses a significant portion of the upper Segama catchment, with elevations ranging from 150 to 1,000 metres above sea level.
Danum Valley is home to more than 121 species of mammals, including 10 species of primates.
Among the extremely rare animals found here are the Borneon Pygmy elephant, Borneon Banteng and Sun Bear.
Scientific expeditions and wildlife surveys carried out at DVCA have contributed to these finding and also documented at least 338 species of birds, over 70 species of fishes.
According to Yayasan Sabah, Danum Valley, along with the Maliau Basin, was gazetted as a Conservation Area under the Foundation’s long-term Forest Management Plan.
It remains unlogged in perpetuity for the purposes of conservation, education, and research.
On 16 May 1995, DVCA was formally recognised as a Class 1 Protection Forest under the Forest Enactment 1968.
In 1996, the Forest (Danum Valley Conservation Area) Rules 1996 were gazetted, formally establishing the Danum Valley Management Committee (DVMC) with specific authority over research matters in the DVCA.
A Global Research Hub
Preparations for research at Danum began in 1982, when DVMC was established as an interdepartmental committee under the state government to develop an international collaborative research programme at the then-proposed Danum Valley Field Centre (now known as Danun Valley Studies Centre).
This effort culminated in the signing of the Danum Valley Rainforest Research and Training Programme Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 1984.
The MoU was signed by Yayasan Sabah, the Sabah Forestry Department, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Sabah Campus). A supplementary MoU was also signed with the Royal Society of the United Kingdom.
DVFC officially opened in 1986 as a facility dedicated to scientific research and environmental education.
As early as 1987, the Sabah Nature Club organised its first Nature Orientation Course at the field centre, involving 23 students and two teachers from various schools across Sabah.
Since then, a total of 82 series of course have been conducted, engaging more than 1,600 students and 300 teachers statewide.
Today, the Sabah Nature Club has grown to become Malaysia’s largest environmental education provider, with an impressive accumulated membership of 45,552.
According to Yayasan Sabah, more than 800 research articles have been completed, and over 200 postgraduates have been awarded, with approximately 50% earned by Malaysians and 40% overseas.
Ongoing strategies to attract world-class research to Danum include continued investment in long-term research infrastructure, the promotion of Danum as a regional research coordination centre, and the facilitation of university field courses.
Danum Valley Studies Centre is also widely used by school groups, nature clubs, and non-governmental organisations – including professional bodies – for educational purposes.
A Unique Field Experience
To support field research within the DVCA, an extensive network of trails and a 2 km² research grid, with intersecting trails every 500 metres, was developed.
This research grid system is named in honour of the late Dr Clive Marsh (1951–2000), one of the founders of the Danum Valley Conservation Area. He served as the first Secretary of the DVMC and Senior Manager of Yayasan Sabah’s Conservation Division.
Few sites in the tropics offer such accessible, well-managed tropical forest areas as Danum Valley.
The Danum Valley Field Centre features laboratories, a library, a conference room, a dining hall, and a variety of accommodation options, ranging from permanent camping sites to self-contained chalets.
On 16 September 2012, Prince William and Catherine Middleton visited Danum Valley, spending three hours touring the DVCA.
During the visit, they even sat on tree branches to observe ants and other canopy-dwelling creatures.
