General information 

The Tawau-Kunak Living Landscape (383,109 ha) located in southeastern Sabah covers the districts of Tawau and Kunak. The north is defined by the boundary with Lahad Datu district, the east by the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea, the south by the Celebes Sea, Cowie Bay and the boundary between Sabah and North Kalimantan, Indonesia, and Kalabakan district to the west. 

Protect: Habitats―30% (115,632 ha) of the Tawau-Kunak landscape are totally protected areas (TPAs) in hilly undulating terrain. Tawau Hills Park (29,972 ha) and its highest peak, Mt. Magdalena (1,310 m) is located at the centre of Tawau-Kunak Landscape. The Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve (FR) (50,000 ha) abuts the northern boundary of the park, and is linked, tenuously, with Mt. Wullersdorf and Mt. Andrassy FRs. This single forest complex is an important part of the statewide HCV/HCS area and serves as an important water catchment, with seven major rivers that supply fresh water to the Tawau township, Kunak and Semporna Districts. 

The main forest formations are lowland, montane, heath and riverine forests, with almost all of the areas logged, and only a small area of unlogged lowland forest in Tawau Hills Park. The forests are now undergoing natural regeneration in most areas, with exceptions where past forest degradation was very intense: Sg Mantri, Sg Landau and north-east Ulu Kalumpang. Several of these areas have been a focus for restoration and silviculture treatments, with mixed results 

Protect: Species―The landscape contains rare, threatened and endangered wildlife such as the Bornean Elephant, Bornean Orangutan, Bornean Banteng, Bornean Sun Bear, Sunda Clouded Leopard, Helmeted Hornbill, various other primate species and a rich avifauna. These animals are isolated from larger populations of the same species living in the central forests of Sabah, with which they should inter-breed, and where they may need to migrate as an adaptation to climate change. To address this threat, WWF-Malaysia successfully supported the restoration and maintenance of an effective, multi-species wildlife corridor (1,100 ha) linking Ulu Kalumpang with Ulu Segama Forest Reserves through Sabah Softwoods Bhd plantation. The second tallest tropical tree in the world, at a record height of 96.9 m (Shorea faguetiana) is also found in the area. 

Produce—56% (213.206 ha) of the Tawau-Kunak landscape is dominated by oil palm monoculture and 6% (22,755 ha) by commercial tree plantations. The oil palm land holdings range from tens to several thousands of hectares, including smallholders, medium-sized growers, and Sabah Softwoods Bhd that has a total land bank of 60,000 ha, with nearly half planted with oil palm and the remainder with commercial trees. Sime Darby has substantial holdings in the south-west and north-east of the landscape. 

Restore—In the Tawau-Kunak Landscape, degraded forests and fragmented habitats highlight the need for focused restoration efforts. WWF-Malaysia restoration programme, which conducts extensive rehabilitation work in key areas, including Sabah Softwoods Berhad (1,086 ha) and Mt. Wullersdorf’s 300 ha habitat restoration initiatives, with the support of Sabah Forestry Department, is a critical effort to enhance connectivity and establish wildlife corridors between key biodiversity hotspots.