Impacts of tourism development and proposed management on Mabul Island, Sabah, Malaysia
The impact of tourism development on Mabul Island was examined in this study. Consistent with the concept of Limits of Acceptable Change, ways and means have been suggested for formulating a comprehensive approach to integrated management of the island resources. Currently, the marine resources are...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2009
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42839/1/24%20PAGES.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42839/2/FULLTEXT.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/42839/ |
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| Summary: | The impact of tourism development on Mabul Island was examined in this study. Consistent with the concept of Limits of Acceptable Change, ways and means have been suggested for formulating a comprehensive approach to integrated management of the island resources. Currently, the marine resources are exploited by the tourism industry as well as the islanders for income generation. Their activities are poorly regulated, resulting in unsustainable practices. For developing knowledge-based regulatory standards, an in-depth scientific understanding of the impact of the various anthropogenic activities was deemed necessary. The focus of this investigation was on observing their changes in selected ecological indicators, namely coral cover, abundance and occurrence of indicator species of reef fish and marine invertebrates, seagrass cover, land-use profile, quality of groundwater and inshore coastal water, and the socio-economic condition of the stakeholders. The findings indicated that degradation of the marine and terrestrial environments of the Mabul Island. This is evident from decline in the hard coral cover from an average of 37.5% in 1979 to 17.6% in 2007 where no signs of coral recovery were noticed. Chaetodontids had shown a significant decline in numbers on the reefs with low percentage coral cover. The presence of abundant Diadema sea urchin was linked to increased algal production caused by high nutrient level in the water. A dense seagrass cover so close to the local villages could be an indication of eutrophication from sewage outflows, while the sparse seagrass near the resorts was degraded by sedimentation due to construction activity. Faecal coliform level exceeding 0 CFU/100 ml of groundwater had indicated bacteria contamination and considered unsafe for drinking. Although the overall quality of coastal water is considered safe under the water quality standard specifications for marine life and human recreational activities, but the elevated nutrient load can threaten the suitability of water for uses by humans and for marine life. About 85% of the land area has been cleared for village housing projects, resorts and budget accommodation. Tourists, dive guides and islanders share the view that the island ecosystem has undergone deterioration. Tourists holding environment-friendly attitudes have expressed overcrowding and concern over growing number of resorts. Information synthesized from the resources have reached the limits of acceptable change and any further threaten the sustainability of the marine critical habitats, vulnerable marine life and income-generating potential of the ecotourism business. A ceiling on the further activities has been recommended to control degradation of the marine resources. The issues related to overcrowding and poor waste management have been thoroughly addressed. A holistic and thoroughly integrated management of the island ecosystem, with clearly defined and prioritized action plans is urgently needed for implementation to sustain the marine ecotourism industry and livelihood of islanders. |
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