Background
History was made on 26 th June 2008 by the Sarawak State Assembly approving the establishment of the Tropical Peat Research Laboratory (TPRL). This signifies the Sarawak Governments’ commitment to undertake focused research on tropical peat and peatland in Sarawak, also a commitment to develop and manage tropical peatland for agriculture in an environmentally responsible manner. This will also give Sarawak the locus standi in the international tropical peat and peatland research.
TPRL by diligent groundbreaking research from zero has been able to successfully advanced Sarawak as a credible player in the field of international tropical peat and peatland via its publication.
Another significant milestone took place in 2010 when TPRL as part of its novel research program had established eddy covariance flux towers at three different ecosystems in Sarawak. These towers are the first in the world that were set up simultaneously and managed by the staff in collaboration with Hokkaido University and National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan to provide accurate estimates of net carbon balance of tropical peatlands.
Acknowledging the importance of the role and achievements of TPRL, the Sarawak Government further boosted TPRL’s research capability in 2015 by moving it into a new-purpose built research complex at Kota Samarahan. Following on this, on 7 November 2016 TPRL was upgraded and renamed as the “Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute” (TROPI). Its new bigger facilities further reinforced the Sarawak Government and our institution’s continued commitment to develop scientific research, technical knowledge and understanding for the responsible management and conservation of tropical peat and peatland, to the benefit of the people especially people of Sarawak.