Effective Management & Sustainable Financing

in

Taman Negara National Park

Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia

Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources, Malaysia

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

4,343km2

Pahang2,477 km2 (57%)

Kelantan1,043 km2 (24%)

Terengganu853 km2 (19%)

Taman Negara Organization Structure

Officer In Charge (Director General of

DWNP)

Superintendent (Taman Negara

Pahang)

No of Staff: 118

Superintendent (Taman Negara

Terengganu)

No. of Staff: 19

Superintendent (Taman Negara

Kelantan)

No. of Staff: 18

*Total no. of staff: 155

Management Structure of Taman Negara Pahang

National Park

Superintendent

Deputy Superintendent

Management Section

Enforcement Section

Wildlife Conservation

Section

Recreation Section

Implementing management effectiveness &

sustainable financing

• Legislation

• Enforcement

• SMART Patrol

Safeguard Biodiversity

• Wildlife surveys

• Research

Biodiversity Conservation • Ecotourism

• CBT

• CEPA

• OGAs

Engaging Stake holders

• Operational

• Development

• Concession

Budget/ Financing• Guides

• Hotels/ chalets

• Boat services

• Travel agents

Local communities/ private sectors

Effective management Sustainable financing

• Taman Negara Enactment (Pahang) 1939• Taman Negara Enactment (Kelantan) 1938• Taman Negara Enactment (Terengganu)

1939• Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 [Act 716]

Safeguarding Biodiversity

• SMART (SpatialMonitoring andReporting 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 morethan data collectiontool…

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.

Safeguarding Biodiversity

How can SMART work for Taman Negara?

SMART

Motivates Rangers

Empowers protected

area managers

Promotes accountability

and good governance

Driven by local

management needs

Scalable across a

broad range of

conservation contexts

Standardized approach

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

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

Biodiversity Conservation

Infrastructure & Maintenance

Regular & periodically maintenance

of:

• Trails

• Canopy walkway

• Facilities

• Boats

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.

Engaging Stakeholders

Natural resources as ecotourism products

• Lubuk Tenor, Sg. Tahan

• Kuala Juram, Merapoh

Kelah Fish Sanctuary

Orang Asli - Batek

Engaging Stakeholders

• Local guide services

• Boat services

• Resorts / chalets

operators

• Restaurants

Local

Community

Involvement -

CBET

Engaging Stakeholders

Engaging Stakeholders

CEPA Programmes/ Initiatives

Tourist Arrival in Taman Negara (for the year 2016-2018)

266,475

19,53316,605

TNP

TNK

TNT

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

• Strengthen PA Management FrameworkStrategy 1

• Strengthen PA LegislationStrategy 2

• Secure Park Boundary And Buffer ZonesStrategy 3

• Safeguard BiodiversityStrategy 4

• Focus Research EffortsStrategy 5

• Enhance Quality Of Visitor’s ExperienceStrategy 6

• Engage Local StakeholdersStrategy 7

• Develop Human Resource CapacityStrategy 8

• Intensify CEPA EffortsStrategy 9

9 STRATEGIES

Sustainable Financing

Operational budget

Development budget

Concession

Revenues

Taman Negara adopted a

more comprehensive

planning approach:

addresses cost management

and income generation from

alternative sources; involves

the design and

implementation of cost-

savings measures and

income-generating

opportunities; in short, brings

about significant increases in

operating effectiveness and

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

Local communities/

Private sectorsGuides

Hotels/ Chalets/ resorts

Boat services

Travel agents

Orang Asli

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.

Cu

rren

t sc

en

ari

o

Sustainable Financing

METT Assessment

Year 2010 2012* 2014 2016 2018

Score 72.5% 56.9% 74.5% 74.5% 75.5%

METT Assessment undertaken by the DWNP in Taman Negara

National Park

*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

Biological fragmentation

Species and ecosystem

extinct

Climate

Landscape rupture &

vulnerability

Habitat fragmentation

Natural

Human

Socio-economic

fragmentation

Vulnerability of local economies

Homogenization of local economy

Relationship with other economies

lost

Human resource &

financial

Inadequate human resource

capacity

Lack of operational

budget

Conclusion

• The main challenge in Taman Negara is to conservebiodiversity while providing the basis for the socialand economic development of local residents.

• Major threats to Taman Negara are illegalconsumptive use of natural resources, i.e., illegallogging, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, illegal fishing,and illegal extraction for other NTFPs, and conflictsrelated to land use and tenure.

• Human resources (number of staff, expertise of staff,number of park rangers) was a major constraint ofTaman Negara; followed by collaboration with otherinstitutions, law enforcement and patrol, and budgetavailability.

THANK YOU…