1. Introduction
One of the most mesmerizing lands to sample nature at its best in South East Asia is Malaysia. Malaysia has one of the most pristine and oldest rainforests of the world. The island of Borneo has the world's oldest rainforests, with over 8,000 species of flowering plants, including some 2,000 species of trees, 200 odd palms and more than 800 varieties of orchids - a horticulturists dream come true. Among the other well-known flowers are the hibiscus (Malaysia's national flower), and the evil-smelling Rafflesia, measuring up to a metre across, weighing up to 9kg, and smelling like rotting meat. Obviously, such thick forests are also inhabited by a regular army of creatures, around 200 species of mammals (including elephants, leopards, tigers, monkeys, wild cattle, and the famous 'forest men' - orangutans) and 450 species of birds. In addition, there are around 100 species of butterflies and a staggering 150,000 species of insects. (FRIM). Forests along with vast tracts of limestone hills and caves make Malaysia a true destination for nature-based tourism activities.
As a result, urban areas in Malaysia have grown alongside the rainforests providing the urban dwellers and tourists’ opportunities to experience nature with easy accessibility and less time consuming trips. Urban centres in Malaysia like Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Taiping, Miri, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching are closely located to forested and natural areas where opportunities for nature-based tourism could be explored to a very large extent. Though increasing urbanisation and industrialisation has accelerated the rate of deforestation in Malaysia faster than any other tropical country in the world according to United Nations (mongabay.com), nature trails are found within short distances from many urban areas in Malaysia.
Unlike many other South East Asian cities, one could easily reach a nature trail within a very short time from Kuala Lumpur. Forest Recreation Areas (FRAs) in Malaysia is one element of a forestry strategy directed towards the sustainable use of the remaining areas of tropical forest (Garrod, G. D., Willis, K. G,1997). Being the most populated administrative district of Malaysia with a population of 1.58 Million (Department of Statistics, Government of Malaysia,2006) and also being the most industrialised and economically the fastest growing region of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur contrastingly provides a gateway to many natural areas in and around itself.
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2. Nature tourism, Ecotourism and urban ecotourism
Nature Tourism is the travel through and enjoyment of the natural world, its seasonal cycles and events, carried out in a manner that promotes the protection of natural and human communities and consideration for those who will inherit our world. A sustainable nature tourism industry is directly related to the type, amount and quality of natural capital in community. Natural capital of any given area provides valuable ecosystem services such as flood control, airflow and quality, soil fertility, biological diversity, aesthetics and recreation potential(WDFW,2009).
Nature-based tourism encompasses areas like ecotourism, agro-tourism, rural and community-based which are again forms of sustainable tourism. Ecotourism has emerged as a nature-based manifestation of alternative tourism (Weaver, D. B., 2005) Ecotourism forms a major part of Nature-based tourism in the world today. Nature Tourism, often referred to as Ecotourism, was introduced to the tourist industry in the early 1980s (TIES). Ecotourism in simple words mean, management of tourism and conservation of nature, preservation and of culture and heritage (Patar, K.C., 2009)
Urban areas are cradles of civilisation, socio-political progress, examples of co-existence between diverse cultures (planeta.com). Urban areas are not unnatural in any sense. Urban centres go back 10,000 years and are an integral part of what is called human civilisation. Urban areas can be far more efficient in terms of consumption of raw materials and production of raw ideas. Urban areas are where all new trends originate and where most revolutions start. Most Ecotourists live in urban areas. They say charity begins at home, and so does Ecotourism (Petropoulos, B.A., 2004). Ecotourism principles, which often reference only undisturbed or remote destinations, can be applied to urban destinations as well and offer great potential to the tourism industry. Cities host more than half the world's population and the majority of tourists visit or pass through urban areas because cities are tourism gateways. As urban sustainable tourism or urban ecotourism covers multiple industries including recreation, transportation, organic food supplies (Dodds, R., Joppe, M., 2004). Urban Ecotourism or Urban Green Tourism is a concept that promotes environmental responsibility, local economic vitality, cultural diversity and experiential richness (Joppe, M. et.al, 2003).
Urban ecotourism can also be defined as” Ecological Tourism that takes place within a city (as opposed to in nearby natural areas). As a phenomenon, it includes those visiting, (as opposed to living in), a city for tourism, and those people, organisations, processes and facilities that serve them, as long as the same basic ecotourism criteria that apply for rural areas are met." (Petropoulos, B.A., 2004). Urban ecotourism can also be defined as a means to connect the citizens back to their city, and raise awareness about the ‘nature in the city’ (Singh, 2009).
The benefits of urban ecotourism may be:
• the potential to produce positive environmental impacts because of its economies of scale and tendency to be confined into manageable restricted spaces (Weaver, D. B., 2005).
• urban ecotourism is more accessible for most than ecotourism. Mass transit systems can get one to many urban ecotourism locales (Urban Ecotourism Conference 2004).
• its educational effects can be amplified from a potential large participation whether from tourist or locals. (Urban Ecotourism Conference 2004).
• chance to introduce many more people to the appreciation and love of wildlife and local ecosystems (Urban Ecotourism Conference 2004).
• urban ecotourism makes urban spaces more livable while ensuring protection of the natural resources and ecosystems that sustain us." (Urban Ecotourism Conference 2004).
The Urban Ecotourism movement is about creating and advertising more of green opportunities and inspiring city folks to take advantage of them (Waldorf,A.C.,2006). The United States and Western Europe have been urbanized for decades, but the developing world is starting to catch up, particularly Southeast Asia, India and West Africa. It is believed that, by 2030 there will be almost 2 billion new urbanites. Consequently, the needs and wants of urban dwellers will definitely influence land-use on almost every hectare on Earth. And thus, the need to make the citizens aware of their footprint (Singh, 2009).
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3. Kuala Lumpur as an Urban Ecotourism Destination:
Kuala Lumpur Eco-tourism has become extremely popular over the past few years. There are a large number of natural wonders located inside and around the city that one can check out when embarking on an eco - tour of Kuala Lumpur. (www.asiarooms.com)
Ecotourism in Kuala Lumpur means paying a visit to the numerous forest reserves, natural parks, the beaches and other natural wonders in and around the city. One can enjoy the natural beauty, green forests and embark on a number of adventure activities or take a look at the amazing wildlife. Most of the places, which support eco-tourism, are located in the outskirts of the city. (www.asiarooms.com)
The geography of Kuala Lumpur is characterised by a huge valley known as the Klang Valley. The valley is bordered by the Titiwangsa Mountains in the east, several minor ranges in the north and the south and the Strait of Malacca in the west. Kuala Lumpur is a Malay term which translates to "muddy confluence" as it is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.
Eco-tourism is increasingly being promoted in Kuala Lumpur as a means of protecting the natural environment that might otherwise be under the threat of development. The forest reserves at Bukit Nanas (11 hectares), Bukit Sungai Putih(7.41 hectares) and Bukit Sungai Besi (42.11 hectares), ridges at Bukit Gasing and Bukit Dinding together with other undeveloped hilly areas such as part of Kampong Sungai Penchala, provide opportunities for eco-tourism development (DBKL, 2007).
The abundance of nature spots around Kuala Lumpur is found to have extended close to the city and even sometimes within the city. The Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia are examples of nature pockets within, as well as close to the city respectively. Besides, parks and religious sites within/close to the city are also found to be based on the elements of nature-based tourism/ecotourism. The Perdana Lake Gardens and Batu Caves are examples of such spots where one can experience nature within the urban setting in Kuala Lumpur.
3.1 Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve ( Hutan Simpan Bukit Nanas):
Bukit Nanas at the base of one of Kuala Lumpur’s most important landmarks, 421m-high, Kuala Lumpur Tower, is one of the oldest permanent forest reserves in the country. It was gazetted in 1906 and was formerly known as the Bucket Weld Forest Reserve. It covers an area of approximately 11 hectares and is the only remaining tropical rainforest in the heart of the City of Kuala Lumpur. It was also gazetted as a Wildlife Reserve and Bird Sanctuary in 1934 and in 1950, a pristine section of about five hectares was gazetted as a Virgin Jungle Reserve (Tourism Malaysia). Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve was established as a recreational forest on July 29, 1970 when the Selangor Council of Government Meeting (MMK) decided to develop this forest reserve for tourism (Recreational Forest Department, Government of Malaysia). The Bukit Nanas is a natural ‘green lung’ for many busy urban areas in Kuala Lumpur like Jalan Ampang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Raja Chulan and Bukit Nanas area itself (ucscam, 2007). Naturalist guides conduct free guided tours of the forest reserve starting at certain times of the day. There are two main nature trails in the forest ; the Merbau Trail which is about 361 m long and the Jelutong Trail about 300 m long. A complimentary nature walk is provided for those who are visiting the observation desk at KL Tower. This forest has an Educational Forestry information centre /museum, and a visitor centre.
3.2 FRIM – Forest Research Institute of Malaysia
One of the most popular places that one can check out is the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia. The Forest Research institute of Malaysia (FRIM) is a well-managed forest science park. This 600-ha forest area is surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve. This natural park is filled with a large number of ponds, waterfalls and numerous aromatic trees. It was founded in 1929 and is one of the leading institutions on Tropical Forestry Research both locally and overseas. The FRIM is located 6kms from KL city centre at a place called Kepong which falls in the Sentul Zone of Kuala Lumpur. There are about 15000 species of plants in area including experimental plants, arboretum and reforested areas. FRIM is the nearest nature destination for KL visitors who wish to see and experience the wonders of a tropical forest without the rigors of traveling to the national parks. The canopy walk which is 150m long and 30m above the ground level, as well as the nature trails like the Keruing trail, Engkaban trail, Rover trail and the Saleh trail which provides one the experience of ‘crown shyness’, are major Ecotourism attractions at FRIM.
3.3 The Perdana Lake Gardens
The Perdana Lake Gardens is an oasis of nature inside the concrete jungle of modern Kuala Lumpur. The brainchild of Alfred Venning, the British Treasurer in the 1880s, Perdana Lake Gardens is a Tropical Botanical Garden, set amid lakes in the heart of Kuala Lumpur City. Built around two lakes and covering a sprawling 91.6 hectares of area, the Perdana Lake Gardens with its close-cropped lawns, undulating natural hillocks and carefully cultivated gardens is a city dweller’s favourite rendezvous. The Garden encompasses a number of subareas of nature-based attractions. They are the Deer Park, KL Bird Park, Butterfly Park, The Orchid Gardens, the Hibiscus Gardens. In addition to the nature-based attractions, there are a number of historical or heritage attractions of national importance within the gardens.
3.4 Batu Caves:
The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old. It is a series of caves and cave temples, located in the Gombak district (outskirts of Kuala Lumpur), 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) north of Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. The Batu Caves is one of the principal Hindu religious sites of Malaysia. Rising almost 100m above the ground, Batu Caves actually consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as the Temple Cave, has a 100m-high ceiling, and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors have to climb a steep flight of 272 steps. There are ample opportunities for caving organised by the Malaysian Nature Society as well as 160 rock climbing routes. The various undeveloped caves as well as the dark caves contain a diverse range of cave fauna, including some unique species, such as Liphistiidae spiders and Eonycteris and Rousettus fruit bats. The site is also well known for its numerous macaque (Cynomolgus) monkeys. Some of the fauna found in the Dark Caves in particular are: trapdoor spider, cave toad, cave cricket and cave racer snakes.
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4. SWOT ANALYSIS:
4.1 Strengths:
• Wide expanse of forest areas and nature and recreational parks: The presence of 4 nature areas within and nearest vicinities of Kuala Lumpur has provided an ideal and an unmatched atmosphere to the residents and ecotourism enthusiasts of the city to experience ecology.
• Mass Transit System: LRT, KTM and Public bus services: Kuala Lumpur is one of those cities in Asia as well as in the world with a number of efficient and affordable public transports. The LRT (Light Rail Transit) with its Star and Putra lines, the KTM (National railway systems of Malaysia), the Monorail system as well as bus services like Rapid KL and metrobus and many others along with a well-developed infrastructure/road systems, have provided easy and smooth accessibility to the residents of Kuala Lumpur as well as tourists to these nature spots in the city.
• Resources and facilities for education, interpretation and awareness: All the four nature spots have museums, interpretation centres, insectariums, arboretums and visitor’s centres that provide ample scope for learning opportunities and awareness generation among the visitors about the value of natural areas, environment and forests, flora and fauna to human society.
• Variety in flora and fauna in the forest areas inspite of being located within urban areas of KL: All these four nature areas have extensive and different varieties of flora and fauna species that helps the residents of the city as well as visitors/tourists to understand and be well informed about their habitats, features, life cycle and their importance to environment, ecology and value to human society.
• Forests are original forestlands and not artificially created: The Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve and the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve which surrounds the FRIM, are original and ancient forest areas providing a unique opportunity to city dwellers to experience original rainforests and its ecosystems within easy reach. The Batu Caves which is a 400 million year old ancient limestone formation, also provide visitors the uniqueness in experiencing cave ecology in the midst of an urban area.
• Ecotourism activities: Most of the forest areas like the Bukit Nanas and FRIM offer a number of interesting nature trails to ecotourists interested in trekking and hiking. The Batu Caves provide numerous opportunities for caving and rock climbing activities. Those who are not interested in adventure activities can relax and have the privilege of experiencing nature by enjoying the waterfalls, birdwatching and learning about nature and ecosystems in the museums and interpretation centres
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6.2 Weaknesses:
• Activities like picnicking and other recreational activities.
6.3 Opportunities
• Emphasis on forested areas like the FRAs as a strategy for forest conservation.
• Rising consciousness for environmental protection and value for ecosystem conservation.
• Consciousness on carrying capacity issues.
• Role of NGOs and international bodies on environment.
• Growth in niche tourism like Urban Ecotourism.
6.4 Threats:
• Growth in urban development and construction: Kuala Lumpur is emerging as one of the prime business centres in the Asia Pacific region. This has led to expansion of the city and mass scale urban development involving construction of commercial as well as residential complexes, shopping and business complexes resulting in disappearance of many nature-based pockets around Kuala Lumpur or nature areas getting affected ecologically due to pollution caused by construction activities.
• Growth in infrastructure constructional activities: Kuala Lumpur‘s emergence as a significant global commercial centre has also led towards an increasing need of infrastructure. Growth in infrastructure related construction activities is resulting not only in a lot of ecological problems but other problems like waterlogging and sewerage problems leading to pollution which affects the environment seriously.
• Global warming and climate change: Global warming and climate change are added problems which are threatening the ecology of many natural areas in KL and elsewhere in Malaysia.
• Open fires and heavy use of vehicles: Inspite of the existence of a reliable public transport system, people in Kuala Lumpur are more inclined towards using personal vehicles to commute. This is contributing significantly to the pollution in the city. Besides, the prevalence of open fires being set by locals also leads towards pollution affecting the ecology of many nature areas in the city.
• Rise in human activity: littering and sound pollution: The high rate of use of private transport by KL residents as well as inflow of labour class immigrants from poor/low income developing countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia are leading to environmental problems like sound pollution and littering respectively.
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7. Suggestions and Conclusion:
From the discussion above, it is evident that Kuala Lumpur is one of the best examples of Urban Ecotourism. The ecotourism resources available in the city are unmatched compared to many other urban areas in the world. However, the threats and the weaknesses that are visible from the SWOT analysis should be addressed to sustain Urban Ecotourism in Kuala Lumpur.
Urban developmental activities should have minimal impact on the environment through well planned and well thought efforts. The use of sustainable technologies and designs in construction can mitigate the negative impacts on the environment in Kuala Lumpur. Latest city planning techniques should be applied to avoid any possibility that leads to pollution. Public transport if made more reliable, efficient and widespread like Singapore, can reduce the pollution created by an increasing number of private vehicles. Kuala Lumpur’s Urban Ecotourism resources should be promoted to locals in Kuala Lumpur as well as visiting tourists in a responsible way to create more awareness about the niche areas. Other than the mentioned nature areas of Kuala Lumpur in the paper, many nature areas in the City like the 188.93 ha Bukit Kiara Public Park should be gazetted to create more ‘green lungs’ as well as a place to experience ecosystems for the residents of Kuala Lumpur.
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