Challenges

Given the threats posed by climate change, effective biodiversity conservation is essential to sustainable lives and livelihoods. It necessitates an integrated approach that engages local communities in the management of protected areas. However, developing countries face significant challenges in integrating local actors. Stakeholders at all levels must mobilize resources for sustainable forest management. The value of ecosystems and biodiversity should be considered in national and local planning, development processes and poverty reduction strategies. Isolated endeavours in a protected area may not be effective.

The knowledge and experiences gained in the sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems in Malaysia and other parts of the world could help others undertake integrated efforts to protect biodiversity.

Toward a Solution

The approach to integrated biodiversity and ecosystem conservation employed by the state government of Sabah in Malaysia incorporates strategy, protection, education, ecotourism and academic research from all sources and at all levels. It focuses on the sustainable management of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, as well as the conservation of mountain ecosystems, natural habitats and threatened species. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) helped to develop this holistic process from 2002 to 2017, as part of a technical cooperation project. The experiences gained were shared with 17?developing countries from Asia, Africa and the Pacific through the Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), a strategic partnership between the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme and JICA. The TCTP in Sabah began in 2009, and the third cycle was completed in 2019. The project addressed Sustainable Development Goal?1 on poverty, Goal?13 on climate action and Goal?15 on life on land.

The TCTP aimed to provide participants with knowledge and skills in conservation management, planning, monitoring and evaluation, with an emphasis on community-based implementation. It also focused on engaging implementing agencies and local communities to better understand alternative livelihood opportunities within the context of conservation efforts. The TCTP facilitated the interaction and fostered a horizontal network for government officials and national park management who work in biodiversity conservation in developing countries in Asia and Africa.

Botswana, Cambodia, Kenya, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda and Viet Nam were identified as target countries. Having participated in relevant JICA programmes worldwide, they would have more opportunities to replicate the TCTP in their home countries. Future opportunities could be extended to a wider group of stakeholders by leveraging the TCTP.

The core methodology of the programme is that the implementing entity is responsible for the project cycle management (PCM). In this case, the implementing entity is the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (ITBC-UMS). Staff members apply PCM to align the various components of the training course. Intensive workshops were offered to develop skills and share knowledge and experiences in creating an effective biodiversity and ecosystem conservation programme. PCM uses a multi-stakeholder participatory approach to identify problems. The output and lessons learned were compiled in the project plan of action to ensure that they can be replicated.

To enrich their experience and assist in developing a plan of action, TCTP participants evaluated several examples of conservation projects in Sabah. In addition to formal classroom lectures and other indoor workshops and presentations, the TCTP involved extensive field visits to protected areas around Sabah, interactions with local communities living in and around the protected areas, and discussions with conservation managers and other practitioners on the ground. With this horizontal approach, participants gained valuable knowledge by interacting with colleagues, who were mainly senior government officials directly involved in managing natural resources.

Furthermore, ITBC-UMS has followed up with all alumni of the third cycle of the TCTP using social media to collect information on their progress in replicating the programme.

In Uganda, three former participants developed a plan of action entitled ‘Building Resilient Communities, Wetland Ecosystems and Associated Catchments in Uganda’. The five-year project was implemented in 2018 and is being funded primarily by the Green Climate Fund. They are also involved in a national wetlands restoration project.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, a former participant conducted a training on green technology and green agriculture in 2018. The proposed project is currently being considered for funding and is scheduled to begin in 2020.

The strength of this programme is in mobilizing significant resources from all sources and at all levels to support the sustainable management of protected areas. It encouraged the collaboration and involvement of various departments and agencies from the Sabah state government, as well as Sabah-based non-governmental organizations, to develop significant and relevant components in the training modules.

Most former participants expressed great interest in research and education, park management, habitat management, public awareness and integration. They have applied these components to activities in their home countries, which demonstrates that the programme is effective and can be replicated and adapted.