Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources, Malaysia
Effective Management & Sustainable Financing in Taman Negara National Park
Allan Rodrigo Balang Superintendent Taman Negara Pahang National Park Introduction
Objective of establishment
“To conserve, enrich and protect the authenticity of flora and fauna in Malaysia to ensure that these treasures remain to the next generation; and Maintain areas with aesthetic value, history and research interests” Overview of Taman Negara
Peninsular Malaysia
Terengganu Kelantan 853 km2 (19%) 1,043 km2 (24%)
Pahang 2,477 km2 (57%)
4,343km2 Taman Negara Organization Structure
Superintendent (Taman Negara Pahang) No of Staff: 118
Superintendent Officer In Charge (Taman Negara (Director General of Terengganu) DWNP) No. of Staff: 19
*Total no. of staff: 155 Superintendent (Taman Negara Kelantan) No. of Staff: 18 Management Structure of Taman Negara Pahang National Park
Superintendent
Deputy Superintendent
Wildlife Management Enforcement Recreation Conservation Section Section Section Section Implementing management effectiveness & sustainable financing
Biodiversity Budget/ Financing • Legislation Conservation • Ecotourism • Guides • Enforcement • Wildlife surveys • CBT • Operational • Hotels/ chalets • SMART Patrol • Research • CEPA • Development • Boat services • OGAs • Concession • Travel agents
Safeguard Engaging Stake Local communities/ Biodiversity holders private sectors
Effective management Sustainable financing Safeguarding Biodiversity
• Taman Negara Enactment (Pahang) 1939 • Taman Negara Enactment (Kelantan) 1938 • Taman Negara Enactment (Terengganu) 1939 • Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 [Act 716] Safeguarding Biodiversity
• SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) • a new and improved tool for measuring, evaluating and improving the effectiveness of wildlife law enforcement patrols and site-based conservation activities. • SMART is much more than data collection tool… Safeguarding Biodiversity
Why SMART?
SMART is open source, non-proprietary and free to obtain
SMART incorporates intelligence gathering as well as patrol data, and it uses innovative ways to better aid conservation managers in strategic planning of enforcement activities
Empower staff, boost motivation, increase efficiency and promote credible and transparent monitoring of the effectiveness of anti- poaching efforts. How can SMART work for Taman Negara?
Motivates Rangers
Empowers Standardize protected d approach area managers
SMART Scalable across a Promotes broad range accountability of and good conservation governance contexts Driven by local management needs Law Enforcement Monitoring (LEM) was implemented in Taman Negara since 2014 and as patrol coverage - maps were produced - ranger started to orient patrols to areas that had been rarely patrolled
Biodiversity Conservation
Species diversity • > 200 mammal sp • > 80 bat sp • > 400 bird sp • > 150 herpetofauna sp • > 50 fresh water fishes sp • > 240 butterfly sp • est 14,000 plant species Biodiversity Conservation
• Camera traps • Biodiversity inventories • Wildlife surveys/ inventories were conducted periodically. • Data were kept for wildlife conservation management and publication purposes. Biodiversity Conservation
• Wildlife release programmes/ reintroduction • Wildlife population study Biodiversity Conservation
Species diversity Infrastructure & Maintenance
Regular & periodically maintenance of: • Trails • Canopy walkway • Facilities • Boats Engaging Stakeholders
Ecotourism • Enhance Quality of visitor’s Experience - low impact activities, ecologically sound design and an efficient maintenance system ensures that the park provides a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors as well as equitable benefits to the States and local communities. Natural resources as ecotourism products Kelah Fish Sanctuary • Lubuk Tenor, Sg. Tahan • Kuala Juram, Merapoh Engaging Stakeholders
Orang Asli - Batek Engaging Stakeholders
Local Community Involvement - CBET • Local guide services • Boat services • Resorts / chalets operators • Restaurants Engaging Stakeholders
CEPA Programmes/ Initiatives Tourist Arrival in Taman Negara (for the year 2016-2018)
16,605 19,533
TNP TNK TNT 266,475
Taman Negara No. of Tourist (2016-2018) TNP 266,475 TNK 19,533 TNT 16,605 Total 302,613 Taman Negara National Park Management Plan 2018-2027 9 STRATEGIES
Strategy 1 • Strengthen PA Management Framework
Strategy 2 • Strengthen PA Legislation
Strategy 3 • Secure Park Boundary And Buffer Zones
Strategy 4 • Safeguard Biodiversity
Strategy 5 • Focus Research Efforts
Strategy 6 • Enhance Quality Of Visitor’s Experience
Strategy 7 • Engage Local Stakeholders
Strategy 8 • Develop Human Resource Capacity
Strategy 9 • Intensify CEPA Efforts Sustainable Financing
Operational Taman Negara adopted a budget more comprehensive planning approach: addresses cost management Development budget and income generation from alternative sources; involves the design and
Concession implementation of cost- savings measures and income-generating opportunities; in short, brings about significant increases in operating effectiveness and Revenues efficiency. Sustainable Financing
• Mutiara Taman Negara Resort provides accommodation inside Taman Negara as part of the sustainable financing initiative • MoU signed under the jurisdiction of the Enactment for leasing since 1994 • Contribution to Taman Negara Pahang Trust Fund Sustainable Financing
Boat services Hotels/ Travel Chalets/ agents resorts
Local Guides communities/ Orang Asli
Private sectors Current scenario
For the most part, communities living inside and along the periphery of the park have co-existed with the Taman Negara landscape for decades, if not for much longer. Today many of these communities continue to rely on the park for shelter and subsistence or through emerging market opportunities such as tourism. METT Assessment
METT Assessment undertaken by the DWNP in Taman Negara National Park
Year 2010 2012* 2014 2016 2018 Score 72.5% 56.9% 74.5% 74.5% 75.5%
*Note: Please note that the score for the year 2012 is low due to insufficient funding for operational work which affected the overall scoring Challenges
Socio- Human Biological Habitat economic resource & fragmentation fragmentation fragmentation financial
Species and Inadequate Vulnerability of ecosystem Natural human resource local economies extinct capacity
Lack of Homogenization Climate Human operational of local economy budget
Landscape Relationship with rupture & other economies vulnerability lost Conclusion
• The main challenge in Taman Negara is to conserve biodiversity while providing the basis for the social and economic development of local residents. • Major threats to Taman Negara are illegal consumptive use of natural resources, i.e., illegal logging, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, illegal fishing, and illegal extraction for other NTFPs, and conflicts related to land use and tenure. • Human resources (number of staff, expertise of staff, number of park rangers) was a major constraint of Taman Negara; followed by collaboration with other institutions, law enforcement and patrol, and budget availability. THANK YOU…