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In the Shadow of the Palms: More-Than-Human Becomings in West Papua, by Sophie Chao. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2022, Pp. 336. In the Shadow of the Palms is [...]

Southeast Asia’s coastal communities are the frontliners of climate change impacts. Traditional livelihoods and fish landings are already declining due to changes in sea temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme weather. A human security lens should be used to examine the consequences of climate change impacts on the marginalised communities that suffer directly from it. This study adapts a 2001 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change vulnerability assessment for human and food security and assessment of potential conflicts, merging it with a tool to assess community resilience and adaptability to threats, as a framework to analyse the predicament of Malaysia’s artisanal fishermen. A case study based on 16 years of ethnographic and participant observation in a fishing community that depends on the maritime boundary between Malaysia and Singapore is used to illustrate the above. This paper demonstrates how local knowledge and experience in overcoming change should be used for better climate change adaptation policies and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable State: The Future of Government, Economy and Society, by Chandran Nair. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018. Pp. 249. In its synopsis, this book is pitched as a 'radical [...]

Cameron Highlands was discovered in 1885 and was developed as a hill station. It first served as a quaint retreat destination for the British residence where the urban morphology of its little town centres were strongly characterised by colonial architecture such as bungalows, institutional buildings and government offices, shophouses and market stalls. Eventually due to economic pressure and location potentials, more land was opened for tea plantations and vegetable and flower industries. Conversely, recent rapid uncontrolled developments in the built environment and agricultural sectors have tarnished its natural environment, old-world charm and historical values. If this trend persists, the popularity of Cameron Highlands as a vacation destination for local and foreign visitors may be badly affected. This research paper seeks to determine the perception of local stakeholders and tourists of the development in Cameron Highlands and whether they agree that agro-ecotourism can be used as a tool to achieve sustainability in the area. This paper is an assessment of a pilot test to determine initial perceptions toward Cameron Highlands development. The pilot test sample size was 41 respondents, comprising local authorities, local communities and NGOs, as well as local and international tourists. The results showed that the majority agreed that agro-ecotourism can generate a sustainable income and preserve the environment while ensuring sustainability through fair trade.

Ecosystem-service valuation is a useful tool for assessing potential costs of a development, from potential habitat-rehabilitation costs or habitat-value losses. Such an assessment can help avoid or mitigate cost implications from such losses. Furthermore, most environmental-impact assessments focus solely on ecological services, without considering the socio-ecological-economic relationships that provide a more holistic assessment of a habitat by incorporating socio-economic values. This study combines the benefit-transfer approach with significant anthropological and local-knowledge inputs to determine a more complete assessment of the value of seagrass meadows in Mukim Tanjung Kupang, Johor, Malaysia. We collected data that are site-specific and relevant to a small-scale artisanal fishery in this area, which include often-excluded measures such as reported catch landings, gleaning, tourism and downstream economic values. This study determined a seagrass habitat value of US$57 731.80 (RM242 473.58) ha–1 year–1. However, this figure is highly underestimated owing to the number of unavailable ecosystem-service values, as well as an uncertain future for the area. The research has shown that there are many more components to economic assessments of natural habitats than has previously been realised. This study collected site-specific data that are relevant to a small-scale artisanal seagrass fishery, incorporating measures such as reported catch landings, gleaning, tourism, and downstream economic values. The seagrass habitat was determined to have a value of US$57 731.80 (RM242 473.58) per hectare per year and highlighted the advantages of incorporating anthropological and local knowledge in economic assessments of natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using environmental citizenship as the basis of its activities and initiatives, a community organisation, Kelab Alami, successfully combined environmental action with a socio-ecological systems approach to counter environmental and social injustice. The organisation fused traditional ecological knowledge with science for use in community-initiated ecotourism; engaged with surrounding developers, local authorities and the state government to mitigate environmental damage and maximize job opportunities for the community; nurtured and supported local entrepreneurship efforts and continues to spread environmental awareness and protection. This paper traces the development of Kelab Alami, the training and empowerment of youthful citizen scientists, and its attempt to garner multi-level support and collaboration for its environmental actions. This is a grounded illustration of resource mobilization in action, and a local view of a community's efforts to cope with poverty, environmental degradation and urbanization; a model that could be adapted and adopted by other communities facing similar circumstances and threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]