Ecosystem Services Assessment of the Teluk Ayer Tawar IBA, Penang
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312043271 A PILOT RAPID ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TELUK AIR TAWAR-KUALA... Technical Report · October 2016 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.24060.33927 CITATIONS READS 0 125 2 authors, including: Chin Aik Yeap Malaysian Nature Society 23 PUBLICATIONS 10 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Investigation of Isoprene emission from the terrestrial and marine vegetation of western coast of Antarctic Peninsula View project CONSERVING HORNBILLS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE PROJECT IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA View project All content following this page was uploaded by Chin Aik Yeap on 04 January 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. THE CONSERVATION AND WISE USE OF THE TELUK AIR TAWAR-KUALA MUDA COAST IMPORTANT BIRD & BIODIVERSITY AREA (IBA), PULAU PINANG A PILOT RAPID ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TELUK AIR TAWAR-KUALA MUDA COAST IBA IN PULAU PINANG Foong Swee Yeok, Yeap Chin Aik & Charlie Butt October 2016 Page | 1 THE CONSERVATION AND WISE USE OF THE TELUK AIR TAWAR-KUALA MUDA COAST IMPORTANT BIRD & BIODIVERSITY AREA (IBA), PULAU PINANG A PILOT RAPID ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TELUK AIR TAWAR-KUALA MUDA COAST IBA IN PULAU PINANG Foong Swee Yeok, Yeap Chin Aik & Charlie Butt Page | 2 Suggested citation: Foong, S.Y., Yeap, C.A. and Butt, C. 2016. A Pilot Rapid Assessment of Selected Ecosystem Services Provided by the Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda Coast IBA in Pulau Pinang. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Nature Society. (MNS Conservation Publication No. 16) Cover photo: Fisherman boats in Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda coast IBA (Tan Choo Eng/MNS). Copyright © Malaysian Nature Society 2016 Printed by the Malaysian Nature Society ISBN 978-983-9681-51-2 The copyright of the photographs used in this report belongs to the respective photographers: Dave Bakewell, Tan Choo Eng, Foong Swee Yeok, Choy Wai Mun (MNS Penang Branch) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) thanks CEMEX International and BirdLife International for providing the financial support to conduct this pilot assessment under the BirdLife International/CEMEX/MNS tripartite agreement. MNS is also thankful for all the assistance provided by Fisheries Research Institute of Malaysia (Batu Maung and Gelugor) for providing fisheries statistics for the IBA areas. Charlie Butt and Jenny Merriman (BirdLife International) provided guidance and helpful feedback during the TESSA study period. PROJECT TEAM Tan Choo Eng (MNS Penang Branch) Dave Bakewell (MNS Penang Branch) Dr Simon Attwood (MNS Penang Branch) Dr Foong Swee Yeok (MNS Penang Branch) Kanda Kumar (MNS Penang Branch) M.A. Muin (MNS Penang Branch) Yeap Chin Aik (MNS Conservation Division) Balu Perumal (MNS Conservation Division) Charlie Butt (BirdLife International - Cambridge) Page | 3 CONTENTS ACRONYMS……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 1.0 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 1.1 The BirdLife International/CEMEX/MNS Biodiversity Action Plan Project...............…..... 9 1.2 Mangrove Ecosystem…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 1.3 Ecosystem Services provided by Mangroves………………………………………………………………. 10 1.4 The Need to Value Ecosystem Services of Mangroves………………………………………………… 12 1.5 Ecosystem Services Assessment…………………………………………………………………………………. 13 1.6 Objectives of the Study………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16 1.7 Limitations of the Study……………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 2.0 OVERVIEW OF STUDY SITE………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 2.1 Location and Site Characteristics..................................……………………………………………….. 17 2.2 Site Administration……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 2.3 Biodiversity…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19 2.4 Socio-economic Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………… 21 2.5 Key Threats…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21 3.0 METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26 3.1 The method and assessment process…………………………………………………………………………. 26 3.2 Current state………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26 3.3 Alternative state…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26 4.0 RESULTS OF THE ASSESSMENT………………………………………………………………………………..…………. 28 4.1 Global climate regulation……………………………………………………………………………………………. 28 4.2 Provision of wild goods (Fisheries)……………………………………………………………………………… 30 4.3 Coastal protection………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 31 4.4 Water quality improvement services………………………………………………………………………….. 32 4.5 Nature-based recreation…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33 5.0 DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 34 6.0 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36 REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 37 ANNEXES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41 SELECTED PHOTOS FROM THE IBA……………………………………………………………………………………………. 46 Page | 4 ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS AGB Above-ground biomass BGB Below-ground biomass BP Blok Perancangan (Planning Block) C carbon CO2 carbon dioxide DBH Diameter at breast height (in cm) DOF Department of Fisheries EIA Environment Impact Assessment g C cm-3 Gram Carbon per cubic cm GRT Gross Registered Tonnage IBA Important Bird and Biodiversity Area IMF International Monetary Fund L litre Mg Metric ton (1,000 kilograms) Mg C-1 For every Metric ton Carbon MOTAC Ministry of Tourism and Culture MNS Malaysian Nature Society SPS Seberang Perai Selatan SPU Seberang Perai Utara TAT-KM Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda coast TESSA Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment WTP Willingness-To-Pay value Page | 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For decades, mangrove and mudflat coastal ecosystems have been regarded as mosquito-infested wasteland ripe for development to other land uses. This misconception has resulted in the loss and degradation of these valuable coastal ecosystems in many parts of the world. In Penang State, where development pressure is high particularly in the coastal zones, mangrove and mudflats now cover less than 1.5% of the total land area. The Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda coast (TAT-KM), a narrow strip of mangroves and mudflats lining the northern part of Seberang Perai Utara District on mainland Penang (Figure A), was first identified as one of the 55 Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas (IBA) in Malaysia by BirdLife International in 2007. This IBA is recognised internationally as it supports several globally threatened waterbird species such as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann’s Greenshank, Chinese Egret and Lesser Adjutant and significant flyway population of the Chinese Pond-Heron. More recently, its importance as a regional stopover and/or roost site for migratory shorebirds were further reiterated through a series of surveys and monitoring efforts in this IBA between 2013 and 2015. However, the importance and value of this IBA is not only ecological but also provides ecosystem services that possess economic values. In this pilot effort by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), several key ecosystem services that this IBA provides were identified and assessed using the “Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment” (or in short TESSA). This pilot TESSA exercise highlighted the importance of TAT-KM IBA in terms of global climate mitigation with more than USD 21 million equivalent of carbon locked in the mangrove plant biomass and soil (see Tables A and B below). Other economic values generated from this site provide more than USD 6 million/year from ecosystem services such as fisheries, coastal protection, water quality improvement services and nature-based tourism. However, MNS strongly believes that these ecosystem services values of TAT-KM IBA are conservative, as many other services such as carbon sequestered in the mudflats and the water filtering of agricultural inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers by the mangroves were not possible to quantify in this exercise. Threats that could potentially impact the ecosystem integrity of the TAT-KM IBA are aquaculture development (both in the mangrove and the mudflats), coastal reclamation at the adjacent coast (Butterworth to Penaga) and development of incompatible tourism activities. By far the greatest threat to the TAT-KM IBA is the possible conversion of mangrove forests to aquaculture ponds. The practice of aquaculture farming requires the removal of all mangrove trees, whilst substrate excavation will diminish the ability of TAT-KM IBA to store carbon, transforming the ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source. Stakeholders of this IBA should be well informed about the detrimental environmental consequences such as global warming from aquaculture farms build on ex- mangrove land and not just the ‘economic benefits’ to be derived. In order to sustain the full ecosystem services of the TAT-KM IBA, MNS advocates that this site be gazette as a protected or conservation area. In Peninsular Malaysia, mangrove habitat is under- represented in our protected area system e.g. Pulau Kukup and Tanjung Piai National Parks (Johor). It is worth noting that the TAT-KM IBA is the last remaining intact mangrove forest in Penang State thus merits consideration and inclusion into our protected area system. Several models of managing nature parks are Sungei Buloh Wildlife Reserve (Singapore), Kuala Selangor Nature Park (Selangor),