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Land Conversion in Klias |
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The hydrological integrity of Klias wetlands is threatened by the extensive land conversion and associated draining of farmlands in the surrounding area. The land development activities have been proceeding unabated for the past four decades. The most visible effects of conversion are the outright change in the vegetation cover. Mono crops replace the previously stable forested micro-habitats that support a great assemblage of fauna and flora. In other words, there was so much biodiversity then. The entire Klias Peninsula was covered with high forests and supported thriving wildlife. Now, the face of Klias has changed in response to the socio-economic needs for rapid regional development and the hunger of the burgeoning populations of Sabah. More land is being opened up in the onslaught of economic progress. As a consequence, the ecological integrity is also under threat.
I plan to explore these challenges in a broader context of compatible and supplementary role, which the local communities, the land owners and the land-use planners may play and cooperate to derive mutual gains and generate future benefits. Such a holistic approach requires understanding the needs of the local communities living in the surrounding peat swamp forests, the urgency of the local planners to protect the remaining forested areas, and the support of the government to formulate and enforce an integrated management plan. |
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The threats to the peat swamp ecosystem are numerous. Drainage and land conversion are two main ones. |
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Where to go? |
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Back to Personal Page |
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How to get there? |
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How to contact me? |
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Given the will to change and a passion to conserve, as well as a desire by the land-owners to be eco-friendly in their efforts to develop their land, everyone can contribute to protecting the delicate balance required for maintaining an ecologically sound, economically feasible, socially acceptable, and harmonious living environment.
A living environment is a life-support system that must be ensured by everyone for both today's gains and future generations' benefits. |
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