Unsustainable tourism is no longer viable for natural environments such as Janda Baik, Pahang. CHRISTINE LEONG writes that in order for Janda Baik to sustain its natural flora and fauna, a shift towards ecotourism is needed.

Written by Christine Leong on 5 Dec 2011 with 0 comments. Be the first!

Janda Baik, a quiet 'kampung' (village), is located in a natural topography of hilly terrains ranging from 1500 to 4500 feet above sea level. Among its beauty are intervening valleys and six cascading mountain streams. Several waterfalls, plunging from 40 to 60-feet high, have so far been identified.

There are about seventy families in Janda Baik, who are predominantly Malay. Most of the settlers came from the nearby town of Bentong, when it was struck by heavy flood in the year 1926. The settlers learnt to live together with the existing local community and the township started in 1932.

One of the senior citizens, Naemah Binti Labor, 76, said they used to live harmoniously with nature, and animals such as elephants, tigers and mousedeer are common sights at night.

Thirty years ago the Forestry Department planted pine trees along the Bentong Road leading up to Janda Baik. The area has the atmosphere of a temperate pine forest, with temperature as low as 22°C. The pine trees are now 60-feet in height, and they shoot straight up to the sky with little undergrowth.

According to an early settler, Saad Bin Awangah, 52, the temperature is so cold during the 1950s that oil that was left out in the open could freeze over. Regrettably, temperature has risen because of rapid development, but he said tourists are still drawn to Janda Baik's cool and refreshing weather.

A lot of deforestation had happened in recent years causing a rise in temperature in Janda Baik. According to the three reports taken from the Meteorological Department website, the graphs show the gradual increase of temperature from the years of 1969 to 2009.

Though the residents welcome the revenue from the tourism industry, they are concerned with the rapid development that has caused some adverse effect on the environment.

According to tour guide and resident, Alwi Bin Din, 42, most of the homestay owners cleared lands and built buildings to their liking without any regards towards the natural environment. Unsustainable developments such as these had caused a lot of deforestation leading up to soil erosion.

Soil erosion has caused sand and silt to be washed down into the river. Some of the rivers which were chest deep before are now only ankle deep. To illustrate how serious the situation has become, Alwi explained how his father used to catch fish that could last them for two meals in just one hour. But now fishing for half a day will not get enough even for a meal.

"In those days, we can hear the chipping of the birds in the morning. But now the birds also chirp at night because they cannot tell the difference between day and night with spot lights in some homestays creating an illusion of daylight," he continued.

The residents want to preserve and enjoy the unique environment as it is, but their challenge is how to balance tourism with as little disturbance to the existing forests, rivers and wildlife as possible.

The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people".

With the above philosophy, the following criteria became obvious:-

• To retain the natural characteristics of the area
• To leave the primary rain forest untouched to prevent pollution of the streams which are presently clear and free from E.coli contamination.
• To build roads following the natural contours of the slopes. Tree-felling would be kept to a minimum, not only at roadsides but also on building lots.
• Design of buildings should blend with the natural environment and utilize local materials as much as possible.

Developments need not be destructive to nature. Man and nature must learn to live in harmony in order for both to survive. For the ecotourism industry to strive and for Janda Baik to maintain its natural beauty, few measures must be in place and Janda Baik must play a proactive role in promoting ecotourism.

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