About

Who Are We?

The Universiti Brunei Darussalam Botanical Research Centre (UBD BRC) was first established in 2013 within an area of intact heath forest on the UBD campus. The UBD BRC was officially inaugurated by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, as the Chancellor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam on 3rd February 2018, in conjunction with the 1st International Symposium on ‘Ethnobotany in the Qur’an and Hadith – An Exploration’ organized by UBD. Since its establishment, the UBD BRC has functioned as a research centre under the Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (IBER).

Covering a 6-hectare area, the UBD BRC is uniquely situated in a rare tropical lowland heath forest locally known as “Kerangas forest.” The word “Kerangas” is an Iban word that refers to land where hill rice cannot grow, indicating the nutrient-poor nature of the heath forest soil. Kerangas forests are rare and account for less than 1% of all Brunei forests. The drier habitats of Kerangas forests increase their vulnerability to forest fires, and degraded Kerangas forests can become colonized by pioneer species as well as invasive species, such as Acacia trees.

Kerangas forests contain high conservation value native species such as Agathis borneensis (Tulong) and Gymnostoma nobile, which are considered indicator species of undisturbed Kerangas forests. The UBD BRC’s living collections currently house over 500 species of tropical plants, many of which are native to Brunei Darussalam and Borneo. As a research centre focusing on the conservation of native flora, the UBD BRC works closely with local stakeholders and partners in contributing towards Brunei Darusalam’s achievements of Wawasan Brunei 2035 and the Sustainable Development Goals 23 (Climate Action) and 25 (Life on Land).