case studies undp: mescot, malaysia

7/22/2019 Case Studies UNDP: MESCOT, Malaysia

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/case-studies-undp-mescot-malaysia 1/12

Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions or people, nature, and resilient communities

MalaysiaMESCOT

Empowered live

Resilient nation



UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo

or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth

their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition

themselves guiding the narrative.

To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser

that details the work o Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ

to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models

replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to ‘The Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years

the Equator Prize’, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.

Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database.

EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph Corcoran

Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding

Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughe

Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma,

Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu

DesignOliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Lorena de la Pa

Brandon Payne, Mariajosé Satizábal G.

AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the MESCOT Initiative, and in particular the guidance and inputs o Rosli Hj Jukra

and Zazarita Badrun. All photo credits courtesy o www.mescot.org/ and www.acebook.com/media/albums/?id=1442890723142

Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.

Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2012. MESCOT, Malaysia. Equator Initiative Case Study Series. New York, NY.

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/Power_of_Local_Action_Final_2013.pdf


http://www.mescot.org/

http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=144289072314289

http://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858

http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=144289072314289






PROJECT SUMMARYMESCOT works in orest rehabilitation, ecotourism, and

invasive species eradication to improve livelihood options

or the community o Batu Puteh, in the Lower Kinabatangan

region o Malaysia. This area has been documented as a site

o mega-biodiversity due to its concentration o lowland

wildlie, particularly large mammals and primates.

One o MESCOT’s key projects has been eradicating the

invasive Salvinia molesta. In 2001, oods introduced

the species into Tungog Lake, used by the Batu Puteh

community or shing: within 16 months, the lake wascompletely covered. MESCOT mobilized a vast volunteer

eort in 2005 to remove the weeds rom the surace and

bottom o this endangered reshwater habitat. Revenues

rom ecotourism have unded ongoing eradication eorts.

KEY FACTS

EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2004

FOUNDED: 1996

LOCATION: Sabah state, Malaysia

BENEFICIARIES: Village o Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan

BIODIVERSITY: Forest, foodplain, and acquatic ecosystem

3

MESCOTMalaysia

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Context 4

Key Activities and Innovations 6

Biodiversity Impacts 8

Socioeconomic Impacts 9

Sustainability 10

Replication 11

Partners 11



4

he Kinabatangan River ows out o Borneo’s mountains in theMalaysian State o Sabah. Its upper reaches wind through thick

ungle, sparsely inhabited and rich in biodiversity. The lower

Kinabatangan slows signicantly, carving out the landscape into a

meandering oodplain. The area orms the agricultural heartland

Sabah. Lining the oodplain is a remarkable diversity o orests –

lluvial, resh water swamp, lowland dipterocarp, heath, peat swamp

nd limestone. Because o this high diversity o orest types, there

s a corresponding richness in diversity o habitats or ora and

auna. The Lower Kinabatangan has been documented on many

ccasions as a site o mega-biodiversity and stands out due to its

igh concentrations o lowland wildlie, particularly large mammals

nd primates. All ten species o Bornean primates are ound in the

rea, including orang-utan and proboscis monkeys. So too, nine out eleven hornbill species that can be ound on Borneo – such as the

hinoceros hornbill, helmeted hornbill and the rare wrinkled hornbill

can be ound in Lower Kinabatangan. Other rare birds, extremely

are in act, include the Storm’s Stork, Bornean Bristlehead, and Argus

heasant. The area is also one o the ew remaining habitats o the

orneo pigmy elephant.

Environmental threats in Lower Kinabatangan

or hundreds o years, the indigenous Orang Sungai people o

he Lower Kinabatangan have relied on these orests or their

ood, medicine, livelihoods and wellbeing. Their lives changed

ramatically rom the 1960s onward, however, with the introduction large-scale extractive industries and mechanized tree-elling

apacity. The introduction o commercial orestry and international

mber demands had deleterious eects on the landscape and the

ocal population. Huge tracts o land were deorested, in the process

liminating unique ecosystems and biodiversity ound nowhere

lse on the planet. The wholesale reorientation o local economies

o accommodate commercial orestry also created dependence on

n unsustainable extractive industry. As wide tracts o land were

onverted or agriculture, large numbers o the local population

were orced into illegal timber and wildlie poaching to make a living.

Roots o community-based conservation eorts The Model Ecologically Sustainable Community Conservation

Tourism (MESCOT) Initiative evolved in 1996 in the communi

Batu Puteh, later orming KOPEL Bhd., a village-based cooper

enterprise designed to coordinate conservation and commu

based ecotourism activities. Since its inception, MESCOT

provided local and indigenous communities with altern

livelihood options, while at the same time protecting the last ves

o rainorest and indigenous culture that remained in the re

Early in the project’s genesis, ecotourism was identied as a v

economic option capable o improving local incomes, increasing

economic value o the remaining standing orests, and attra

unds to support the protection and restoration o the surrounwetland orests and wildlie.

Batu Puteh is made up o ve villages – Mengaris, Perpaduan, P

Singga Mata, and Batu Puteh proper. The community is notewo

or several reasons, not least o which because it is compl

surrounded by the 45-square kilometer Supu Forest Reserve – un

in containing six distinctly dierent lowland orest types – and

Kinabatangan Wildlie Sanctuary. Local community members

all ve villages were project pioneers, including a large numb

unemployed or underemployed youth.

Beyond ecotourism

MESCOT has the stated objective o empowering local peop

take responsibility or rainorest conservation, while at the s

time providing them with training opportunities, productive

development, and income generation options. Awareness-ra

is also a central objective; sensitizing the local population

global community writ large to the drivers o biodiversity loss i

wetland habitats o Lower Kinabatangan, as well as the imper

o supporting conservation eorts. And indeed habitat conserva

is a motivating catalyst or MESCOT work. It aims to restore m

than 1,000 hectares o wildlie corridors to provide a habit

Background and Context



55

nbroken canopy cover or the wildlie within neighbouring orest

eserves, including threatened primate species such as the orang-

tan. Along these same lines, MESCOT is working to clear an invasive

pecies o water weed, Salvinia molesta, rom the reshwater aquatic

cosystems o the Kinabatangan wetlands; an invasive species that

s endangering the reshwater aquatic ecosystems and wildlie in the

ungog Lake.

n the early days o the MESCOT initiative, ecotourism developmentwas a singular and primary objective. The scope o their work was

roadened in 1998, however, when drought-induced res ravaged

he orests surrounding the villages o Batu Puteh. A voluntary

roup rom MESCOT was assembled to support in ghting these

res. In the atermath, MESCOT decided to adopt the rehabilitation

degraded wetland orest ecosystems, shrinking habitats, and

ritical wildlie corridors as central pillars o their work. This was,

t the time, a ground-breaking decision, as relatively little was

nown about the complex oodplain ecosystems and orest types

the area. Ever since, orest restoration has developed into a core

ctivity o MESCOT. Also born rom re-ghting eorts in 1998 was

a partnership with the Sabah Forestry Department, which has s

expanded to include collaboration in protecting the Pin-Supu F

Reserve, biological monitoring and evaluation, awareness rai

tree planting, and silviculture treatment.

Birth o KOPEL cooperative, 2003

In 2002, a number o previously disparate community tou

groups launched through MESCOT undertook a consultprocess and decided to combine orces into a single comm

tourism cooperative. It took a ull year o meetings, dialogue

preparation plans or KOPEL to be registered as a cooperativ

2003. The cooperative retained the original community grou

distinct administrative units, while MESCOT retained responsibi

or driving the overall program, maintaining community sup

coordinating tourism activities between groups, training villa

as guides, accountants, and maintenance sta, accounting

nances, and providing communications support.



6

Key Activities and Innovations

his community-based cooperative operates with the understandinghat alternative income generation options are necessary or the

ommunity to halt unsustainable pressure on orang-utan and other

wildlie habitats. Economic incentives are essential. They are not,

owever, sufcient on their own to instill a conservation ethic or to

onserve and restore ecosystems and biodiversity. This is why, above

nd beyond a ocus on livelihoods creation – primarily through

cotourism ventures – MESCOT activities also ocus on awareness-

aising and orest restoration.

Community-based ecotourism

hat said, the primary activity o MESCOT rom which all other

ctivities are born (and unded) is ecotourism. With ve dierentypes o oodplain orest, 208 species o birds, 10 primate species,

orang-utan, gibbons, clouded leopards, otters, sun bears, ying

zards, and a plethora o other wildlie, the surrounding orests

ave all the appeal and attraction necessary to sustain ecotourism

operations. MESCOT’s primary outpost or ecotourism is the

ungog Rainorest Eco Camp. It oers an exceptional platorm or

ow-impact wildlie and bird watching, more than 18 kilometers

o trails, a number o tree hides, swamp orest boardwalks, and

en live-in observation platorms. Guides rom the local villages o

atu Puteh look ater visitors and arrange or activities such as river

rips, cave visits, specialist wildlie and bird observation, and orest

onservation activities such as seed collection and tree planting.

rekking to satellite camps is also an option, which combines wildlieracking and orest restoration. Environmental conservation and

ducation activities are arranged or student groups and or amilies

isiting with children.

Forest and habitat restoration

As has been mentioned, another priority MESCOT activity is orest

nd habitat restoration. The cooperative has been carrying out this

imension o its work since 1999, ollowing serious droughts and

widespread orest res in 1998, which mirrored a similarly destructive

series o events rom 1983. Studies quoted by the community shoalmost zero natural regeneration or nearly two decades ollo

the orest res o 1983. With a vision o taking orest restoration

their own hands, MESCOT began with experimental activitie

swamp and ooded orest restoration. Based on the success o t

interventions, MESCOT has since expanded its activities in this

pioneering a number o restoration techniques (such as the bla

liberation o vines and weed grasses) and planting over 100

trees in our oodplain orest types.

The oundation o MESCOT tree planting eorts is a tree nu

which cultivates both endemic tree species, as well as ruit-bea

trees. MESCOT uses local knowledge o native tree species

orest ruits, and mobilizes members o the local communitseasonal seed gathering expeditions. Seeds are gathered rom

surrounding oodplains. Some targeted trees only bear ruit

a year, while others ruit sporadically at dierent times o the

As such, seed collection takes place throughout the year o

ongoing basis. Whatever happens to be in season makes its way

the MESCOT tree nursery to be processed and germinated. N

germinated seeds are then careully moved into soil-lled plan

bags. Trees are nurtured in the nursery or our to six months b

being transported to orest sites or planting. Site prepar

includes the de-vining and weeding o planting sites, somet

up to three rounds beore planting. Young trees are hand-carri

baskets to planting sites. The trees are monitored monthly or the

12 months, ater which monitoring is reduced to once every tmonths. A core team coordinates operations o the tree nursery

much is achieved through the enthusiasm and energy o volunt

Students and school children are also engaged in various aspec

the nursery activities.

When MESCOT began its orest restoration eorts, external ex

advised that one-meter rows be cut into the vine thicket ab

the planted trees. Ater only three months, the planting lines w

no longer distinguishable, with the planted trees smothere

a canopy o vines, climbing grasses and bamboo. To counter



7

MESCOT pioneered a ‘blanket liberation’ approach to de-vining,

which has allowed saplings to eectively germinate and survive

he rst inant years o growth. Subsequent studies have shown

hat, or every one tree MESCOT planted, more than ten trees

ave regenerated naturally. Over the last ten years, MESCOT has

lanted more than 100,000 trees, the majority o which are ast-

rowing pioneer species such as Mytrogyna sp and Nauclea spp,

which produce leaves, owers and ruit. These species are also ast

eplenishing a robust orest canopy, needed to shade out weedines, to support seed-bearing birds and animals, and to aid in the

egeneration o a ‘climax orest’. Certain tree species have also been

elected or replanting purposes based on the ruit they provide or

ndemic wildlie, such as orang-utans and hornbills. Favorites o the

rang-utan which t this bill and which are cultivated by MESCOT

nclude Dracontomelon sp, Artocarpus sp, Garcinia sp, Diospyros sp,

Canarium sp, and Ficus sp. To date, 23 species o trees have been

rialed and are being planted on a large-scale or various purposes.

ake restoration; invasive species eradication

Another core activity or MESCOT is lake restoration, or, more

pecically, clearing the harmul water weed Salvinia molesta. This

nvasive alien species, a water ern which is reported to have been

ntroduced in the early 1990s, suocates the wetlands and waterways

eastern Sabah and has enguled the Lower Kinabatangan. The

overage and impact o this invasive species is remarkable: the weed

oubles in size every three days. In a matter o two short decades,

alvinia molesta has transormed once pristine lakes, reshwater

wamps and tributaries into estering sludge pits, smothering and

hoking the ragile wetland habitats. And, much to the dismay o

Batu Puteh residents, oods in 2001 introduced Salvinia mo

into Tungog Lake, the village’s traditional shing grounds. With

months, the 18 hectare oxbow lake was completely covered. MES

has invested energy and resources since in removing the w

rom the surace and bottom o this endangered reshwater hab

revisiting on a monthly basis to ensure it does not re-accumu

Revenues rom ecotourism ventures are used to pay a team o

week every month it takes to keep Salvinia molesta at bay. This t

has pioneered a ‘sawak’ method, in which Salvinia regrowth is neand then dumped on the orest oor at strategically ident

locations on the ringe o Tungog Lake, where it takes between

months to decompose.

Direct and indirect benefciaries

The primary beneciaries o MESCOT are the villages o Mukim,

Puteh, and Kinabatangan. When the initiative began, only 5 per

o the local population were engaged in MESCOT activities.

number has grown exponentially to over 60 percent. This initia

has achieved major advancements in the empowerment o

and indigenous peoples, ecologically sustainable developm

the combination o local with scientic knowledge in silvicu

or lowland orests, and the restoration o critical orang-

habitat. The ground-breaking work o MESCOT in determining

appropriate species types, their seasonality, ruiting behav

and nursery propagation, has contributed much to the ov

knowledge o orestry in Sabah as well as to reorestation e

MESCOT has supplied tree seedlings and other technology

accumulated experience directly to other partners or research

restoration activities.



8

Impacts

BIODIVERSITY IMPACTSOne o the clearest biodiversity impacts o the MESCOT project

has been the reorientation o the local economy away rom illegal

imber harvesting and poaching to sustainable, low environmental

mpact ecotourism. With the introduction o commercial logging,

he local population and the local economy had become entirely

dependent on an industry that was steadily and switly removing

arge swaths o standing rainorest and, with it, the region’s unique

biodiversity. So too, an inormal economy o illegal logging and

poaching emerged in which the local population, with little to no

viable livelihood options, was orced to go outside the boundaries

o the law to make ends meet. Unemployment in the region had

been high, and alternative income streams were hard to come by.

By introducing a viable livelihood option in the orm o ecotourism,

MESCOT successully recongured the local economy towards

n environmentally-riendly revenue generator and away rom

predominating, singular view o available local development

options, which had until that point been quite short-sightedly

mited to land conversion.

Reorestation impacts

MESCOT has also been successul in restoring degraded orest

and, thereby reintroducing conditions or local biodiversity to

hrive. This has been particularly true or the endemic orang-utanpopulations, whose habitat has been saeguarded. Local community

members rom Batu Puteh have been involved in researching and

mapping orest resources, both or conservation purposes and

o distinguish key eatures with potential or eco-tourists. This

participatory mapping and restoration planning has increased local

wareness and knowledge o the region’s biological wealth, and

mproved local understanding about the impacts o orest loss and

ecosystem depletion on health, livelihoods and wellbeing. Through

ts reorestation program, MESCOT has planted over 100,000

rees in the degraded resh water swamp orest. Oversight and

maintenance o a highly productive tree nursery has also enaMESCOT to contribute to a range o orest rehabilitation pro

across Lower Kinabatangan, as the cooperative has becom

recognized and relied-upon provider o seeds and tree sapling

too, the organization has become a much coveted source o reg

knowledge on orest ecology, invasive alien species, and ruit

behaviour.

MESCOT continues to identiy and pilot new tree specie

propagation and planting. Through its phenological monitoring

cooperative has piloted three new tree species: Colona serrati

Durio graveolens and Dipterocarpus aplanatus. Colona serratio

Mangkapon) is a common pioneer species that eectively colo

burnt orests. Durio graveolens is a wild durian ruit tree, previo

common throughout the oodplain and a avorite o end

primate species. Although this species grows at comparatively

rates, it is considered essential to the mix o a robust and unctio

orest ecosystem. Dipterocarpus is now very rare within

oodplain orests, though these trees once constituted a large

o the orest cover. Fruit rom this particular genus are very dif

to obtain due to its rare and sporadic ruiting cycles, occurring

every seven to ten years.

From invasive species to organic ertilizer

Equally important in terms o biodiversity impacts has MESCOT’s work in clearing the invasive alien weed species, Sal

molesta. These water weeds were ‘introduced’ to the region in

1990s, spilled over into the Tungog Lake ollowing oods in 2

and have since been choking the wetland and aquatic ecosys

o the Lower Kinabatangan. Tungog Lake, which was traditio

used by the local community or small-scale shing, was cov

and suocated by the water ern. MESCOT has engaged in wha

only be described as a liberation campaign to ree the lake and

surrounding wetlands rom the grasp o this invasive species.

concerted year-long eort in 2005 cleared the surace and bo



o the lake, and these gains have been maintained through monthly

clearing activities. Fish have returned to restored areas o the lake

n greater numbers. Additionally, MESCOT has successully piloted a

echnique o using the vast amount o removed organic material as

a ertilizer in the surrounding orest.

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

The introduction o ecotourism in Batu Puteh has opened doors

or the local people. First and oremost, the homestay program

and eco-camp site have provided employment and direct income

o an unemployed or underemployed population. The Batu Puteh

Community Ecotourism Cooperative combines village-level

associations such as the Miso Walai Homestay Program, Wayon

Tokou Nature Guide Association, Mayo do Talud Boat Service, Tulun

Tokou Handicrats, and the MESCOT Culture Group. Taken together,

hese groups have advanced a viable business model capable o

ustaining the local population and unding conservation activities.

ncome generation and job creation

As an example, in its rst year o operation, the homestay program

generated over RM 70,000 (Malaysian ringgit), in its second year over

RM 80,000, and in its third year over RM 104,000. In a community where

average per capita income ranges between RM 3,600 and RM 9,600

per year, this income stream is both signicant and transormative.

MESCOT also directly employs 30 people on a salaried basis, and over

00 on a rotational, part-time basis. Additionally, the cooperative

upports 20 amilies in the homestay program, 60 people involved

n the village boat services, 10 nature guides, 30 elders and youth in

the village culture group, which ocuses on ethno-tourism, and

coordinators. The local community has also beneted rom tra

and capacity building in educational programming, bus

management skills, guide services, communications and marke

and interpretations services.

Rotating und; volunteer contributions

Notably, MESCOT has also established a rotating community

which is replenished through a set percentage o tourist reven

The und has averaged growth o RM 9,000 per year, and in

stood at over RM 25,000 (around USD 8,200). The und is use

oer micro-credit loans to community members, who have m

investments in water and sanitation services, sustainable electr

and roong. More broadly, revenues rom ecotourism activities

been used to support ofce and administrative costs, coordina

and management o business and conservation activitie

the ground, boats, storage inrastructure, and the tree nur

Importantly, ecotourism revenues are reinvested into orestwetland restoration equipment and activities.

The cooperative also maintains a volunteer and youth program

support with silviculture, seed collection, maintenance o plan

materials and the nursery, and tree planting. Engaging tourists

volunteer conservation and orest restoration program has pr

highly successul, tapping into an interest rom visitors to not

invest their tourist dollars, but to also invest their own en

manpower, and to quite literally lend a hand in orest and ha

protection. To date, more than 300 volunteers have been invo

in MESCOT conservation and reorestation activities.

9



10

Sustainability and Replication

SUSTAINABILITYhe primary indicators used by MESCOT to gauge their sustainability

re the number o tourist visitors and, among those, the number

repeat visitors. Visitor arrivals have steadily increased since the

roject began, and the number o repeat visitors is promising.

evenues have also increased over each year o operation, and are

einvested into the community through the rotating community

und, conservation activities, and trainings.

he initiative is also socially and culturally sustainable, with a

igh level o acceptance and ownership by the local indigenous

ommunity. One example o how this has been accomplished is thetrict code o conduct or tourists visiting the region. The cultural

nd environmental sensitivity and distinctiveness o the region

re communicated to visitors well in advance o their trip. This has

empowered the local community to take pride in local ecosystem

in their traditional culture, and has eectively mitigated a neg

response rom the community to any perceived intrusivene

incursion by tourists. MESCOT established a powerul precede

this regard by undertaking an inventory and documentation o

history and traditional knowledge – particularly as it may app

orest resources – beore the ecotourism venture began. This s

o respect and reverence has served to oster a revival in local int

o traditional knowledge and the culture associated with it.

The ull and direct participation o community members in MES

decision-making and strategic planning has been an esse

element o its sustainability and longevity. This participationsustained the cooperation and trust necessary or ongoing colle

action, and enabled a united ront in the community’s pursu

environmental, economic and cultural regeneration. The MES

Fig. 1: Growth of MESCOT ecotourism volume and revenue (2000-2009)

EFT: Total ecotourism volume (2000-2009) RIGHT: Ecotourism revenue (USD) (2000-2009) Source: MESCOT, 2010

176

2943

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

2000 20 01 2002 20 03 2004 20 05 2 006 20 07 2 008 2009

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009



1111

model is successul only and unequivocally because o the energy

nvested by community members, oten on a voluntary basis. While

he organization retains ull-time sta, program activities succeed

r ail based on the contributions o a peripheral core o part-time

elp. This organizational cohesion is attributable to working with

ore interest groups; planning work that has realistic but ambitious

bjectives; studying and understanding local capabilities, strengths,

esources and limitations; establishing a charter o internal rules and

egulations governing local activities and resource use; and carryingut community consultations or adaptive learning, to understand

what is working and what is not.

REPLICATION

number o other communities across the island o Borneo have

equested MESCOT’s expertise on orest restoration, and have actively

ought to replicate the program model. For example, a number o

illages in the region o Abai have requested support in starting a

milar project, also ocusing on ecotourism, but with some needed

daptations to the orest restoration dimension. A similar request

as come rom the Penan community in Sarawak. The cooperative

as also received a number o requests rom various levels o

overnment to support in the replication o the project. Toward this

nd o sharing best practice and lessons learned, MESCOT provides

ractical demonstrations and knowledge exchanges or interested

ommunities and government ofcials. MESCOT is also represented

n a number o regional and state committees or community

evelopment and conservation, where it plays an advisory role.

PARTNERS

MESCOT began based on partnership with the World Wildlie Fund

WWF), the Ministry o Tourism, Culture and Environment, the Sabah

orestry Department, and the Kinabatangan District Ofce. In 1996,ndividuals rom the Batu Puteh community approached WWF or

upport. At the time, WWF was supporting the Ministry o Tourism,

ulture and Environment to gazette an area o Lower Kinabatangan

s the Kinabatangan Wildlie Sanctuary. WWF agreed to sponsor

xperts to consult with the community on tourism planning,

ommunity mobilizing, undraising, and business development.

WWF-Norway then provided unds or the initial pilot project

which ultimately cemented the MESCOT group within the Batu

uteh community. These start-up unds were used to purchase

quipment or easibility studies, orest research, training programs,

xposure trips and educational visits, and, importantly, village-level

workshops and consultations. The Ministry o Tourism Culture and

nvironment was the lead government agency supporting MESCOT.upport came in the orm o community training on operating the

omestay, inspections and registration, and, later, an invitation to

t on the State Homestay Development Committee and support

he development o homestay programs in other villages across

he state. Less tangible support came in the orm o credibility and

egitimacy. A similar role was adopted by the Kinabatangan District

Ofce, the head o development in the Lower Kinabatangan region.

upport came in the orm o institutional support, endorsement,

romotion and inormation sharing. A number o other key partners

re listed below:

The Sabah Forestry Department : SFD has been a primary

essential collaborator rom the very beginning o the initia

Support has been extended in the orm o ofce space, compu

telecommunications, approval o orestry research and restora

activities in the Supu Forest Reserve, technical support in map

and tree species identication, approval o occupational permit

the eco-tourism camp, and seed separation support through

Sabah Forest Research Centre.

Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP): This international NGO

been the key bridging organization with external unding, provi

essential institutional support or the transer and administra

o unds or wetland rainorest restoration. Additional support

been provided through the acilitation o village level dialogues

workshops.

Shell Sabah Petroleum: SSP provided a seed grant to initiate the

stages o the eco-camp, drating o the ormal development pla

well as the purchase o materials and construction o the rst

buildings.

Alexander Abraham Foundation: AAF is the main sponsor o wet

and orest habitat restoration work, with some work co-spons

by American Forests. Support has been provided or lake and aq

habitat restoration, as well as the restoration o critical wil

corridors.

Arcus Foundation: The oundation has been integral in unding

physical construction o the eco-camp.

Adventure Tour Companies: Among the noted tour and exped

companies supporting MESCOT are Outlook Expeditions (w

supplies school groups), Camp Borneo (also a supplier o sc

groups), and Rakuno Gakuen University. Other large internati

companies initiating programs with MESCOT include Exo

Travel, Intrepid Travel, Geckos Travel, JISCO Travel and Imagin

Traveller, all o whom run short adventure holidays, with a ocu

responsible tourism.



Equator Initiative

Environment and Energy GroupUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

304 East 45th Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Tel: +1 646 781 4023

www.equatorinitiative.org

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating or change

onnecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better lie.

The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizati

o recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions or people, nature and resilient communities.

©2012 by Equator Initiative

All rights reserved

Click the thumbnails below to read more case studies like this:

FURTHER REFERENCE

MESCOT website http://www.mescot.org/

ESCAP Tourism Review, Managing Sustainable Tourism Development http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/2004win

MESCOT/managingsustainabletourism.pd

Ngece, Kunga. 2002. Community Based Ecotourism: What can the people o East Arica learn rom success stories elsewhere? , East A

Ecotourism Development and Conservation Consultants. http://cbnrm.net/pd/nicholas_kn_001_ecotourismpaper.pd



http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/2004winners/MESCOT/managingsustainabletourism.pdf





http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348163605.pdf



case studies undp: mescot, malaysia

Documents