WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2001
Wetlands a good source of income
By Arman Gunsika
KOTA KINABALU - Sabah World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Chief Datuk Tengku Adlin said the government could consider tapping the educational and recreational tourism potential of the wetlands apart from the conservation and protection programme.Launching the World Wetlands Day 2001 celebration here, Datuk Tengku Adlin described the wetlands as an important component for the protection of seashores and breeding grounds for prawns and fish.
"The wetlands could also help mitigate floods and purify water as well as being earmarked as ideal places for recreation and revenue earning tourism products," he said.
He also felt that the tourism potential of wetlands and its ability to generate revenue could not be underestimated. Sabah is blessed with many places that are rich in biodiversity such as the Kinabatangan areas and islands with beautiful corals that draw tourists from all over, and generating income for the government.
Citing the Mai Po wetlands in Hong Kong as an example, Datuk Tengku Adlin said the government pays the management authority HK$40 for each student who visits the site, thereby recognising the importance of promoting environmental education.
This is why the NGOs such as the WWF Malaysia, Sabah Nature Club and the Environmental Action Committee, worked together with the local authorities and the local community towards the conservation of wetlands found in places like Kota Kinabalu.
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