Sustainable agriculture in the Cameron Highlands Malaysia

Barrow C.J., . (2006) Sustainable agriculture in the Cameron Highlands Malaysia. [Proceedings Paper]

The Cameron Highlands are at risk especially from environmentally damaging farming insensitive building and some forms of tourism development. Present day farming activities are unsustainable and are already degrading or are soon likely to damage tourism biodiversity hydropower generation and the quality of life of many people in the highlands and in the surrounding lowlands. The impacts of highland development are increasingly felt further afield especially through the degradation of the water quality and flow regime of streams which run to surrounding lowlands. Opportunities should be grasped to develop more sensitive agriculture tourism forest product extraction and building strategies. The established farming tourism building and forest product extraction are profitable. Understandably those involved and various institutions will hesitate to initiate changes which could reduce profitability however without some reinvestment and control the longer term prospects are for economic decline and serious environmental damage. More awareness of global and regional environmental change is also desirable. Because impacts are felt accross broad swathes of the lowlands it is in the interests of the Federal Government and surrounding States to invest in Cameron Highlands improvements. Unfortunately the lowland offsite impacts are effectively hidden from those causing them and people in the lowlands have yet to link their welfare with environmental management of highlands. A key step will be to present the full costs including lowland impacts in a way that can be compared with the financial benefits of current farming tourism and building. Opportunities must be grasped to prompt better environmental management and to pursue sustainable development. Somehow those involved in farming tourism and forest product extraction have to be encouraged and supported to adopt sustainable less damaging alternatives Barrow in press Barrow et al. 2004. One possibility is to encourage dovetailing- integrated development of activities which are mutually supportive. There appears to be potential for farmers tourism developers those concerned with biodiversity conservation and Orang Asli peoples involved in forest product extraction to work together toward sustainable development.

Full text available from:

Abstract

The Cameron Highlands are at risk especially from environmentally damaging farming insensitive building and some forms of tourism development. Present day farming activities are unsustainable and are already degrading or are soon likely to damage tourism biodiversity hydropower generation and the quality of life of many people in the highlands and in the surrounding lowlands. The impacts of highland development are increasingly felt further afield especially through the degradation of the water quality and flow regime of streams which run to surrounding lowlands. Opportunities should be grasped to develop more sensitive agriculture tourism forest product extraction and building strategies. The established farming tourism building and forest product extraction are profitable. Understandably those involved and various institutions will hesitate to initiate changes which could reduce profitability however without some reinvestment and control the longer term prospects are for economic decline and serious environmental damage. More awareness of global and regional environmental change is also desirable. Because impacts are felt accross broad swathes of the lowlands it is in the interests of the Federal Government and surrounding States to invest in Cameron Highlands improvements. Unfortunately the lowland offsite impacts are effectively hidden from those causing them and people in the lowlands have yet to link their welfare with environmental management of highlands. A key step will be to present the full costs including lowland impacts in a way that can be compared with the financial benefits of current farming tourism and building. Opportunities must be grasped to prompt better environmental management and to pursue sustainable development. Somehow those involved in farming tourism and forest product extraction have to be encouraged and supported to adopt sustainable less damaging alternatives Barrow in press Barrow et al. 2004. One possibility is to encourage dovetailing- integrated development of activities which are mutually supportive. There appears to be potential for farmers tourism developers those concerned with biodiversity conservation and Orang Asli peoples involved in forest product extraction to work together toward sustainable development.

[error in script]

Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia. S589.76 P3C182 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	SUSTAINABILITY
AGROVOC Term:	AGRICULTURE
AGROVOC Term:	BIODIVERSITY
AGROVOC Term:	ZONING
AGROVOC Term:	ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
AGROVOC Term:	SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
AGROVOC Term:	MALAYSIA
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:28
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16748

Actions (login required)

View Item