- 4 months ago
Beyond a cool getaway, Fraser’s Hill is a biodiversity hotspot in Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine. WWF-Malaysia experts Carell Cheong and Azhana Zakirah Ghozali share why this highland forest matters, the threats it faces and how youth can help protect it.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to It's About Youth with me, Fay Kwan.
00:11Fraser's Hill is often associated as a cool highland retreat, but it is more than a holiday destination.
00:17In fact, it's part of Malaysia's central forest spine, it's home to incredible biodiversity and is a refuge for various species.
00:24Now, like many of our natural treasures, Fraser's Hill also faces growing challenges amid climate change.
00:31Here to help us understand about this area a little bit better and how youth can play their role in protecting it,
00:36I'm joined by two experts from WWF Malaysia.
00:40They are Carol Cheong, she is the Manager of Protected Areas at Fraser's Hill,
00:44as well as Ashana Zakiragwazali, Program Officer of Protected Areas at Fraser's Hill.
00:50Thank you to both of you for joining me in the studio today.
00:53You're welcome.
00:53Thank you for having us as well.
00:54It's a pleasure to have you here.
00:56Very good to be here.
00:57Yes, and thank you for coming down all the way from Fraser's Hill, where you're now usually based.
01:02Now, firstly, when we're talking about this area, as I mentioned a little bit earlier in the intro,
01:08that most Malaysians tuning in now would kind of associate it as a place more as a family holiday.
01:14They're not aware about the rest of Fraser's Hill as a whole.
01:16So, Carol, what is it about Fraser's Hill that makes this highland ecosystem so unique compared to other parts of our country?
01:25Well, the conservation area of Fraser's Hill that WWF is working on,
01:32it encompasses not just the town area that people used to go, but it encompasses an area of about 76,000 hectares.
01:43So, it consists of five forest reserves of Pahang,
01:50five forest reserves of Pahang, namely Batu Talam, Batu Talam Tambahan, Tranum, Sungai Sia, and the Green Boundary.
02:00And we've collectively known, called this as the Fraser's Hill Forest Complex.
02:07So, these five forest complex are collectively known as that.
02:11And the Fraser's Hill Forest Complex is located within the central forest spine.
02:18And the western boundary of this forest complex is actually along the Titivangsa Range,
02:26and it borders Perak and Selengor in the west.
02:29This forest complex has an assemblage of about 20 mountain peaks of elevation more than 1,000 meters above sea level.
02:43And what is important is that these forest reserves, the land use of these forest reserves are rather minimal
02:51because almost more than 90% of them are protected as water catchment forests and soil protection forests under the National Forestry Act.
03:03Yeah, so what sets this apart, what sets this forest complex among the wider ecological network
03:11is that this area is an important ecological linkage within the central forest spine.
03:19So, it supports wildlife movement as well as genetic diversity.
03:26So, in addition, this area is an important water catchment forest.
03:33So, most of the rivers feed into the Sungai Pahang River Basin
03:38and supporting downstream communities for their water supply as well as the agricultural sector in Pahang.
03:45And furthermore, more importantly, is that the Fraser's Hill Forest Complex actually regulates the climate
03:55in the sense that in its role as a significant carbon sink.
04:01Right, so it does play quite a lot of roles and it's a very important protected area of forest reserve.
04:07How about the plants and animals over there?
04:09Are there any that are specifically unique to Fraser's Hill or any recent discoveries from your team?
04:14Oh, yes.
04:16In collaboration with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia,
04:21we recently completed a botanical inventory of the Fraser's Hill Forest Complex.
04:26From the results of this study, we found that this particular forest complex actually houses almost 16% of the total flora of peninsular Malaysia.
04:43And this works out to about 1,400 over species.
04:46And out of these 1,400 over species, 186 are only found in peninsular Malaysia and nowhere else in the world.
05:01And more specifically, nine of them are exclusively confined to this Fraser's Hill Forest Complex.
05:10So, hyperendemic species.
05:11Yes, they are called hyperendemic species.
05:13Okay, that's very interesting. Thank you, Carol, for sharing.
05:18You know, when we're talking about just how diverse this area is and the wildlife there,
05:23what are then some of the biggest threats that are facing Fraser's Hill today?
05:27Are they mostly human-driven, like development?
05:30Or I'm curious, are they more climate factors that are playing a role? Asana?
05:33Yeah, thank you, Ms. Weir, for the question.
05:36Yes, definitely.
05:37There's a few, I would say, environmental threats that the landscape is currently facing.
05:42There are things like poaching, where wildlife and also plants are being illegally hunted as well as taken from the forest.
05:50There's also issues such as habitat encroachment, where forested areas are being cleared to make ways for any types of development.
05:57And also, there are plans for big infrastructures, for example, building roads that might cut through the forest.
06:03And also, activities such as mini-hydro dams.
06:06And these activities would definitely affect the ecosystem as well as the function of the forest.
06:14And for example, the mini-hydro dams, right, it would eventually disrupt the river flow that is located in the forest.
06:21And ultimately, that the impact can be felt by both the wildlife and also the community living and also surrounding the landscape.
06:31And also, on top of all of those environmental threats, I would say climate change actually makes things even more complicated.
06:39So, to be very clear, there hasn't been like a scientific studies done specifically on Fraser's Hill, but there are a few examples that we can see at other tropical mountainous areas.
06:53where, you know, you can actually see like there's impact from the rising temperature in terms of the wildlife movement.
07:03And also, I would say like wildlife, they tend to find cooler places for them in order for them to stay and also to adapt due to climate change.
07:16And, you know, you can think of it like how we human always try to find for shades, right, on sunny days.
07:21So, technically, it's the same for wildlife, but the shades here actually refers to a cooler and also higher elevation.
07:32And if you want to think about it, wildlife, they can move pretty fast, they can adapt pretty fast.
07:38But what about plants, right? Not so much on that.
07:41Because, you know, for plants, they actually take longer time, decades, sometimes even centuries,
07:47for them to be able to adapt to the changes in climate, as well for them to be able to move in the sense.
07:53Because, you know, plants, they spread through seeds as well as growth, right?
07:58And that depends on the wildlife.
08:00Yeah, exactly. Very different from wildlife, right?
08:02And this would definitely put more pressure for them, like, in terms of, you know, being more vulnerable to extinction.
08:10And I would say, like, the other tricky parts about this is that Fraser's Hill is already located at the very top of the mountain.
08:19Meaning, when these species actually tried to move upslope towards the top, they actually would end up crowding, also cramping themselves in this, like, little less bit of space on the top, right?
08:33Yeah. So, this would cause more competition in terms of food, space, as well as breeding.
08:40And, you know, it can push the already vulnerable species closer to extinction.
08:44So, we're already seeing sort of changes in terms of those migration patterns and behaviour.
08:50Are there any other sort of changes in species, like population and behaviour, as a result of the pressures that Asana has mentioned, Carol?
08:59Oh, yes. Definitely. We are observing changes on the grounds.
09:05Like, some of the seasoned bird watchers, who used to frequent places all over Peninsular Malaysia,
09:12they were observing that lowlands bird species are actually now found in highland areas.
09:20So, and it sort of suggests that, you know, they are actually moving upslope.
09:28And, you know, it could be likely due to temperature rise or forest loss in the lowlands.
09:35Yeah. So, these changes, so meanwhile, these highland birds, as what Asana explained earlier,
09:43so, these highland birds that depend very much on the cooler temperatures are facing a shift in their breeding as well as feeding patterns.
09:54So, birds may nest later or earlier and probably due to match the changing patterns, cycles of plants and their feed.
10:14So, specifically, like insects, you know, change in activities, the insects activities, as well as the fruiting of plants.
10:25So, all these changes will actually affect the cycles and thereby affecting their feeding habits, their feeding patterns.
10:35And I'm assuming with more lowland birds moving up higher north, there's greater competition as well.
10:41Yes. Greater competition for food, for shelter, for everything.
10:46And how about you, Asana? Is there any other wildlife that you're able to give examples of?
10:52I would say like, yeah, our team has carried out a biodiversity assessment study in 2019 using camera traps,
11:00you know, those hidden cameras that you can actually find in the forest that actually take pictures of wildlife and also humans
11:06whenever they sense movement passing by through it, right?
11:10So, yeah, from that study, we actually found something amazing where we got to know that Fraser's Hill houses is actually a home
11:18for like 11 species of endangered wildlife and it's listed under the IUCN rate list.
11:24And a few stars of the list, I would say, we have dole, also known as the Asiatic wildlife dogs
11:30and also the Malayan tape, which both of these species, they are listed as endangered under the IUCN rate list.
11:38And also, we are very happy and also pleased to know that from the study, we get to know that Fraser's Hill is also a home
11:46for the majestic Malayan tigers, yeah, as well as the Sunda pangolin.
11:49Yes, exactly, iconic symbols. But the sad thing is that both of these species, they are listed as critically endangered
11:56under the IUCN rate list, meaning that they are at the very age of extinction.
12:01And I would say that these findings, it's both inspiring but also alarming for the team, right?
12:08Because like I said, we are happy to know that Fraser's Hill is still an area, it's still a lifeline for the species,
12:14but it also kind of like reminded us of how important it is for us to have it conserved.
12:21And the fact that you are still discovering new species means that this is a huge area that is still largely under-researched, understudied.
12:29How is then WWF, the both of you and your team, working to fill this kind of gaps in knowledge
12:35and to help preserve the biodiversity here at Fraser's Hill?
12:39Asana, do you think you give us a little bit of a glimpse of any current projects that you're working on?
12:42Sure, sure. I would say that the team is working on a few important fronts actually.
12:48But I would say like the core and the heart of our work actually lies on advocacy.
12:53The team has been actively engaging with the state agencies to get the landscape protected
12:59because as Carol has mentioned earlier, the forest reserve within the landscape, within the forest complex
13:05is actually classified as water catchment and also soil protection area.
13:09So, you know, having us advocate for it to be resetted as a state park instead would give the landscape the legal protection that it needs.
13:18And also, secondly, aside from advocacy, our team is also focusing on engaging and also empowering the local community,
13:27especially the orang asli.
13:29So, like for example, currently we are continuing our study to understand how the orang asli community that is living at the southern part of the landscape
13:38is depending on the forest for their livelihood.
13:41And this study is important for us because once you get to understand the relationship between the community and also the landscape,
13:49that's how you can, you get to know how we can actually empower them to be a champion in the conservation.
13:55Yeah.
13:56So, yeah, aside from that, we are also actively engaging with the orang asli community to push for what we call as inclusive conservation,
14:07where we are trying, basically we are trying to capacity build the orang asli community to make sure that they are fully equipped with skills
14:14and also to make sure that they are involved in decision making about, you know, for things that involve the landscape and also their home, right?
14:23So, in summary, I would say that our work actually is kind of like we are making sure that everyone is working together,
14:31you know, to keep the landscape thriving as well for the nature and also for the people.
14:34Because even if you're not within the Fraser's Hill Forest Complex, it's, there's going to have trickle and ripple effects on those and lowland areas as well.
14:42Yes, true, definitely, exactly.
14:42Yeah, and I'd love to hear, I'd love to hear the work that you're doing in engaging the orang asli community because it is their land.
14:50Yes, exactly.
14:50Most importantly, and if anything, they would be the first to see or feel those effects.
14:56Are there, I'm curious then, what are some of the biggest challenges that your team is facing or the biggest concerns that you have
15:03when it comes to sustaining the conservation efforts there?
15:08Honestly, there's a few, but I would say the first thing is actually to secure funding because, as we all know, conservation is not a quick fix, right?
15:18The work requires a long time, sometimes even decades for you to even see the impact of the work that you are doing.
15:24And I would say that most, not most, but the funding opportunity out there, most of them are short term and also tied to a specific kind of project.
15:34So, it makes it a bit challenging for us to sustain the activities that we are doing, you know, to keep the momentum,
15:41especially for work that requires consistency, like, you know, engaging with the communities.
15:48And I say, I would say, aside from funding for our team, the challenge would be in terms of manpower
15:55because, as you can see, our team are relatively small.
15:58It's just the two of us plus another one officer.
16:01Right.
16:01Yeah, but the work that we are doing is very huge.
16:04We are talking about, you know, advocating for the protection of an area that stretches for about 76,000 hectares.
16:11So, like, the work involves ranges from, you know, going into the field, doing field monitoring,
16:16engaging with the communities, building rapport with our state agencies, writing reports, and also writing proposals.
16:23And I'm pretty sure Carol can agree with me that sometimes we feel, both of us feel like we need to be at five different places at one time.
16:31Yeah, yeah, exactly.
16:34And I would say that despite all of these challenges, our team continue to push forward.
16:41Even though sometimes these challenges might reduce our impact and also slow down our progress.
16:47But we still believe that even though it's a little bit tiny baby steps, but it will eventually contribute to something bigger.
16:55When we're talking about lack of long-term funding and lack of manpower in your team's context,
17:00then I suppose it's also important to also, besides orang asli, also having to rope in the younger people, the younger generation.
17:10For people watching then, to put it in the most basic terms, Carol, why should young people care about protecting Fraser's Hill?
17:17Or, you know, in your experience, maybe you can also talk about, what are some of the most effective ways to inspire action?
17:23Yeah, actually the future of our youth today is really at stake and the choices we make now on conservation, on the environment,
17:37actually will shape the world that they are going to inherit.
17:43So, if we continue to lose biodiversity, we don't just lose the plants and the animals,
17:51but we will, I mean, our basic necessities, like the air we breathe, the water we drink, even the food we grow,
18:05and even our mental well-being, all will be impacted.
18:09You see, so conservation is not just about saving trees, saving animals or any other species.
18:18It's about protecting our future, protecting our future for our next generation.
18:26So, youth, actually, the young people today has a lot to gain by protecting,
18:33but they have all the more to lose if you don't.
18:38Yeah, you see, around the world, I mean, today, around the world, you can see that
18:44youth are actually initiating climate strikes, sustainability campaigns,
18:52and even holding corporations accountable.
18:55Yeah, because as you said, they are inheriting a world that is heating up.
18:57Yeah, because it's theirs, it's going to be theirs.
19:01So, all these prove that their voices matter.
19:06And you see, it is so important for youth to care, to care about conservation,
19:15because they will be the leaders, the lawmakers, and the change-makers of tomorrow.
19:23And that is so important.
19:26So, their voices, their actions, and their choices will actually shape the world that they want it to be,
19:35and how we value and protect the environment for tomorrow, I mean, for them.
19:41Exactly.
19:42And are there any sort of effective ways you think that can inspire them to take further action?
19:48Oh, yes.
19:49Perhaps, Asana?
19:51Yeah.
19:51Asana, what are some meaningful ways that youth can take?
19:54Young people.
19:55Yes.
19:56I say youth myself, right?
19:57I actually think that it is important for us to first build the connection for it,
20:03because, you know, like, peribahasa Melayu, right?
20:06Tak kenal maka tak cinta, right?
20:08Right.
20:08Yeah.
20:08So, like, you cannot really care about some things if you haven't experienced it.
20:14So, I would say, you know, getting the youth to be out there, you know, experiencing the nature,
20:18is really the first step.
20:19Because, and this can actually be done through simple things, like, you know, going for a track,
20:25maybe doing some bird watching, or maybe you can join, like, a volunteering program to plant trees,
20:34to do some beach cleanup, and even joining events that actually pushes for citizen science.
20:40Because, I strongly believe that once the youth are able to see the beauty of the nature,
20:47as well as the threat that the nature is currently facing, it could build a really emotional connection
20:52from that, and that connection can be very powerful.
20:56And, I would say, once the connection is built, that's when we can move to the next step,
21:03which is, you know, sharing the effort and also the awareness in a platform where young people love to hang out,
21:10you know, TikToks, Instagram, Facebook, and they can share it in terms of, you know,
21:15short videos, behind-the-scenes moments, or even cool and also relatable conservation stories.
21:21Because, I think, when it is peer-led, things felt more real.
21:26Like, for example, if you were to see your best friend going for, like, mangrove repunting or whatnot, right,
21:32it felt more closer to you, and that's when you feel more interested to learn more about it and to listen to it.
21:40And, once the youth are able to be exposed to this, I think youth can then see how their little effort
21:49actually make changes in real life changes, and that's where, I guess, we hope for a shift in mindset
21:55among the youth where, you know, conservation actually stops being other people's job,
22:01but also part of their life mission as well.
22:04And as Carol mentioned, their voices matter, so it's important for them to have a seat at the table.
22:09Well, let's hope that this would inspire more youth to take part in it and to make your lives easier, right?
22:14Oh, yes, really, hope so, because we are counting on them.
22:18We are counting on all of them.
22:19Because if not, you know, it needs to have that sustainability there.
22:26And if I were to add another peribahasa, berat sama di pikul, ringan sama di jinjing,
22:32it's all of our responsibility, and it's our will to inherit and to protect.
22:36Thank you so much, the both of you, for sharing your insights and speaking to me a little bit about Fraser's Hill today.
22:41I've been speaking to Carol Cheong and Azhana Zakirah Gozali from Protected Areas of Fraser's Hill at WWF Malaysia.
22:49This has been It's About Youth with me, Fei Kuan.
22:52Thank you for watching and good night.
Be the first to comment