Economic Impacts of Logging Intensities in the Muda-Pedu Forested Catchment, Kedah, Malaysia

This study was conducted primarily to determine benefits associated with logging and to quantify the cost associated with sedimentation in the Muda and Pedu Forested Catchments, Kedah. Data on timber value were obtained form the Ulu Muda experimental site and those on the rate of sediment yield were obtained from a study by Lai et al. (1999). The estimated NPV of timber under conventional logging (CL) and modified logging (ML) were RM 119.4 million and RM87.9 million respectively for a land area of 118,673 ha over a two cutting cycles of 30 years each. The average sediment yield in the Muda and Pedu Catchments was estimated to be 77.9 tonne/ha/year under catchment protection (CP), 188 tonne/ha/year under conventional logging (CL) and 115.5 tonne/ha/year under modified logging (ML). Meanwhile, the estimated NPV of treated water production under catchment protection (CP) was RM 128.8 million, under conventional logging (CL) was RM 121.3 million and under modified logging (ML) was RM 125.8 million. The incremental NPV (ML-CP) under modified logging option (ML) was very small valued at RM3.0 million as compared with the conventional logging (CL) with RM7.5 million. The small average incremental NPV under modified logging (ML) was due to the low incremental NPV gained when compared to the conventional logging option. The rise in the sediment concentration caused by CL option was not high enough to cause a high increase in water treatment plant. The above analysis supported conventional logging option over modified logging when only the off-site cost of sedimentation is incorporated This analysis is inconclusive since other physical impacts of logging have not been incorporated such as the potential welfare loss of biodiversity and climate benefits of protected forest. Nevertheless, the analysis has shown that logging does provide off-site cost in the form of higher water treatment costs. This kind information could be useful to policy makers when deciding upon land use options

Trade Sustainability in the Forestry Domain: Evidence from Malaysia using Johansen and Bound Test Method

This study was undertaken to explore the relationship between export and import, in the category of Forestry domain for Malaysia, which includes sub domain (1) industrial roundwood;(2) wood pulp; (3) wood fuel; (4) paper and paper board; (5) sawn wood; (6) recovered paper and (7) wood base panel. To test the robustness, Johansen (1991) cointegration method and ARDL approach were employed and the period of the study covers annual data from 1961 to 2007. The results clearly show that the export and import of forestry domain is highly cointegrated. This shows trade is indeed sustainable in the domain of forestry and a sign of good trade policies adapted and implemented by the relevant authorities Bi-directional granger causality could also be detected based on VECM (vector-error correction model) method. Imports seem to positively and significantly affect exports, both in the long run and short run, vice versa. The results are robust when we employed the Bounds test as well.Johansen cointegration test, forestry trade, VECM, ARDL

Willingness to pay for domestic water service improvements in Selangor, Malaysia : a choice modeling approach

The tasks and responsibilities of domestic water service management in Malaysia are handled by various government agencies. Sufficient water service and resources management is required for sustainable water resources conservation. In order to realized water resource conservation, economic effectiveness of water utilization (consumers), maintenance of water quality supply (source of water supply) and efficiency in allocating water resources (agencies) needs to be addressed. The objective of the study is to assess community preferences and values relating to alternative water service management with particular concentration on water service improvement. This study has applied Choice Experiment (CE) to investigate the current policies and potential alternative of water service management in Selangor. The studies are based on 230 respondents in Subang Jaya that were randomly interviewed for data collection in October to December 2008. The findings indicates that respondents are willing to pay higher for drinking water as compared to the current rate with improved in water quality (WQ), reduced the frequency of water interruption (WI) and increases in the consumer trust to tap water (CT). The finding of this study is very important in order to assists and recommends the policy makers towards efficiency of domestic water service management in Malaysia

Valuing ecotourism and conservation benefits in Marine Parks : the case of Redang Island, Malaysia.

The purpose of this study is to estimate the visitors preferences of ecotourism attributes in Redang Island Marine Park. This study employs the Choice Experiments (CE), the Conditional Logit (CL) to investigate the visitors’ preferences of the ecotourism attributes. The personal interview has been made with a total of 298 representative respondents. The respondents has been asked to select the best among the alternatives of ecotourism attributes. The ecotourism attributes which have been investigated are ecological management, recreational activity congestion, provision of employment opportunity to local people and conservation charge. Results of the study found that the visitors preferred the highest changed in ecological management attribute levels compared to recreational activity congestion and provision to local employment attributes levels. Results of this study are very important in assists policy maker in management and development plan for ecotourism in marine parks

Tourist perception and opinion towards ecotourism development and management in Redang Island Marine Parks, Malaysia

Ecotourism establishment are the merging the environmental conservation and development. The environmental conservation approach is by recognizing the right and influence of people in biological valuable areas, more attention to human and biological preferences. The development approach was link with the environment to generate economic profitability in term of businesses and employment opportunities. This study analyzed the tourist perceptions and opinions towards ecotourism management and development in one of the famous island in Malaysia. The research addresses concentrating on four sections; analyses of tourists profiles and their characteristic of visit; tourists perceptions and opinions on ecotourism resource management; ecotourism resource maintenance; and tourists opinion on implementing of revenue collection. The personal interview has been made with a total of 298 representative respondents available were used in statistical analyses. The results found that tourists have different preferences against their profiles in term of ecotourism resource management and maintenance as well as on revenue implementation. The results provide useful implications on ecotourism resources management in marine park. It is possibly assists park management for their future improvement in managing ecotourism resources and developed integrated management plan of ecotourism development

A contingent valuation study of marine parks ecotourism: the case of Pulau Payar and Pulau Redang in Malaysia

The present paper has applied dichotomous choice survey design-contingent valuation method (CVM) to investigate empirically the willingness to pay (WTP) of the visitors for ecotourism resources in two selected marine parks in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, the purpose of this research is to estimate the value of ecotourism resources by using environmental economic tools which focuses on contingent valuation method of WTP. It uses Logit and Probit models to estimate the visitor’s WTP responses for conservation the marine parks for ecotourism. The studies are based on a sample of 215 respondents in Pulau Redang and 153 respondents in Pulau Payar that were randomly interviewed for data collection for both islands in April-July 2007. The results in Pulau Redang indicate that visitors are willing to pay for conservation about RM7.8 and RM10.6 per year for local and international visitors. Meanwhile, in Pulau Payar, the result has shown that local and international visitors are willing to pay about RM7.30 and RM8 respectively. The findings may provide guideline to marine parks and to help develop management policies that enhance ecotourism contribution to sustainable development and conservation in marine parks in Malaysia

Households Willingness to Accept Collection and Recycling of Waste Cooking Oil for Biodiesel Input in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia

AbstractThe main reasons for the recent growing concern about waste cooking oil (WCO) are the resulting effects of its improper disposal on one hand and viability input in biodiesel production on the other. This study applied contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate households’ willingness to accept (WTA) collection and recycling of WCO in Petaling district, Selangor, Malaysia. The results revealed that the bid, income level, age level, higher educational level (university), Malay, Chinese, and female were the significant predictors of WTA. The mean WTA of the households was MYR 0.72 per kg of WCO and the annual running cost for the programme was MYR 9, 438, 829. These results will help the relevant authorities in their efforts to enhance WCO collection and recycling programme in Petaling District, Selangor

Local economic benefits of ecotourism development in Malaysia: the case of Redang Island Marine Park

This paper is an empirical study of the local economic benefits of ecotourism development in one of the marine parks in Malaysia. The Redang Island Marine Park (RIMP) was selected as a case study in order to estimate local economic benefits in terms of employment opportunities provided by the ecotourism sector and other related sectors. Sixteen ecotourism operators were interviewed to elicit financial information while 82 employees involved in the ecotourism sector were also interviewed in order to determine expenditure patterns. The results showed that the development of ecotourism in RIMP has definitely generated local employment opportunities. A total of 938 jobs were created which included direct, indirect and induced employment. The output multiplier was very small compared to the employment multipliers which were 1.104 and 1.223 respectively. The high percentage of leakages in the expenditures of ecotourism operators and their employees had contributed to the low multiplier effects

Consumer perception towards meat safety: confirmatory factor analysis

This study was conducted to analyze consumers’ perceptions on meat safety. The results indicate that the main determinants of consumer perceptions are government’s safety awareness, campaigns and health conscious. Therefore, from the practical standpoint, it suggests that responsible parties should focus their attention on the development of products that have attributes such as proper packaging, labelling and GMP guaranteed in order to increase positive perception of meat safety among customers