Forest Management for Eco-tourism: Understanding the Community Perspective of Co-Management. (Pengurusan Hutan untuk Ekopelancongan: Memahami Perspektif Masyarakat bagi Pengurusan Bersama.)

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Forest management for eco-tourism needs to emphasis on the participation of the community to ensure that eco-tourism products remain sustainable. Without active involvement by the community, eco-tourism products face the risk of being destroyed by the ravages of overzealous economic development activities. Of paramount importance is the need for a balance of economic development and sustainable forest management. The forest inhabitants and the community need to be in symbiotic relations in order to survive in the forest. This study seeks to understand the community perspectives in co-managing the eco-tourism forest in RBFRSP. For that reason, three community representatives, including two Penghulu and a Tok Batin were interviewed to seek their perspectives on co-management. The results, in a nutshell, indicate that the community is not ready for co-management.

Keywords: Forest management; community participation; eco-tourism; co-management.

ABSTRAK: Pengurusan hutan bagi kawasan eko-pelancongan perlu lebih menekankan kepada penglibatan komuniti di dalam memastikan kelestarian produk eko-pelancongan. Tanpa penglibatan pihak komuniti, produk eko-pelancongan diancam kemusnahan dari kerakusan program pembangunan ekonomi. Amatlah penting kewujudan pembangunan ekonomi yang diimbangi oleh pengurusan hutan yang lestari. Khazanah hutan dan komuniti perlu berada di dalam hubungan simbiotik bagi memastikan kelangsungan jangka hayatnya. Oleh itu, kajian ini telah dijalankan bagi mengetahui perspektif pihak komuniti terhadap pengurusan bersama di kawasan eko-pelancongan RBFSP. Bagi tujuan tersebut, tiga pihak wakil penduduk termasuk dua Penghulu dan satu Tok Batin telah ditemu bual bagi mengetahui pandangan mereka tentang perkara tersebut. Hasil kajian menunjukkan ketiga-tiga wakil penduduk kurang bersedia dengan pengurusan bersama.

Kata kunci: Pengurusan hutan; penyertaan masyarakat; ekopelancongan; rakan pengurusan