Sarawak Premier: Mukah's 200km coastal mangroves and peatlands could earn carbon trading revenue

Sarawak Premier Abang Johari says Mukah's 200km coastal belt of mangroves and peatlands could earn revenue through carbon trading while acting as natural carbon sinks. He told community leaders that peatlands and mangroves can absorb more carbon than trees and that Sarawak can get paid for storing carbon. The state introduced its own carbon legislation last year, which it says is the first of its kind in Malaysia. The comments point to a shift in how Sarawak treats natural areas: protecting and managing mangroves and peatlands as economic assets, not just environmental ones. Mukah's coastline from Kuala Rajang is the focus because of its large peatland and mangrove cover. Carbon trading is still developing, so the practical question is how credits get measured, verified, and turned into payments that reach local communities.