SECURING THE FUTURE OF KENYIR
Kenyir For Life:
Kenyir For Life (KFL) is a life-long project that is dedicated to conserving the 200,000 hectares Kenyir watershed, part of which is now established as the 30,000 hectares Kenyir State Park (KSP) by the State Government of Terengganu, Malaysia.
The project is a long-term initiative that involves many past and current partnerships — from authoritative bodies, funders as well as non-governmental organisations who have greatly contributed to the success of the project. Kenyir For Life aims to work towards achieving four main outcomes:
Biodiversity conservation
Improved management of the Kenyir State Park
Climate
change
mitigation
Local community empowerment and education
Kenyir For Life takes a collaborative approach to protect the 30,000-ha park. This is made possible by Terengganu State Parks Management Council (TSPMC) and its partnership with Nature Based Solutions, which enlists efforts of partner organisations that specialise and operate within their best capacities to ensure Kenyir State Park and its inhabitants are free from harm. Each partner supports different components of the park's management and protection by coordinating different conservation methods, engaging local communities, and monitoring biodiversity to ensure the total protection of the area.
The Kenyir State Park is home to lowland-hill dipterocarp forests that are rich in biodiversity and is ecologically sensitive, with the area previously classified as a production forest reserve managed for sustained timber yield.
On 10th May 2018, with support from the Terengganu State Government, 30,000 ha of the Kenyir watershed was gazetted as Kenyir State Park – eliminating threats of deforestation and habitat degradation.
However, the park remains susceptible to poaching. Collaboration between TSPMC and NGO partners enables tackling poaching threats through park management and boots on the ground. Total protection makes Kenyir State Park a safe and stable haven for all life forms to thrive without detrimental human disturbances.
0/8
of Peninsular Malaysia's wild cats
0/10
of Malaysia's hornbills
0
reptile species
0
species of plants
0
species of mammals
0
species of birds
All of Malaysia's terrestrial large mammal species can be found in the Kenyir watershed, including 16 threatened species that are on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Threatened species living here include the Sunda Pangolin, Malayan Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Asiatic Dhole, Malayan Sun Bear, Asian Tapir, White-handed Gibbon, Asian Elephant and Large Flying-Fox.
Manis javanica
Natural pest control, contributes to soil aeration, accelerates the biogeochemical cycle of forests and forest regeneration.
Panthera tigris jacksoni
Apex predator, maintains stability of rainforest ecosystem by controlling prey population.
Neofelis nebulosa
Apex predator, maintains stability of rainforest ecosystem by controlling prey population.
Cuon alpinus
Apex predator, maintains stability of rainforest ecosystem by controlling prey population.
Helarctos malayanus
Important forest gardeners, seed disperses and pollinator for specific plants, natural pest control.
Tapirus indicus
Important forest gardeners and seed disperses for specific plants.
Hylobates lar
Important forest gardeners and seed disperses for specific plants.
Elephas maximus
Important forest gardeners and landscapers. Important seed disperses for specific plants.
Pteropus vampyrus
Important flying gardeners, seed disperses and pollinators for specific plants like durian and mangroves.
Anthracoceros malayanus
Anorrhinus galeritus
Buceros bicornis
Buceros vigil
Anthracoceros albirostris
Buceros rhinoceros
Berenicornis comatus
Rhyticeros undulatus
Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus
Furthermore, over 316 species of birds have been documented in Kenyir, including 9 of Malaysia’s 10 hornbill species (important flying gardeners and seed disperses for specific plants).
Kenyir State Park is also recognised as an Important Plant Area (IPA, Priority 1) as part of Tembat Forest Reserve and home to parasitic flowering plants from the Rafflesia family, including the little-known Rizanthes infanticida or locally known as Pakma Tikus.
Rizanthes infanticida
Kenyir State Park serves as a natural buffer to Taman Negara and a critical wildlife corridor for biodiversity to move freely between Taman Negara and the rest of Kenyir watershed. Malaysia’s Central Forest Spine (CFS) Master Plan and National Physical Plan recognises the importance of Kenyir State Park area as a primary linkage T-PL1 (formerly known as PL-7) and environmentally sensitive area (Rank 1). To date, it remains to be the only linkage that is totally protected!
The community around Kenyir State Park --the people with the closest relationship to the land-- is another key aspect in its protection and conservation. Communities residing within the vicinity of the Kenyir catchment, whose activities both rely on and impact Kenyir State Park, are local Malay villages and indigenous Orang Asli communities. For them, Kenyir Lake and its surrounding forests represent their livelihoods as well as their way of life and culture that has been passed down through generations – this is specifically for the Orang Asli. Amongst the livelihood activities are from tourism activities such as houseboat and speedboat operators, alongside fishing and foraging of forest produce, for example Tualang honey.
Apart from being rich in biodiversity, Kenyir State Park provides a multitude of life-supporting ecosystem services to the people of Terengganu such as the provision of drinking water, flood mitigation, carbon sequestration, erosion control, nutrient storage and recycling, pollination services, tourism revenue as well as the sustenance of fisheries resources.
