Gathering of PA managers and conservation frontliners at Taman

Gathering of PA managers
and conservation frontliners
at Taman Negara
At the conference, participants were
able to interact with speakers and
presenters with extensive experience in PA management, collaborative research, training and capacity
building, and mainstreaming biodiversity conservation.
The occasion provided a platform for
participants from government and
NGO sectors to gain a broader perspective of efforts being made to
safeguard PAs and biodiversity at
both federal and state level. In his
opening speech, the honourable
Minister of Natural Resources and
Environment, Y.B. Datuk Seri G.
Palanivel, applauded protected areas
managers for their dedication and
commitment to protecting Malaysia’s
treasured icons of natural beauty. He
expressed his appreciation for the
support being provided by the PA
Financing Project in assisting the
government in exploring greater long
term financial sustainability for protected areas.
Case studies were presented by
organizations and agencies leading
projects to address encroachment
and habitat fragmentation in biodiversity significant landscapes. Participants’ also heard from peers that
are working closely with local stakeholders such as the NGO HUTAN
which is active in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain in Sabah. Other
landscape approaches to conservation that were shared included the
Kinabalu EcoLinc initiative being
pursued by Sabah Parks in the
Kinabalu foothills, and new strategies to encourage major landholders to commit HCV areas to conservation under the Heart of Borneo
Initiative.
Participants look forward to further
opportunities to interact with peers
(ABOVE) The Honourable Minister, Y.B. Datuk Seri G.
Palanivel, officiated the the opening of the Conference
with Michelle Gyles-Donnough, the UN Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam and Dato’ Abd Rasid Samsudin, Dir. General of
DWNP.
Based on the evaluation forms received, the majority
of the participants said that attending the conference
had benefited them and enabled them to bring new
knowledge and practices to their work. More than 95
per cent said that the PAMC had helped nurture a
stronger sense of team spirit and solidarity among
the wider community of practitioners. Several commented that they felt privileged indeed to have had
the opportunity to meet distinguished figures in the
conservation world who have, through their professional careers, played a key role in the establishment
of protected areas in Malaysia and advancing biodiversity conservation in other parts of the world. Participants gained a better sense of the importance of their
own contributions in conserving irreplaceable conservation values.
Many participants said that they appreciated the
opportunity to learn from contemporary case studies
dealing with problem solving and conflict management in complex multi-stakeholder environments.
They recommended that similar meetings be held at
least every two years. They valued the opportunity for
discussion and exchange with their peers, especially
on various aspects of day to day management which
concern PA managers. Participants expressed their
support for further short-term training and activities
that would enable them to enhance their skills while
gaining greater familiarity with other protected areas
in Malaysia.
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(ABOVE) Some of the presenters:
Midori Paxton, Regional Technical
Adviser - Ecosystems and Biodiversity UNDP; Prof. Amran Hamzah of
UTM and Dr. P.K. Mathur of the
Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
(BELOW LEFT) Harjinder Kler of
HUTAN Orang Utan Conservation
Project.
(BELOW) After the
formal sessions,
participants enjoyed
a longboat ride up
the Tahan River to
Lata Berkoh and the
Kelah Sanctuary at
Lubok Tenor.
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(LEFT) A Camera
trap placed in a
strategic location
Camera traps have become an essential tool for
monitoring wildlife movement both within protected
areas and along important forest corridors. In some
cases, they have even been able to capture images
of poachers moving through the forest, thereby
contributing to their eventual capture and prosecution.
(BELOW) Images of
wildlife from Royal
Belum State Park
captured by the
Perak State Park
Corporation.
This year, the PA Financing Project contributed 20
camera traps for immediate use in Royal Belum
State Park and Endau Rompin National Park. Four
of these have been placed at the Institute of BioDiversity Malaysia where they are used in training.
Aside from the camera traps, a Total Station, an
electronic theodolite which is a precision instrument
used for boundary surveying was also purchased.
Training sessions have been conducted by INSTUN
(Institut Tanah dan Ukur Negara) at IBD to help
familiarize PA staff with the use of this equipment
which is useful for determining the location of
boundaries of protected areas.
(ABOVE LEFT)
Learning more
about the wildlife
monitoring research which is
being carried out in
the wildlife corridor
close to Royal
Belum State Park.
(LEFT) A viaduct
being constructed
to enable safe
crossing for wildlife
across major roads.
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TRANSFORMATION OF THE INSTITUTE OF BIODIVERSITY (IBD) GETS UNDERWAY
Between 16-19 July 2014, a Lab was organized at the
Belum Rainforest Resort in Pulau Banding to bring the
custodians of Institut Biodiversiti Malaysia (IBD), DWNP
and NRE together with UNDP and the PA Financing
Project Team to develop a plan to guide the transformation of IBD into a Centre of Excellence for wildlife
conservation. The lab followed a series of joint meetings
to discuss training and capacity building for IBD. The
meeting was attended by participants from DWNP, NRE,
the PA Financing Project and UNDP.
The goal of IBD would be to develop human resource
capacity among personnel involved in PA management and sustainable resource use. The Institute
would need to move beyond its function as a training
arm of DWNP and transition into a specialized training
and knowledge centre to meet the biodiversity conservation needs for multiple agencies.
A transformation plan following three distinct phases is
envisaged: Phase One, which would commence immediately and carry on till 2015 would be one of planSenior staff of DWNP and IBD first reviewed the current
ning, preparation and enhancing the quality of existing
staffing and curriculum and discussed steps to upgrade
training with some assistance from international spethe capacity of the Institute to better serve the needs of
cialists. A new certification course in PA Management
the nation. One of the key decisions
would also be developed. Phase Two and
was to more clearly define the scope
Phase Three would respectively be enaof IBD to focus on PA Management IBD is expected to
bled by the 11th (2016 - 2020) and 12th
and Wildlife as there are other well- transition into a
(2021 – 2025) Malaysia Plans. These two
established agencies such as FRIM
phases would see through the restructuring
that already focus on floral biodiversity. full-fledged institute
of IBD into a full-fledged National or Regional
Defining distinct roles and specializa- for specialized
Training Institute.
tions will help the different agencies training in PA and
complement each others’ roles.
The meeting endorsed several actions for
wildlife manage-
immediate follow up. Firstly, members of the
At the meeting, several current DWNP ment serving multiCore Team are to be confirmed. Next, the
and NRE transformation and develop- ple agencies and
content for the proposed Certification Course
ment plans were reviewed — these
is to be elaborated by DWNP with expert
were the Public Service Transforinput. Further, the details of collaborations
mation Programme (NRE), the DWNP Transformation
with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Plan, and the DWNP Strategic Plan 2010-2015. It was
(SCBI) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) need to
decided that these plans continue to be relevant and
be articulated and formalized.
the IBD Transformation Plan will move forward in conjunction with their recommendations. A Technical WorkThe newly established Technical Working Group is
ing Group (TWG) would be established to steer and
now preparing the implementation plan for the transdrive the transformation agenda and a Core Team of
formation of IBD and will identify suitable experts from
resource people would also be identified and equipped
both within and outside DWNP to serve as resource
with the exposure and skills to enhance human capital
people for training.
within the IBD.
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LEARNING FROM PARKS IN SARAWAK
A visit to Sarawak was organised in August 2014
involving participants from DWNP, UNDP and the
Project Team. The objective of the visit was to
meet with with Sarawak agencies to provide them
with an update on the progress of the Project and
to advance discussions towards developing a
National PA Framework.
Several site visits were also organised to gain a
better understanding of Sarawak’s PA system and
the current challenges faced as well as the state’s
aspirations for enhancing PA management. The
visit also provided the opportunity to observe
examples of innovation, trends, and examples of
Best Practice relevant to the project.
The meeting was chaired by Tuan Hj. Sapuan,
Director of Forest Department Sarawak and was
attended by 22 officers from different divisions of
Forest Department Sarawak, and Sarawak Forestry Corporation. WWF Sarawak and the Sarawak
Biodiversity Centre were also represented. Presently, the extent of Sarawak’s current PA network
now stands at about 800,000 ha. The state is
actively looking for ways to extend this area to 1
million hectares.
Both the Forest Department and Sarawak Forest
Corporation were very receptive to participating in training and exchanges opportunities offered by the PA
Financing Project. Tuan Hj. Sapuan expressed his
support for elaborating a National PA Framework. He
acknowledged that it was important and necessary to
establish a national standard for Malaysia that is consistent with IUCN categories and international benchmarks. Any assistance with developing initiatives to
diversify and broaden funding sources for PAs in Sarawak would be appreciated.
In Sarawak, many new PAs have large sections of
new PAs are in need of rehabilitation and the state
appreciated expertise in rehabilitating areas that
are seriously degraded or planted with commercial
crops. As with other parts of Malaysia, effective
management of PAs is constrained by a lack of
resources, shortage of adequate trained staff.
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Dr. Sivananthan Elagupillay, the National Project Director, said that many of the specific needs identified during the meeting were noted and would be taken into
consideration in planning activities for the project over
the next few years.
Gunung Mulu NP
Gunung Mulu NP was successfully
designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia in 2000. The visit
to Mulu NP provided insights into the
process of achieving UNESCO World
Heritage status and the requirements
to fulfill the management expectations
for thereafter. Thus far, only Mulu NP
and Kinabalu Park are the only Malaysian PAs to have received this recognition.
Gunung Mulu NP’s Integrated Development and Management Plan (IDMP)
provides guidelines for the development and management of the park
area. The Park is divided into two
distinct zones – the ‘wilderness
zone' (which applies to more than 90
per cent of the Park), and the remaining 10 per cent is called the ‘tourism
zone' (where the park headquarters
and visitor facilities are located).
(ABOVE) Md. Samsudin Md. Suri, the Superintendent of
Taman Negara NP, viewing the World Heritage inscription at
the visitor centre at Gunung Mulu NP.
The Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation
(PABC) Unit of Sarawak Forest Corporation is
responsible for the management of the Wilderness
Zone. For the Tourism Zone, Borsamulu has been
appointed as the Managing Agent and is responsible
for implementing the Integrated Development and
Management Plan (IDMP).
Over the past 12 years, the managers of Mulu NP
have invested in ensuring the participation of local
people in managing the park – currently the park’s
staff comprise Berawan (40 per cent) and Penan (40
per cent) from nearby settlements and villages. This
emphasis on the meaningful engagement of the local
communities in Gunung Mulu is a key prerequisite for
UNESCO World Heritage Status and is one of the
specific aspects examined in regular audits to retain
this status.
(ABOVE) A park ranger who comes from
the nearby Penan village providing some
insights into rainforest ecology and species
diversity.
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Bako NP
Bako is Sarawak’s oldest national
park (established in 1957). It
covers an area of 2,727 ha at the
tip of the Muara Tebas Peninsula.
Although it is one of the smallest
national parks in Sarawak, it
contains almost every type of
vegetation found in Borneo. It is
situated just 37 km from Kuching.
(ABOVE) The iconic sea
stacks of Bako NP.
(RIGHT) The Project
Team and DWNP
officers with the Park
Warden of Bako NP and
staff of Sarawak Forest
Corporation.
The mission was hosted by the managers of Bako NP and Sarawak Forest
Corporation representatives that accompanied the group. According to the
Park Warden a significant achievement
at Bako NP over the past year has
been successfully rationalizing the boat
service to the park. All boat transport
service providers are now registered
under a single Association. This has
made it possible to set standard rates
for transport services, register all the
boat men, and improve the level of
safety and comfort to visitors.
Bako NP managers have been successful in engaging with the local community at Kampung Bako. Although
this is a fishing community, many
villagers are involved in income earning opportunities generated by the Park
such as housekeeping, catering,
transport, guiding, sale of produce, and
general work.
The PA Financing Project is a project implemented
by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks,
supported by the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) with Global Environment
Facility (GEF) grant financing. The project aims to
establish a performance-based financing structure
to support an effective protected area management
system in Malaysia.
Because Bako receives a large number
of visitors each year, park staff need to
balance numerous tasks that span the
spectrum of conservation and enforcement, maintenance and handling visitors. Park personnel said that they
would
welcome
opportunities
to
enhance their skills and learn from other
PAs in Malaysia which face similar
challenges, especially those that
receive large numbers of foreign visitors. They said that they would gain
much from training and capacity building in the areas of park management
and exposure to international best
practices.
The PA Financing Project will explore
the potential of organizing exchanges
between Taman Negara NP for and
national parks in Sarawak.
PA Financing Project
Department of Wildlife and National Parks,
Pen. Malaysia, Km10, Jalan Cheras, 56100
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-90866937, +603-90866941
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Email: info@protectedareasmalaysia.my