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SEEKING
A MIDDLE PATH TO CONSERVATION, WISE USE |
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Efransjah, E.¹, Khali, A.H.¹, Rashid, A.S.¹, |
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¹ UNDP/GEF Funded Peat Swamp Forest Project, |
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| With rapid development and mounting population exerting pressure on natural resources, peat swamp forests (PSF) in the tropical regions are increasingly under threat. Initiated by the Malaysian Government and supported by the UNDP/GEF, a five-year project is being implemented to address the conservation and wise use of the remaining PSFs and associated wetland ecosystems in Malaysia. The main management issue is the often conflicting interests of the economy and the environment, and the increasing demand for conversion of peat lands to other uses. The project had identified the major threats and assessed the PSF biodiversity richness and its ecological integrity. Addressing the differing site-specific issues presents a challenge to management planning. Hence, the project initiated a participatory, multi-tiered process involving key stakeholders to develop an integrated management plan (IMP) in the respective states. Among others, it has embarked on IMP development by highlighting to the state authorities the site-specific problems based on scientific evidence, proposing mitigation measures, encouraging inter-sectoral coordination, facilitating policy-making processes, and undertaking training and awareness-raising programmes. This holistic approach is found to be effective and some IMP development achievements indicate that success is likely. The IMP is an important planning tool that brings together the various agencies, sectors and habitats, leading the stakeholders to adopt an 'ecosystem' approach to zoning. Highlighted in this paper are some lessons learnt, and impacts of the management planning process in Pahang for the conservation of the south-east Pahang peat swamp forest, which is one of the three project sites. | |
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