Conservation and tourism: A case study of longhouse communities in adjacent to Batang Ai

294 Pages·2009·15.42 MB·Indonesian

by  O. B. Tisen

Lincoln University Digital Thesis 

Copyright Statement 
The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). 
This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act 
and the following conditions of use: 
 you will use the copy only for the purposes of research or private study  
 you will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of the thesis and 
due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate  
 you will obtain the author's permission before publishing any material from the 
thesis.
Conservation and Tourism: A Case Study of Longhouse
Communities in and adjacent to Batang Ai National Park,
Sarawak, Malaysia.
A thesis
submitted in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the Degree of
Master of Parks, Recreation, and Toudsm Management
At
Lincoln University
By
O.B. Tiseo
Lincoln University
2004
i
ABSTRACT
Abstract of a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment ofthe requirements for the Degree of
M.P.R. & T.M.
Conservation and Tourism: A Case Study ofLongbouses Communities in and
adjacent to Batang Ai National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia.
By O.B. Tisen
The purpose ofthis study is to investigate benefits of tourism to local communities and
conservation in Batang Ai, Sarawak, Malaysia. The main focus ofthis study is on the
environmental sustainability ofBatang Ai National Park, which is dependent on the
sustainable extraction of natural resources by local communities with privileges to hunt,
fish and gather forest produce from the park. There are seven longhouses in and adjacent
to Batang Ai National Park with a total of 5 92 people having privileges within the park.
Research on the use of tropical forests shows that one person per square kilometre is
sustainable if people are obtaining all their protein requirements from the forest. Batang
Ai National Park, with a total area of240 square kilometres, is clearly not sustainable if
all the protein requirements of the people with privileges are derived from the park.
Tourism is seen as a non-consumptive method ofp roviding benefits to the local
communities, which is hoped to reduce their dependence on the natural resources ofthe
park.
A combination of both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods was used for
the study. These methods include questionnaire surveys, community group interviews
and key informants interviews. Questionnaire surveys were conducted on people with
gazetted rights and privileges within the park, including those who were residing in
longhouses in resettlement schemes three to four hours travel from the park. Community
'group interviews' were conducted in eleven longhouses and sixteen in-depth interviews
11
with key infonnants from government agencies, non-government organisations, private
sector, and local organisations were also conducted.
Results indicate that local communities believe that tourism can benefit them and they
believe that it is important to protect the environment, forest and wildlife in order to
attract tourists. However, lack of opportunity for earning cash means that their well-being
depends on the continued use of natural resources from the forest. Results also indicate
that local communities can benefit from tourism and that tourism can benefit
conservation, however, the benefits are dependent on the volume and distribution of
tourists. During the survey, only the Rh. Ngumbang community receives regular tourists
and correspondingly has a higher income, while other communities rarely had tourists
and received little or no benefits from tourism. Overall, tourism in Ulu Batang Ai has few
or no effects on the local communities' traditional way oflife, and their well being still
depends on fanning, hunting, fishing and gathering forest produce. For Batang Ai
National Park to achieve its conservation goals, it is crucial that the forest areas next to
the longhouses in Ulu Batang Ai be able to continue to provide the longhouse
communities with their requirements of forest produce. Failing this their well-being will
be compromised or they might obtain these requirements from the park thus,
compromising the conservation values of the national park.
Keywords:
Malaysia; Sarawak; Batang Ai National Park; Local communities; Tourism;
Conservation; Traditional use of natural resources; Benefits
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all the
people and organisations that bear with me and assisted me with this academic pursuit.
My thanks go to the Sarawak Government for granting me 'In-service Training Award'
to study at Lincoln University. Thank to the Director of Forest, Dato Cheong for his
encouragement and support. Thanks also to Lincoln University for the Lincoln-Sarawak
Scholarship in Tourism Studies which provided my family with free accommodation
during the duration of the study. We are very grateful to all those that made it happen.
Many people and organisations have helped me with this research. Without them, the
research could not have gone ahead. First and foremost there are all the people that gave
up their time to be interviewed and to talk to me in person about their views and
experiences. Special thanks to all the communities ofthe longhouses under study,
particularly the headmen for providing the invaluable information and assistance
required. Without their co-operation, it would have been impossible for me to conduct the
study in their respective longhouses. Thank you for the kindness and hospitality given
during my stay in the longhouses.
My thanks also go to all the individuals who have assisted in one way or another.
Engkamat Lading who assisted with translating the English version ofthe research
instruments into Iban. Christopher Kri who assisted with the operation on the ground,
arranging transport, meetings with the longhouses communities and as interpreter during
the community group interviews. To all the research assistants, Nyangau, Angai, Roseny
Chang, Serai Dayong, for their dedication and patience in going through the tedious
process of conducting interview after interview and as interpreter on many occasions. To
the staff ofBatang Ai National Park, the staff of the National Park and Wildlife Division
ofthe Forest Department, and ITTO project officers who were helpful, encouraging and
friendly. Thanks to Dr. Paul Chai, Mr. Michael Meredith and Dr. Elizabeth Bennett for
providing technical support and constructive comments.
IV
My two supervisors, Assoc. Prof. Patrick Devlin and Prof David Simmons, must take
some credit for getting me to the end of this thesis. Thanks for all your encouragement
and constructive comments. I am particularly grateful to Assoc. Prof. Patrick Devlin for
his special attention especially in the thesis write up phase, which made the task more
enjoyable. Thanks to him and his wife, Maureen Devlin for being a friend of our family
who were always there to help, not forgetting all the vegetables we got from their farm.
Various other people from the Social Sciences, Tourism and Recreation Group oft he
Environment, Society and Design Division also gave their time, including Evert Kampert,
Michelle and Douglas Broughton. Thanks also to many others who have assisted me, but
whom I have not mentioned, I am always indebted to them.
Thanks to other students in Lincoln who provided important diversions from studying,
making life on Campus very enjoyable. Mohd. Sallehuddin and family, and everybody
else, thank you for the good times. To members of my family, thank you for all your
support.
v
TABLES OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ................................................................................................ iv
TABLES OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vi
LIST OF T ABLES .............................................................................................................. xiii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................. xv
CHAPTER ONE IN·TRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1
1.0 CJ~~~ ~1[Fl()l)lJ<:1[I()l'J--------------------------------------------------------------- 1
1.1 RES~AFl<:H CJOAL AND OBJE<:1[IVES -------------------------------------------------3
1.2 1[HESIS ()FlCJAN]SA1[JOl'J -------------------------------------------------------------------3
CHAPTER TWO LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CONSERVATION. .................... 5
2.0 ~1[Fl()l)lJ<:1[IOl'J ------------------------------------------------------------------------------5
2.1 ~()<:AL <:01v11v1~1[~S---------------------------------------------------------------------5
2.1.1 ~ocal communities in Sarawak ----------------------------------------------------------6
2.1.2 1[raditionall)ayak Society ---------------------------------------------------------------6
2.1.3 Flurall)ayak' s society today -------------------------------------------------------------9
2.2 HUNf~CJ AND SlJS1[AINABILI1LY OF WI~I)~IF~ --------------------------------10
2.2.1 Importance of wildlife to tropical forest people-------------------------------------l0
2.2.2 Wildlife biomass (production) in tropical forest --------------~---------------------12
2.2.3 <:arrying capacity of tropical forest----------------------------------------------------12
2.2.4 Impacts ofh unting on wildlife ---------------------------------------------------------13
2.2.5 Factors affecting sustainability of hunting -------------------------------------------14
2.2.6 Hunting and sustainability in Sarawak ------------------------------------------------15
2.3 ()V~Fl WIEW ()F <:()l'JS~FlV A1 [J()l'J------------------------------------------------------16
2.3.1 Factors influencing <:onservation decisions -----------------------------------------16
2.3.1.1 Genetic diversity---------------------------------------------------------------------17
2.3 .1.2 Species diversity ---------------------------------------------------------------------18
2.3.1. 3 Ecosystems---------------------------~------------------------------------------------19
2.3.1.4 Landscapes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------20
2.3.1.5 Edge effect and Shape ofp rotected areas---------------------------------------21
2.3.2 <:onservation efforts and local communities-----------------------------------------22
VI
2.3.2.1 Protected areas and local communities-----------------------------------------23
204 CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN SARAW AK ------------------------------------------24
2 04.1 A comprehensive conservation strategy for Sarawak ------------------------------26
2.4.1.1 Rationale for the strategy and action taken ------------------------------------26
204.2 Initiatives by Sarawak Government to conserve wildlife--------------------------28
2 04.3 Protected areas (P As) in Sarawak ------------------------------------------------------29
2.4.3.1 Rights and privileges ofl ocal communities in protected areas -------------30
2.4.3.2 Participation ofl ocal communities in management ofp rotected areas---32
2.4.3.3 Local communities in national park ---------------------------------------------33
20404 Conservation in Viu Batang Ai---------------------------------------------------------35
2.5 S~~ OF ClIJ\J>TER-----------------------------------------------------------------35
CHAPTER THREE TOURISM AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES. ............................ 37
3 .0 INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------------------------------3 7
3.1 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TOURISM----------------------------------------------------37
3.1.1 The concept of a tourist destination life cycle ---------------------------------------38
3.1.2 Residents' response to tourism ---------------------------------------------------------39
3.1.3 Impacts oft ourism ------------------------------------------------------------------------41
3.2 TOURISM AND THE LOCAL ECONOM~---------------------------------------------43
3.2 .1 Tourism and the economy of periphery areas ---------------------------------------45
3.3 SUSTA lNABILITY OF TOURISM -------------------------------------------------------46
3 A TOURISM IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES --------------------------------------------48
304.1 Tourism in Malaysia ---------------------------------------------------------------------50
304.2 Tourism in Sarawak ----------------------------------------------------------------------52
304.3 Tourism and Than communities --------------------------------------------------------53
3.404 Tourism in Batang Ai --------------------------------------------------------------------55
3.5 A CASE STUDY INVOLVING TOURISM AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES ----58
3.6 SUMMAR~ OF ClIJ\J>TER -----------------------------------------------------------------60
CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH SITE; BATANG AI NATIONAL PARK,
SARAW AK ........................................................................................................................... 63
4.0 INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------------------------------63
4.1 SARAW AK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------63
Vll
4.2 BETONG DIVIS ION -------------------------------------------------------------------------65
4.3 L UBOK ANTU DISTRICT ------------------------------------------------------------------66
4.4 ETHNIC PROFILES --------------------------------------------------------------------------69
4.4.1 The Than Community---------------------------------------------------------------------70
4.4.2 Traditional Than methods of resource management --------------------------------71
4.4.2.1 Farmland -----------------------------------------------------------------------------72
4.4.2.2 Traditional Resource Conservation----------------------------------------------73
4.4.2.3 Wildlife Species Protected ---------------------------------------------------------75
4.5 SOCIOECONOMIC CHANGES -----------------------------------------------------------76
4.5.1 Loss of Social Organisation -------------------------------------------------------------76
4.5 .2 Techno logical Changes and Commercialisation ------------------------------------77
4.5.3 Resettlement Scheme -------------------------------------------------------------------78
4.5.4 Communities in Viu Batang Ai -------------..,------------------------------------------80
4.6 BATA NG AI NATIONAL P ARK----------------------------------------------------------82
4. 7 SUMMARY OF CHAPTER -----------------------------------------------------------------83
CHAPTER FIVE METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 86
5.0 INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------------------------------86
5.1 RESEARCH METHODS---------------------------------------------------------------------86
5.2 TRIANGULAn ON -----------------------------------------------------~---------------------87
5.3 PRETESTING OF RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS--------------------------------------89
5.4 DATA COLLECTION- -----------------------------------------------------------------------90
5 .4.1 Secondary data co llection ---------------------------------------------------------------91
5.4.2 Primary data co necti on ------------------------------------------------------------------92
5.4.2.1 Individual Survey (Quantitative data) -------------------------------------------96
5.4.2.2 Community group interviews and discussion ----------------------------------98
5.4.2.3 Key informant interviews --------------------------------------------------------100
5.4.2.4 Researcher observations ---------------------------------------------------------101
5.5 DATA ANAL YS IS --------------------------------------------------------------------------101
5.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY --------------------------------------------------------103
5. 7 SUMMARY OF CHAPTER ---------------------------------------------------------------104
Vlll
CHAPTER SIX RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. ........................................................ 108
6.0 INTRODUCTION ---------:...-----------------------------------------------------------------108
6.1 SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS---------108
6.1.1 Gender and age (Table 4)--------------------------------------------------------------108
6.1.2 Length ofr esidency and origin (Table 4)-------------------------------------------109
6.1.3 Occupation (Table 5)-------------------------------------------------------------------111
6.1 .4 Education (Table 6) --------------------------------------------------------------------111
6.1.5 Income (Table 7)--------------------------------------------.. ---------------------------112
6.1.6 Socio-demographic changes (population)------------------------------------------117
6.1.7 Summary 0 f section --------------------------------------------------------------------119
6.2 TIME SPENT FARMING, HARVESTING FOREST PRODUCE, IllJNTING,
FISHING AND OTHER WORK --------------------------------------------------------------120
6.2. 1 Farming ------------------------------------------.,----------------------------------------120
6.2.2 Harvesting forest produce -------------------------------------------------------------122
6.2.3 Hunting -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------124
6.2.4 F ishing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------129
6.2.5 Other work -------------------------------------------------------------------------------131
6.2.6 Summary of section --------------------------------------------------------------------134
6.3 KNOWLEDGE, CONTACTS, ATTITUDES, IMPACTS AND'BELIEFS ABOUT
TOURISM -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------137
6.3.1 Knowledge of tourism -----------------------------------------------------------------137
6.3.2 Contacts with tourists ------------------------------------------------------------------137
6.3.3 Places where respondents were most likely to meettourists (Table 19)------139
6.3.5 Tourist spending and purchases in Longhouses-----------------------------------142
6.3.5.1 Tourist spending in longhouses -------------------------------------------------142
6.3.5.2 Tourist purchases in longhouses -----------------------------------------------144
6.3.6 Attitudes toward tourism --------------------------------------------------------------147
6.3.6.1 Levels oft ourist arrivals and personal contacts-----------------------------147
6.3.6.2 Reasons for wanting an increase in contacts with tourists ----------------148
6.3.7 Employment from tourism ------------------------------------------------------------ 149
6.3. 7.1 Work with tourism-----------------------------------------------------------------15 0
IX