KOTA KINABALU: A plan to set up ecological linkages connecting the national parks in Sabah, as a way to further strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts in the State is expected to materialise soon, said Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
He revealed that a 15-month long study carried out since 2010 for the setting up of the linkage, to be known as Kinabalu Eco-Linc (Kinabalu Ecological Linkage), was nearing completion.
“The whole idea is to provide a link or connectivity between both protected areas so that they can boost each other’s potentials,” he said after officiating at the opening of a two-day final stakeholders workshop for the study here, yesterday.
The plan was to link Kinabalu Park in Kundasang and the Crocker Range Park in Tambunan, which are currently separated by a distance of up to 10 kilometres at the closest points, through enhanced ecological connectivity between the two parks.
The challenge is the plan would affect approximately 11,000 people living at over 20 settlements situated within the area.
“The Kinabalu Ecolinc plan is vital towards the realisation of the full potential in all aspects within these protected areas, including tourism. The plan should be accepted by all parties as an initiative for biodiversity conservation and a move towards empowering the village people to look after their own forests,” said Masidi.
He added the linkage would only involve areas densely covered with pristine forests along a ridge that lies within the village reserve areas (native customary reserves).
The government, he added, was working together with the villagers involved under this initiative.
“The government prefers that this initiative not involve any gazetting of a new forest reserve, because we rather look at this as a joint effort between the government and the village people themselves.
“We would rather take it as an effort on the part of the village people themselves to look after their own village surrounding environment, with the government assuming the role of a facilitator. We trust the village people because they have been living there for generations,” he said.
The 15-month long study is undertaken by ERE Consulting Group Sdn Bhd.
The other objective of the project, said Masidi, was to ensure that the quality of environment in the areas already inhabited by the natives would not be degraded.
These, he said, could be achieved by making sure that the villagers provided sufficient areas for the connectivity purpose and be directly involved in managing the natural resources of these areas.
“It will enhance the ecological continuity of habitats, communities and genetic processes between the national parks,” he said.
The project will adopt the Community Conserved Areas (CCAs), where protected areas of significant conservation value are developed through community-driven initiatives based on indigenous institutions and management regimes.
For the Kinabalu-Crocker Range area, the CCA approach has been proposed as a means to protect the connecting forested areas while ensuring that local communities retain the rights to their bio-cultural values and enhance their livelihoods.
Two CCAs have already been established within the linkage, namely the CCAs of the Bundu Tuhan Native Reserve and the Kiau Nuluh Community Forest, which are being actively managed by the local communities for the purposes of conservation and sustainable use of forest resources.
Based on the traditional boundaries of the surrounding villages, the Kinabalu Ecolinc will contain nine CCAs, namely Kiau Nuluh-Bersatu, Kiau Taburi, Bundu Tuhan, Terolobou-Ratau, Lokos, Toboh-Tinatasan, Kotonuon, Nuluhon-Kimulau-Wasai and Toboh Pahu.
Once fully implemented, the Kinabalu Ecolinc will be a unique landscape where multiple custodians (Sabah Parks, Sabah Forestry Department and nine local communities) manage and protect various parts of the linkage.
The Kinabalu Ecolinc initiative seeks to have a network of CCAs established and managed for connectivity, livelihoods of the local communities are improved to reduce direct reliance on forest and land resources, the capacity of the local communities and implementing agencies in managing the ecological linkage are enhanced, and the habitats within the ecological linkage are restored and wildlife protected.
Nine strategies have been formulated over the initial 10-year implementation period, which include establishment of community conserved areas (CCAs); establishment of the institutional framework for linkage management; development of sustainable livelihoods – agriculture; development of sustainable livelihoods – tourism; restoration of degraded habitats and enhancing structural connectivity; protection of wildlife populations; capacity development for local communities; capacity development for implementing agencies; and government-community engagement programmes.
Asked when the project would commence, Masidi said he hoped to get the report from the agencies concerned as soon as possible.
Kinabalu Park, established in 1964, is well known for its diverse range of flora and fauna and Mount Kinabalu – World Heritage Site – the highest peak in the Malay Archipelago, while the Crocker Range Park which was established in 1984 holds significant biological diversity and forms the watershed of a number of important rivers that are sources of water supply.