Call for a collaborative management at Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Malaysia: An assessment from local stakeholders’ view point

Abstract

Effective management of a socio-ecological system (SES) requires a good understanding of: (i) ecosystem functionality, (ii) interactions between social and ecological units, and (iii) stakeholder perceptions and activities. Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR) covering 40,200 ha in Peninsular Malaysia is under silvicultural management (with a 30-year forest rotation cycle) for charcoal and timber production since 1902.The aim of this study is to assess the perceptions of (select) local stakeholders on the ongoing mangrove management of MMFR. Earlier, Huge et al. (2016), using Q methodology, identified three main shared perceptions, called discourses: (1) Optimization-'keep up the good work, but keep improving', (2) Change for the better-'ecotourism & participatory management for sustainability', and (3) Continuity -'business as usual is the way to go'. The current study is a follow-up to Huge et al. (2016) and reports on a survey which assessed the degree of support of the local stakeholders towards those three management discourses. The core statements of each discourse were presented as questions and then ranked by the participants.Based on the findings of the survey, the local stakeholders were clustered into three main working categories: (i) charcoal and timber workers, (ii) fishermen and (iii) service providers. The interviews held with 114 stakeholders indicated that discourse (2) 'change for the better' is the most popular (supported by 72% of the participants) regardless of the stakeholders' working category. This discourse voices the involvement of local people in decision making, adopts participatory management, and encourages diverse mangrove-based economic activities beyond mere charcoal and timber production.Single-use management (focusing only on maximising charcoal and timber yields) was perceived as not equitably benefiting all local stakeholders.The insights of this study can guide the managers of Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve to improve the sustainability and the local support base for the existing mangrove management regime, e.g. by promoting diverse livelihood options for the local stakeholders. Introduction Mangrove forests and their ecosystem servicesMangrove ecosystems are consensually defined as "woody plants that grow in tropical and subtropical latitudes along the land-sea interface, bays, estuaries, lagoons, and backwaters. These plants and their associated organisms constitute a "mangrove forest community" or "mangal", while "mangal" and its associated abiotic factors constitute the "mangrove ecosystem" (Mukherjee et al., 2014a).

Recovery of Agricultural Areas Affected by Traditional Gold Mining: Sustainable Food Supply Stability

“…The impact can be extensive and take a lot of time and resources to complete. Therefore, before this situation occurred, anticipative measures of a multi-party (collaborative) [30][31][32][33][34][35].…”

“…The revegetation model can apply an active participatory pattern by involving ex-mining communities or communities whose land is affected by mining activities. Besides TAHURA, universities and local governments continue to facilitate and provide assistance to the community's maintenance process [33,34].…”

An Institutional Reinforcement Model for the Protection of Mangroves Sustainable Ecotourism in Indonesia

“…The basic reason is that the ecotourism-based community is a dominant form of tourism in developing countries, where the local communities are involved in the management (Mitchell and Faal, 2007). Rapid tourism growth affects tourist arrivals and benefits the local economy, but excessive tourism activities can reduce the quality of tourism itself (Lin and Yang, 2016). For example, in some mangrove forests in Indonesia called Bontang, the management of ecotourism activities did not follow the requirements of sustainability (Anggoro et al, 2019).…”

Distinguishing Original and Non-Original Stands at the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve (P.R. China): Remote Sensing and GIS for Conservation and Ecological Research

“…Mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics [4][5][6] and can function as phytoremediators [7][8][9]. In fact, such mangrove benefits are often highlighted by scientists as well as government and non-governmental agencies [10][11][12]. Although the rate of global mangrove cover loss has been decreasing in recent years [13], efficient mangrove management through improved/sustainable practices still remains as a concern for many countries [12,14,15].…”

“…In fact, such mangrove benefits are often highlighted by scientists as well as government and non-governmental agencies [10][11][12]. Although the rate of global mangrove cover loss has been decreasing in recent years [13], efficient mangrove management through improved/sustainable practices still remains as a concern for many countries [12,14,15]. As mangrove areas are smaller or fragmented at several locations, the long-term survival of these forests is at risk and their essential ecosystem services might be lost [16][17][18].…”