Biodiversity Facts

Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services The content of this biodiversity profile is still draft. The text below has been prepared by SCBD and remains subject to final approval by the Party concerned.

Brunei Darussalam is a small country on the northwest coast of Borneo, an island in southeast Asia hosting three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. In the northeast, the 130-kilometres-long coastline bordering the South China Sea consists of high-profile sandy beaches with a complex estuarine mangrove and mudflat zone. In the western part of the country, the alluvial and often swampy coastal plain is backed by low hills, with further swamps inland. Most of the interior is below 90 metres, rising to almost 400 metres in the extreme west. The eastern part comprises a swampy coastal plain rising gradually through low hills to mountainous terrain inland. The main mountain range along the border with Sarawak rises to 1,850 metres (Bukit Pagon).

Brunei Darussalam has an estimated 15,000 species of vascular plants, with an estimated 2,000 species of trees. The mammals and bird populations of Brunei Darussalam are similar to that of the Malaysian Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo as a whole. Endemic species include the proboscis monkey and the ground squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis. Two crocodile species occur in the country, namely, the estuarine crocodile and the false gharial. Freshwater species in Brunei are diverse, inhabiting a great variety of habitats, ranging from small torrential streams to estuarine highly acidic ecosystems and also alkaline waters. On the other hand, invasive alien species have affected all sectors, causing serious damage to habitats by reducing yields and quality, and increasing production costs.