Campaign To Conserve Langkawi's Remaining Rainforest

Langkawi is truly blessed with a rich and diverse range of habitats. Within this island, home of ours can be found lowland rainforest, mangrove forest, littoral forest, reed fields and wetlands including rice fields. These different ecosystem in turn are home to an even greater range of wildlife that include over 200 species of birdlife, 450 species of butterflies and over 90 species of mammals.

We recognize today that in addition to our lovely beaches, good accommodation and its charming people the island's natural heritage including its geological sites and its flora and fauna are our most important attractions. Increasingly ecotourism has become the island main economic cash cow.

Today we can safely say that over 80 percent of the islanders are directly or indirectly employed in the industry that include hoteliers, boat operators, airport personnel, taxis drivers, tourist guides, dive operators, restaurants, souvenir shops and many others. Without doubt the rainforest along with its many attractions is very important to the island's economy.

Any further loss of natural capital will jeopardize the not only our ecotourism industry,  this island depends upon but also the island agriculture and fishery industry.

Prolonged droughts and flash floods will destroy farmed crops including rice cultivation. Increasing erosion and siltation we also seriously affect the health of our mangrove forest, ocean waters and coral reefs which will devastate our fishing industry.

Needless to say the charm of Langkawi lies not only in its natural flora, fauna and geological attractions but also in scenic open spaces of rice paddies, orchards gardens, traditional fishing boats and kampongs.

Likewise protecting our remaining natural heritage with sustainable best practices in tourism, agriculture, forestry and fisheries will no doubt secure the future of our ecotourism economy and the quality of life the island enjoys.  

Langkawi has lost about 50 percent of its natural habitat. The remaining 50 percent of its natural habitat is heavily fragmented into 6 smaller so called isolated Island Habitats i.e. islands on islands. The remaining habitat fragments are:

1.       Gunung Matcincang Forest Reserve,

2.       Gunung Raya Forest Reserve

3.       Bukit Sawak Forest Reserve

4.       Sungai Itau- Sungai Kilim-Sungai Kisap Mangrove and Limestone Forest Reserve

5.       Sungai Kubang Badak Mangrove Reserve and

6.       Bukit Malut Forest Reserve.

Historically this is due in part to the loss of habitat for the purpose of rubber, rice and orchard farming. With less and less rainforest new problems are emerging today.

We are seeing an increase in runoff that have lead to flash floods that in turn have destroyed food crops as well as having to displace people from their homes in some flooded areas.

Today loss of biodiversity is mostly caused by land speculators that are usually headed by a few well placed personalities whom clear land in the hope of selling it later down the road for a quick profit.

Loss of habitat compounded by habitat fragmentation is the biggest threat to the island's natural biodiversity.  The island is in grave danger of losing its most valuable asset its Natural Capital. 

Langkawi has come to a very important crossroad and at stake is our quality of life and economic future. The future of this beautiful and beloved island home of ours is in our very hands. We must make the necessary changes, we cannot afford to see the lost of any more precious rainforest especially by land speculators. These few speculators are selling our future and the future of our children.

MNS Langkawi calling for Residents of Langkawi and Friends of Langkawi to sign this petitions.  This petition will be delivered to  Menteri Besar Kedah and Prime minister are calling for:

Future Directions

1. Gazette all remaining forested areas as Permenant Forest Reserves or State Parks
2. Enforce and monitor illegal land clearing 
3. Enforce and monitor poaching of wildlife  
   
4. Promote ecological land-use planning and zonation processes that treat urban, rural, and wild areas as a continuum.
   
5. Plan and implement wildlife corridors that will connect forested areas with each other
6. Put in place infrastructure and measures to promote the survival of our wildlife and rainforest.
7. Promote hollistic management of the various natural ecosystems and urban areas; Encourage the formation of compact towns and villages, encircled by working rural landscapes, leaving a connected matrix of wild lands stretching throughout the island.
8. Regulate high standards of sustainable eco tourism.