Public Participation by Resident Associations in Local Authorities Administration in Kuching District, Sarawak, Malaysia

The purpose of this article is to discuss public participations by Residents Association in local authorities administration in Kuching District, Sarawak, Malaysia. This article also discusses the structure of the Resident Associations and the various activities these structures organised which benefitted the communities living in the neighbourhood. All three local authorities  namely the DBKU, MBKS and MPP indicated that Resident Associations  play an important role to create mutual relationship with the public towards better local authorities administration.  In addition, it highlighted the roles played by the Resident Associations in three local in promoting public participation through various programmes and activities.   Resident Associations also play an important in preventing crimes by improving security at their neighbourhood, increasing vigilance, creating and maintaining a caring community. They also play a vital part in the local government administration especially in maintaining cordial relationship between the residents and the local authorities. Finally this article discuss the programmes and activities implemented by the Resident Associations in collaboration with the local authorities. Amongst the activities discussed in this article are safety and crime prevention programmes, recycling programme, recreational and sports activities, community services or gotong-royong, and other programmes that are beneficial to communities living in the neighbourhood

Self-Organisation Initiatives In Community-Based Conservation: A Case Study Of Bung Jagoi Hertiage Bau, Sarawak Malaysia

This article examines the small-scaled, village-based, self-organised initiatives community-based conservation (CBC) of Bung Jagoi Heritage, Bau, Sarawak. The community self-organisation criteria are adopted in this study. The initiatives are developed through the CBC Projects under the Equator Initiative (EI) of the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) which are considered successful by the EI. This article also investigates the impact of Bidayuh customary law or adat on the access and forest resources management in the communal forest of Bung Jagoi Heritage which utilised the Adat Bidayuh Order, 1994 and native customs as their guidelines for managing the access and forest resources. The level of participation among the villagers and the committee members is also assessed in this study based on the widely used participation typology developed by Jules N. Pretty. The data for this study is gathered through semi-structured interviews (SSIs) and observation. The findings of this study shows that the self-organisation in CBC of Bung Jagoi Heritage is initiated by a small number of Jagoi-Duyoh villagers due to some outsiders’ mysterious visits and concerns to conserve the forested land that also situate an ancestral village and its biodiversity as well as to develop the Bung Jagoi Heritage through the conservation activities. The success of this CBC self-organisation relies heavily on the involvement and commitment of the committee members, funding from the local and international donors, and leadership of the committee’s advisor in order for it to sustain and develop. The local community practices collectively known as the adat gives some impact on the access and forest resources through its communal tenure and traditional beliefs. The level of participation among the villagers can be categorised as ‘participation for material incentive’ while the level of participation among the committee member can be categorised as ‘self-mobilisation’

Faktor-faktor penyumbang kewujudan penjaja tanpa lesen di kawasan pentadbiran Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara, Kuching Sarawak

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menilai faktor-faktor penyumbang wujudnya aktiviti penjaja tanpa lesen di 5 kawasan pentadbiran Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU), Kuching, Sarawak; iaitu Bandar Baru Samariang, Jalan Tan Sri Ikhwan Zaini, Kampung Pinang Jawa, Jalan Astana dan Kampung Santubong memandangkan terdapatnya peningkatan bilangan penjaja sebanyak 60 orang iaitu dari 49 orang dalam tahun 2014 kepada 109 orang dalam tahun 2016. Aktiviti penjajaan tanpa lesen juga menjadi punca kepada kesesakan lalu lintas, risiko kebersihan dan keselamatan makanan serta boleh menjejaskan imej DBKU jika tidak dibendung. Seramai 84 penjaja tanpa lesen dipilih secara rawak bertujuan untuk kajian ini. Pensampelan rawak bertujuan dipilih memandangkan responden sukar didekati kerana mereka berjaja secara randah, sambilan dan tidak suka dijadikan bahan penyelidikan. Exploratary Factor Analysis (EFA) dan ANOVA sehala digunakan untuk mendapat hasil kajian. Hasil kajian mendapati 5 faktor utama yang mendorong wujudnya aktiviti penjajaan tanpa lesen ialah faktor perundangan, faktor pendorong, faktor kemudahan, ekonomi dan campur tangan politik. Faktor lain adalah seperti keupayaan penguatkuasaan oleh anggota penguat kuasa DBKU. Dapatan kajian mengesahkan tindakan penguatkuasaan yang diambil adalah wajar kerana berjaja di tepi jalan adalah salah. Aktiviti penjajaan juga menyediakan kemudahan kepada pelanggan, lokasi strategik, waktu operasi tanpa had, modal minimum serta menambah pendapatan keluarga. Campur tangan ahli politik membantu penjaja tanpa lesen berkomunikasi dengan pihak DBKU bagi menyatakan kemahuan dan kekurangan yang dikehendaki seperti membantu mereka untuk mendapat kawasan tapak berjaja yang sah serta dilengkapi kemudahan asas

Rain Water Harvesting for Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation at Lawachara National Park in Bangladesh: A Study on Policy Challenges

An assessment on the rain water management policy at a protected area for conserving biodiversity was undertaken. The study focuses on the current status of biodiversity with respect to ecological changes and community environmental awareness at the Lawachara National Park (LNP) in Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh. The contemporaneous era of modernization and globalization indicates a lot of comfort and luxurious life where lead to an alarming situation of huge environmental degradation integrated with all the apprehensive activities. Now a days the entire sectors in the world economy is facing massive challenges to deal with the global warming, climate change, environmental problems, loss of biodiversity and its consequences present one of the most important threats to the protected areas. Due to all these reasons, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have started modifying its activities and strategies through Aichi Targets to ensure protection to our natural resources and environment, particularly biodiversity conservation at protected areas. Everyone exploits them but none can conserve profoundly due to lack of scientifically effective policies, tools and methods in national park areas. The study explores the present uniqueness of inland water management, land use, environmental and forest policy towards Lawachara National Park for Biodiversity Conservation according to Aichi Target 11 of the CBD. The study examined the exclusivity of the tools to enhance conservation through existing approaches, technology, literature reviews, observations, reconnaissance findings and undertook interviews with park managers, Team Leader of Co-management Committee, Indigenous Community Leader, Academics, Biodiversity Specialists, Water Management Officer, Botanists, Zoologists, Researchers, Environmental Lawyers, land user, Learners, Policy-Maker, Local Government Leaders, NGOs and effective key stakeholders. All data were sorted and analysed using SPSS software for development of priorities Logic Model. About 55% of the respondents agreed that rain water should be harvested at LNP during rainy season as for importance of biodiversity information. The study showed that 42% and 55% of the respondents respectively stated that it is essential and very essential for the authority to undertake the necessary action to fulfill the Aichi Target of CBD at the existing protected area management. During winter and summer season water scarcity tends to highly ecosystem services at LNP. This scarcity assessment will support policy and decision-makers in assessing options to modify existing policies which will develop initial long-term strategic plans for rain water harvesting and implement effective policies for sustainable biodiversity conservation. The study also highlights on the steps, initiatives, benefits and future of rain water harvesting technology in Bangladesh context. Moreover, the study regarded the need for protection of biodiversity at LNP while reducing the water scarcity, removing illegal hunting and loss of biodiversity issues during dry and winter seasons. Overall, the research revealed that terrestrial water harvesting at protected areas requires policy improvement for sustainable conservation. However, policy makers and relevant bodies need to be trained on biodiversity and water to make them more effective. Finally, the study suggests future research trajectories using a new collaborative approach to drive methodological agenda and recommends ways to further incorporate the need of upcoming generation on water management policy at protected areas in stimulating environmental sustainability

Natural Resources and Indigenous People’s Livelihood Strategies: A Case Study of Human Communities in the Headwaters of Engkari River, Sri Aman, Sarawak, Malaysia

This paper discusses the livelihood strategies and the environment in which the Iban of Rumah Jaong of the headwaters of Engkari River survives on and the challenges faced by its residents. The livelihood of the small Iban community depends on the natural resources for survival. Rivers serve as the source of food, domestic water supply and means of transportation. Forests, on the other hand, serve as source of food, timber and building materials, and to a lesser extent, as a people’s hunting ground. To many outsiders, life in the headwaters of Engkari River is easily perceived as difficult and very challenging. However, for the local residents of a community living in the interior and remote part of Sarawak, such as in headwaters of Engkari river, life is considered ‘normal’ where the practice of mixed farming consisting of shifting cultivation of hill rice and with small plots of rubber and/or pepper garden seems sufficient to sustain the people’s livelihood, at least for now

Indigenous knowledge among Iban Kua' in Samarahan District, Sarawak : some observations

This paper presents some findings of a study and observations on indigenous knowledge (IK) among Iban Kua’ and uses of natural resources in Samarahan District, Sarawak. Like the other Iban in Sarawak, Iban Kua’ in Samarahan is also rich in indigenous knowledge. As Samarahan has the fastest growing population in Sarawak with an average annual population growth rate of 6.0% in the year of 2000 to 2010, the study tries to examine the state of IK among Iban Kua’ in Samarahan. A qualitative research design which involves semi-structured questionnaires to the 165 respondents was used. This paper discusses some of the findings and observations based on the fieldwork at 14 Iban Kua’ villages in Samarahan in February 2017. This study also reveals the effect of physical development projects to the IK practice and to the natural resource management. Modernisation and Christianity are the key factors that affect the state of IK practices that are now diminishing