Bio-diversity

During its earlier phase OP2, SGP Malaysia had funded two residents associations, whose projects had collectively succeeded in establishing the 870ha (the last remaining patch of a once 39,000ha gazetted Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve) Malaysia s first ever Kota Damansara Community Forest Park (KDCFP). Notably, the KDCFP has since become much more accessible and utilizable by visitors from various categories of societies, besides researchers discovering and documenting a number of species of flora and fauna unique or endemic to the park. However, with some new and emerging threats to the continued maintenance, use and management of the forest-associated biodiversity of the KDCFP, another group of residents association have since taken up the challenge of continuing to safeguard it for present and future generations. Among the innovative strategies to be adopted in the SGP project by the new residents association are i) inventorizing and preparing a specific forest biodiversity oriented masterplan for it, and ii) making it more readily accessible to the physically disadvantaged visitors, including visitors on wheelchairs, iii) promoting the park to be utilized for special events by more categories of students, clubs, and adults,(eg. Girl Guides Association) etc, iv) establishing more awareness raising and information dissemination, documentation and nature trails, along with the training of more nature guides and interpretive experts, v) introducing and building on the lifestyles, skills, cultures, handicrafts and medicinal plants of the indigenous peoples, vi) establishing the park to become a model that could be subsequently replicated, upscaled and mainstreamed for sustainability elsewhere.

Malaysia