An Integrated Ecosystem-based Approach to Coastal

Ecotourism:

Lessons from South-east Asia

By Dr Lincoln Garland MIEEM CEnv

Biodiversity by Design

Talk Structure

• SE Asia’s coastal ecosystems under pressure

• Malaysia’s new Rainforest to Reef Region

• Integrated ecosystem-based coastal ecotourism

SE Asia

SE Asia’s coastal habitats - disproportionately impacted by development

Coastal rainforest & mangrove clearance

Forest cleared for timber

Expand agriculture

Dr Lincoln Garland Biodiversity by Design

Aquaculture

Dr Lincoln Garland Biodiversity by Design

Booming coastal cities

Haphazard coastal tourism development

Asia’s homegrown tourists

Rapidly expanding middle class:

• Taiwan

• South Korea

•Malaysia

• Singapore

Asia’s Tiger economies

and now also from

China

Landuse change & development resulting in:

• Exposed soils

• Increased soil erosion

• Agrochemical & industrial pollution

Degraded marine environment

Mangroves & sedimentation

Seagrass meadows & sedimentation

Coral reefs & sedimentation

South-east Asian countries struggle to address environmental issues:

• Dramatic political, economic & social changes in one generation

• Environmental regulation – poorly funded & ineffective

Governments reluctant to place restrictions on sectors producing significant revenues

Malaysia 39%

Indonesia 48%

Global palm oil production

Corruption

Powerful landowning & business leaders easily circumvent environmental regulations

SE Asia

• Storm protection

• Flood water attenuation

• Carbon sequestration

• Forest products

• Fish nurseries etc.

Ecosystem services approach championed:

Ecosystem services - the ‘paradox of public goods’

Economic value not recognised:

• By markets

• Business interests controlling land producing services

Solving ‘public good - private good dilemma’

Sustainable development must result in direct financial gains for:

• Government

• Plantation owners & other businesses

• Communities

Ecotourism in the coastal zoneEcotourism ecosystem services:

• Sustainable development

• Direct & meaningful financial returns

Biodiversity by Design in SE Asia (in partnership with Grant Associates)

Sentosa Island (Singapore)

Cross-border Ramsar / wetland twinning project (Singapore & Malaysia)

Eco-town / ecotourism development near Kota Kinabalu (Sabah, Borneo)

Endau Rompin National Park

(Malaysia)

Initial brief, focus on:• Local scale ecological impact

avoidance

• Eco-lodge & hotel design

• Few token rainforest boardwalks

• Minor habitat restoration/creation in immediate surrounds

jobs a good'un, head home?

• Coastal rainforest

• Mangrove

• Seagrass meadow

• Coral reef

Project sites include / adjacent to sensitive coastal habitats:

Ecotourism compromised by wider coastal development

Landscape-scale coastal ecotourism strategies

Transition from:

• Coastal rainforest

to

• Marine

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Endau Rompin National Park - Peninsular Malaysia

• Malaysia’s East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC)

• Masterplan - transform Park into internationally recognised ecotourism destination

Peninsular Malaysia

Endau Rompin – core area in Malaysia’s new ‘Rainforest to Reef Region’

Endau Rompin

Mersing Islands

South China Sea

Endau Rompin National Park

• Second largest park in Peninsular Malaysia

• 807km sq

• Johor- Pahang border

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Dipterocarp rainforest

Spectacular landforms

Charismatic fauna

Endau Rompin – Rompin Mangrove IBA

Coastal seagrass meadows

Mersing Marine Park & Tioman Marine Park

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Too small to support viable macro-fauna populations

Park & hinterland – under pressure

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Logging & land conversion to oil palm & rubber

plantation

Humans &elephants at loggerheads

Human - Elephant Conflict

Rare Sumatran Rhino - poached to extinction

Will the Tiger be next?

Jakun Orang Asli tribe -

Sadly beleaguered community;

losing cultural identity

Low visitor numbers, negligible revenues

National Park Visitor numbers

Endau Rompin 10,000 / year

Daintree 500,000 / year

Mangrove - squeezed by coastal development

Marine Protected AreasoSedimentation

oPollution

oDestructive fishing practices.

Federal environmental protection - ‘Paper Tiger’

Federal–State conflict:

• Federal control of Marine Parks

• States control local forestry, agriculture, river land use policy – the key sources of marine pollution!

Benchmark analysis – Costa Rica

• Ecotourism is a significant sector of economy

• Most income from

o‘3S’ tourism - sun, sea and sand

oNOT from hardcore ecotourists

Costa Rica’s rainforest National Parks –adjacent to attractive coastal areas

• Rainforest-beach juxtaposition - protects coast from built development

• Parks benefits from tourists attracted firstly to un-spoilt shoreline

• Rainforest to coast package of attractions

Endau Rompin – exploiting wider regional tourism market

• South China Sea shoreline

• Mersing islands

• Provide wider diversity of nature-inspired tourism experiences

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Rainforest to Reef - distinctive eco-inspired brand & regional identity Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Snorkelling off the Mersing Islands

Kayaking along Park’s tropical jungle rivers

Relaxing on the soft sandy beaches

Rainforest to Reef – management overhaul

Transboundary (Johor-Pahang) Executive:

• Harmonise policies & legislation

• ‘2 states, 1 solution’

Pahang

Johor

administration cont.

• Multi-stakeholder representation

• Living landscape NOT a fenced-off nature reserve

• Planning remit - MUST promote sustainable economic, social & environmental development

Rainforest to Reef – funding for management, habitat restoration, Park expansion

• Federal / State investment

•Conservation Levy – tax on hotels / businesses benefitting from Park & Rainforest to Reef Region

• Plantation owners / local communities -diversify into ecotourism

• Malaysian Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund

• UN REDD funding

(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation &

forest Degradation)

Rainforest to Reef - mechanism for marine protection

Transboundary Executive

Joined-up approach to management of:

• Marine &

• Terrestrial resources

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Catchment-scale management

Riparian / River Forest Reserves

• Buffer between river &plantations MUST be much wider – 0.5-2km wide

• Adjoining land -agriculturally marginal due to regular flooding

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Flooding of oil palm plantations - linked to deforestation

Riparian Forest Reserves -water-based ecotourism attractions

• Fantastic riverine arrival experience

• Cultural heritage – riverside Orang Asli villages

Rainforest to Reef – funding more rangers

• Currently only 10-15 rangers

• 80-100 rangers required

• Incorporate remnant forest into Park

• Vital to sustain viable macro-fauna populations

National Park expansion

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Rainforest to Reef – Emerald Coast

Blue Flag award system:

• Beach & water quality

• Wildlife-based criteria

Emerald Coast

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates

Conclusions

• Overcoming ‘public good – private good dilemma’

• Ecotourism – financially lucrative alternative

• Adapting to landscape-scale challenges – Malaysia’s new Rainforest to Reef Region

Rainforest to Reef

• Unique eco-advantage over regional competitors;

or

• Second-rate nature tourism

Saving Tiger from extinction – Rainforest to Reef’s test of success

Graphic courtesy of Grant Associates