CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO ASSIST IN THE PREPARATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL PROPOSAL TO THE NORTHERN CORRIDOR IMPLEMENTATION AUTHORITY (NCIA) FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN INTEGRATED MASTER PLAN (IMP) FOR BELUM-TEMENGOR TROPICAL RAINFOREST (BTTR)
The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) was launched in 2007 to help the region maximize its economic potential, close the development and income gaps between the different regions in Malaysia, and move towards higher value-add and knowledge-based economic activities to drive further increase in per capita income. The overall theme for the NCER initiative is “increasing value-add from existing industries”, emphasizing transformation and enhancement of the agricultural, manufacturing, tourism, logistics and human capital sectors in the region.
The essential task of the Belum-Temengor Tropical Rainforest Project is to prepare a program for resource management reform and systematic development of the tourism potential, aligning the agendas of various government agencies and the private sector. The firm leading the project is KW Associates Planners, Shah Alam, Malaysia. Tourism Planning Consultants are master planners and WWF Malaysia and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) are the resource agencies developing the biodiversity assessment component. Kevin Erwin is the principal ecologist providing guidance to the team, particularly the MNS and WWF on the project elements. At the end of the data collection process, when the MNS and WWF work is complete, Kevin Erwin will integrate ecological-hydrological-biodiversity elements into a BTTR Master Plan. The development of an integrated master plan for the BTTR commenced in early 2011 and continues to be a complex process. Planning associated with scarce and protected natural resources is complex enough, but planning with small, isolated communities adds even more complexity. Including “ecotourism” in the mix magnifies the complexity. The integration of a master plan of this nature is in itself a specialist area.
The challenge in integrated planning of sensitive resources, like those of the BTTR, involving new ecotourism products lies in tying together: global, national and local interests in the resource base; the specific needs of resource managers, other resource users and the tourism industry; and the views needs and aspirations of local communities into a framework of guidelines and governance actions which will result in improved sustainable management of the resource base, sustainable flows of benefits for local communities, and minimal potential for environmental and socio-cultural costs.