This presentation was part of the 2015 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme in Sabah, Malaysia.

1. +
Ecotourism: Is Pulau Gaya ready or not?
Orangutan (OU) Group:
Christmas, Ploy, Sobri, Shafiq and Rizal

2. +
Problem statement
 Is ecotourism the only way for sustainable island
development of Pulau Gaya?
 Carrying capacity of the island?
 Is the island following the 5 key ecotourism principles?
 Will there be any room for improvement?
 Assess impacts (positive and negative) of resort
establishment?
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3. + Objectives
Main Objective:
To understand the complexity of the issues related
towards achieving the sustainable development of
Pulau Gaya.
Specific Objectives:
1. To identify and enumerate existing interrelated
problems (socio-economic and environmental) and
elucidate on the carrying capacity of the island.
2. To identify potential stakeholders with respect to the
sustainable development of Pulau Gaya; and
3. To investigate whether or not the island can apply the
principles of sustainable ecotourism.
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4. +
Methodology
 Locale of the Study
 Gaya Island: largest island in the Tunku Abdul
Rahman National Park
 Pulau Gaya: 3,700 acres, 300 masl
 Famous for its 400 m stretch of white sand, making
a potential tourist attraction
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5. +
 NATIONAL PARK PROTECTION
 PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (PES)
 COMMUNITY IMPACTS OF ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT
IN THE AREA  3 CATEGORIES:
A. ECONOMIC
B. SOCIO-CULTURAL
C. ENVIRONMENTAL
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6. +
Two resorts
 Gaya Island Resort
 Gayana Eco Resort
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Cost as per interview:
2500/6000 USD/night
(package)

7. +
Methodology
 Sampling design
 Purposive sampling
 Qualitative approaches
 Observation
 Focus group discussion
 In-depth interview
 Assessing perception using
Likert-scale method
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8. +
Initial Findings
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9. +
Profile of Pulau Gaya
 Population: About 10,000 individuals
 Four villages – Pulau Gaya Asli, Pulau Gaya Tengah, Kampung
Lobong, Kampung Lok Urai
 80% Local Malaysian, 20% Mixed (dual citizens, illegal
immigrants)
 There are two resorts, one of them is Gayana Eco Resort,
monitored by the Local Government (DBKK). License was
given by Ministry of Tourism.
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10. +
Socio-economic Background
 Among 4 villages, awarded “model village” as
per local government’s competition (DBKK)
 Livelihood: Driver, Laborer, Shop assistant,
Fishermen
 Average monthly income: 500-800
MYR/household
 Incidence of crimes is low
 1 village captain - selected
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11. +
Education
 Incidence of drop-outs: About 50%
 1400 primary students, 700-800 in secondary
 No. of teachers: 50 teachers, 30 of them primary
teachers (none of them lives there)
 Facilities: Lodging is available, additional income for the
school
 Incorporating climate adaptation to students
 Incorporating waste separation in the school’s co-
curriculum
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12. +
Current Systems in place or Practices in
the Village (as per FGD)
Environmental
Protection
Well-being of People Livelihood/Local
economy
Burning of solid waste Reward System Few villagers work at the
resort
Recycling of plastic
bottles
Affordable Housing
Project (PPR)
Community people goes
to mainland for labor job
Hiring of people to
collect floating rubbish
Supply of clean water
(once a day, 1L=7
MYR)
Small-scale livestock
farming
Rainwater harvesting
through tank (for
washing only)
Mobile clinic –
supported by Tzu-Chi
NGO Group
Women-based hand
crafting?
Environmental
awareness in co-
curriculum
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13. + Environmental issues that affects the
potential of the island for sustainable
ecotourism:
 Garbage
 “transboundary garbage”
- from Sepanggar, Likas, Kota
Kinabalu
 Water
 Access
to clean water
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14. +
Socio-economic issues
 Health and sanitation
 Difficulty of changing the mindset of people
 Attitude of the people in terms of protecting the
environment (sense of ownership and stewardship)
 Inequality (perception of illegal immigrants)
 Education – unwillingness of students to continue
studying
 Lack of coordination and governance issues
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15. +
Socio-economic issues
 Activeness/proactiveness of people
- Out of 11 villages, 1 is only active
 Migration (people go out of the island)
 Livelihood options are available, but it is not enough
(livelihood insecurity)
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16. + Objectives Insights/Perception from the Field Visit
1. To identify and
enumerate existing
interrelated problems
(socio-economic and
environmental)
and elucidate on
carrying capacity
Refer to Slides on Socio-economic and Environmental
Issues
2. To identify potential
stakeholders with
respect to the
sustainable
development of Pulau
Gaya.
Funding agencies (NGO), Government Officers,
School, Islanders, Business Sectors, Tourists
3. To investigate
whether or not the
island can apply the
principles of
sustainable
ecotourism.
1) Nature-based?
2) Ecologically sustainable?
3) Environmentally educative?
4) Local beneficial?
5) Tourist Satisfaction?
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17. +
3.75
Perception Results (as per OU grp)
Nature based
Ecologically
sustainable
Environmentally
educative
Local beneficial2.13
2
1.5
 Max score: 5 (highest), 1 (lowest); Tourist satisfaction is N/A
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18. +
CONCLUSIONS
 NATURE-BASED > ENVIRONMENTALLY EDUCATIVE,
ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE > LOCAL BENEFICIAL
 Pulau Gaya has potential in terms of implementing ecotourism
and could apply the principles of sustainable ecotourism,
however, more work is needed.
 Main problem on changing people’s mind set and behavior
(rooted on their existing Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices)
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19. +
Flowchart
NGO
Gov.
officers
Tourists
Business
sector
Islanders
School
$
labor
manpower
manpower
$$
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20. +
Flowchart
NGO
Gov.
officers
Tourists
Business
sector
Islanders
School
$
labor
manpower
manpower
$
$
Handmade products
CSR
$
Sense of
conservation
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21. + Specific Issues Recommendations
1. Lack of transparent
system, in terms of
provision of
environmental services
through conditional
payments
(e.g. Resorts are not
directly contributing
some sort of envt’l
fees to communities)
Payments for Ecosystem Services (Exploring the
possibility of partnership between resort owners and
the community through PES)
2. Lack of sufficient
livelihood opportunities
Micro-financing, handcrafting, small-scale fishing and
livestock farming
3. Mobilizing private-
community partnership
Cultural programs, cooperation programs with resort
owners and local government
4. Lack of ownership Explore the applicability of PES or “incentives” to
fishermen/community people in exchange for
managing their land to provide some sort of ecological
service
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22. + Specific Issues Recommendations
5. Lack of system in
place in terms of
management of
garbage
Strong system on solid waste management
(approaches such as waste management at
household level, taking responsibility of garbage at
source)
6. Weak development
plan at village level
Establishment of strong short-term and long-term
development plan
7. Ecotourism
components
Re-evaluate five key ecotourism principles including
tourists’ satisfisfaction
8. Is there an existing
zoning in the island?
Establish delineation or management zoning (for
tourists’ areas, marine reserve/site)
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23. +
Work ahead (future work of the
group)
 Literature review
 Follow-up data gathering: Perception on ecotourism
of the rest of the group (TODAY) using likert-type
scale
 Analysis of data collected
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24. +
Thank you for your
attention!
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