Forest conservation and sustainable management have been subjects of increasing attention in recent years. At the global level, the REDD+ mechanism tackling deforestation and forest degradation has attracted unprecedented interest in the context of multidisciplinary scholarship. At national and subnational levels, there are an increasing number of studies that address forest conservation issues and conflicts all over the world.
From Malaysia perspective in conservation and management challenges for sustainable forest is deforestation due to forest conversion. WWF- Malaysia works with oil palm plantations and the local community to carry out reforestation projects. Next challenges is illegal encroachment. It's about 26,000ha of land in the Lower Kinabatangan was gazetted as Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) is now under the protection and management of the sabah WIldlife Department (SWD). Then, funding for sustainable forest management. WWF-Malaysia is carrying out pilot project called Voluntary Conservation Levy to establish a fund which would finance the cost of protecting and reforesting the area. Last but not least, human-elephant conflict affecting the livelihood of local communities is also the challenges that Malaysia need to face on.
From international perspective in conservation and management challenges for sustainable forest is managing forest under change which is nowadays more human influence, smaller tracts, new owners with different objectives, different products which is commodity and non-commodity, new stresses on pollutants, invasive and the management is influence at all scales.