The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to build a better life. UNDP has a presence and an unrivalled track-record in supporting national development efforts in more than 160 countries including Malaysia.

The UNDP Malaysian Country Office is a valued, trusted and reliable adviser to, and development partner with, the Malaysian Government and other stakeholders in national development. As Malaysia builds its own development solutions, UNDP provides ideas for strategic development projects and capacity building in support of continued efforts to eradicate pockets of extreme poverty, improve gender equality, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, promote and protect human rights and enhance environmental management. UNDP also supports Malaysia's aspirations to achieve development gains in poorer countries through several South-South initiatives.

Over the years, UNDP Malaysia has published various books on good environmental management and are very useful for both communities and key business players. See below for some of their latest publications.

Malaysia: Sustainable Community Forest Management in Sabah
Worldwide, marginalized forest communities, mostly lacking the most elementary trappings of modern development, are among the most disadvantaged and underprivileged groups of people. Frequently comprising indigenous people who are outside the mainstream of national economic and social life, they often live at a subsistence level that would be unacceptable to other rural and urban dwellers alike. For many such groups, the forests are crucial in enabling them to meet some or all of their basic needs through hunting-gathering or shifting cultivation.

Malaysia’s Generating Renewable Energy from Palm Oil Wastes
The widespread implementation of renewable energy projects started when Malaysia announced it in the early 2000. Malaysia’s effort in overcoming the barriers in the implementation of renewable energy projects is unique and deserves to be highlighted. UNDP’s publication titled “Malaysia’s Generating Renewable Energy from Palm Oil Wastes” is the manifestation of such effort and was prepared based on the UNDP/GEF Biomass Power Generation and Cogeneration in Palm Oil Mill project. Among achievements to date include the introduction of the new RE tariff uplift, biomass one stop center and completion of various policy recommendations for adoption by the government. Malaysia’s success in managing capacity building and sustainable energy projects ought to be shared internationally as well as with other developing countries. The publication also touches on the international perspective, total national energy scenario, current available sustainable energy policies, lessons learnt and its achievement to date. The publication is a joint effort by UNDP Malaysia, Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications and the project team at Pusat Tenaga Malaysia. Throughout the implementation of the project, more than 50 palm oils mills have been reached and informed about efficient electricity generation from palm oil mills and two pilot projects in biomass and biogas projects are in the stage of final phase of development.

Protecting the Ozone Layer - Malaysia Implementing the Montreal Protocol
In response to the threat to the ozone, in 1987 the governments of the world agreed to the United Nations Montreal Protocol as a means to address global environmental challenges. Malaysia’s involvement with the Montreal Protocol began as early as 1987 when the country was invited to attend the Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Protocol on Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) at the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, which was held in Montreal. Malaysia, recognizing the importance of the Conference, particularly with regard to its socio-economic implications, responded with an outline of its future environmental strategies and action plans, and subsequently ratified the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol on 29 August 1989.

Achieving Industrial Energy Efficiency in Malaysia
Industrialization and modernization are spreading everywhere, albeit at differing paces and with differing consequences. And as they spread, alongside increased GDP and reduced poverty, there is increasing fossil fuel use, natural resource depletion, and loss of biodiversity.
The energy-intensive lifestyle of those living in developed countries is now being adopted among rapidly developing Asian countries. And this means, inter alia, increasing emissions from automobiles, factories, and power plants. Global worming and climate change are consequences.

Peat swamp forests
Peat swamp forests are an important component of the world's wetlands - the dynamic link between land and water, a transition zone where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients and the energy of the sun combine to produce a unique ecosystem of hydrology, soils and vegetation. Peat swamp forest provide a variety of benefits in the form of forestry and fisheries products, energy, food mitigation, water supply and groundwater recharge.