AMID the adrenaline-charged events Malaysians have witnessed over the past few weeks, nothing was more heartwarming than the sight of Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar driving Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to the airport in a 34-year- old first-edition Proton Saga after their meeting at the palace.
That was no ordinary meeting but a very meaningful one given their very public tiff over an issue with national and global implications: the proposed degazettement of the Pulau Kukup National Park into Sultanate Land.
Concerns were sparked by a gazette dated Oct 25 last year notifying that the state authorities will cancel the whole area as a national park under subsection 3(3) of the National Park Environment Enactment (Johor) 1989.
Pulau Kukup, the world’s second largest uninhabited mangrove island, located off the coast of Pontian, has been a national park since 1997 and renowned worldwide as one of five Ramsar sites in Malaysia, accorded international importance under the United Nations’ Convention on Wetlands.
According to the Johor National Parks Corporation, Pulau Kukup offers habitat to endangered animals such as the flying fox, smooth-coated otter, bearded pig and long-tailed macaque.
The cabinet is of the view that Pulau Kukup — 647ha characterised by a unique mangrove ecosystem — must remain a national park.
Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said: “The change in status of Pulau Kukup (from national park land to sultanate land) will definitely have an effect on its recognition as an area of international interest, as well as Malaysia’s reputation as a country which takes care of biodiversity.
“The people also generally support the idea of maintaining the national park status so that the ecosystem of Pulau Kukup is looked after because of its importance internationally as well as for the good of future generations.
He said there were 18 species of mangrove on Pulau Kukup, adding that this was one of the richest such areas in the country.
The Larut Matang mangrove forest, by comparison, has 21 species and a land area of 40,000 hectares.
“Pulau Kukup has also been identified as a stop for migratory birds and a shelter and breeding place for threatened birds such as storks, the Chinese egret and the mangrove pitta, as well as a resource for fish and aquaculture.”
The situation would have been a stalemate but cooler heads have prevailed. Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim magnanimously thanked the prime minister for his visit to the state and his meeting with the sultan.
Tunku Ismail tweeted that he believed both parties could work together and move forward for the nation’s betterment.
This episode was inspiring and instructive, reflecting how our unique system of governance — in particular our constitutional monarchy — assumes a pivotal role in ensuring the continuous survival of our protected areas working hand in hand with the government of the day.
Protected areas are important tools for the conservation of biological diversity and cornerstones of sustainable development strategies.
Aside from their environmental benefits, they can also generate significant economic resources. As such protected areas are crucial for attaining the sustainable development goals.
Covering about 11.6 per cent of the earth’s terrestrial surface, some 100,000 protected areas around the world harbour great biological richness and are a major source of material and non-material wealth.
They represent important stocks of natural, cultural and social capital, supporting the livelihood and wellbeing of many.
Aside from their environmental benefits, they can also generate significant economic resources. As such protected areas are crucial for attaining the sustainable development goals.
Covering about 11.6 per cent of the earth’s terrestrial surface, some 100,000 protected areas around the world harbour great biological richness and are a major source of material and non-material wealth.
They represent important stocks of natural, cultural and social capital, supporting the livelihoods and wellbeing of many.
For example, a 2003 study found that 33 of the world’s 105 largest cities obtain a significant proportion of their drinking water from protected areas. Providing this water through other means would be costly and beyond the means of some cities.
In addition to the biodiversity benefits and ecosystem services that protected areas provide, they can also create investment opportunities and employment.
For example, in Guatemala, the Maya Biosphere Reserve generates an annual income of about US$47 million while creating employment for 7,000 people.
In addition, protected areas can help guard against environmental disturbances and the impacts of climate change by helping society to both mitigate and adapt to stressors.
As an illustration it has been estimated that protected coral reef ecosystems provide coastal protection services worth RM36 billion per year.
There is an increasing interest in the role of protected areas in providing benefits to local communities as well as in tourism, agrobiodiversity, spirituality, capacity building, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. Unfortunately, despite the significant monetary and non-monetary values of protected areas their importance remains poorly understood and greatly undervalued. As a result protected areas, in many instances, do not receive adequate financing or resources, making their effective management a challenging task.
As we become more urbanised it is incumbent upon us all to pay greater attention to protected areas.
The Pulau Kukup saga is a litmus test of how we fare and lead the world in the management of protected areas.
The writer is a distinguished fellow of the Washington– based Global Federation of Competitiveness Council and former director of the United Nations University’s Institute of Advanced Studies in Tokyo