Environmental degradation is a serious barrier to the economic development in today’s world, resulting in detrimental effects on lives, livelihoods, development of human society, and the conservation of natural resources. The blue economy is an emerging concept in the economic sector which promotes the use of the ocean and its resources for sustainable economic development. The ocean is a vital contributor to sustainable economic development as more than three billion people worldwide depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. The blue economy could be a new driver of economic growth for coastal countries like Malaysia. The conservation of marine resources contributes to food security, job creation, economic and social benefits, cultural exchange programmes, as well as awareness and knowledge of environmental sustainability.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) can be considered the cornerstone of a blue economy and the sustainable development of coastal communities. MPAs are part of an important strategy to protect marine and coastal resources. Their primary goals are to reduce the degradation of coastal and marine habitats, maintain biodiversity, prevent marine species loss, sustain productivity, preserve ecological systems of oceans, and safeguard fish stocks (Marques, Ramos, Caeiro, & Costa, 2013).
MPAs are managed for multiple purposes including fisheries, tourism, mining, transportation, and communication. However, MPAs face several challenges related to environmental and ecosystem degradation, mismanagement, social concerns, and poverty. The global emergency for biodiversity and environmental degradation is accelerating due to population growth, economic expansion, urbanisation, and climate change. In spite of the strong association between conservation of protected areas’ biodiversity and sustainable economic development, economists have neglected to invest in MPAs. There is a complex relationship between livelihoods and conservation. It is difficult to maintain an effective balance between environmental conservation and community development, especially because conservation initiatives may affect the standard of living of the inhabitants. With increasing demand, consumption and services, MPAs have been increasingly misused and their resources have noticeably deteriorated due to poor institutional ability and management, lack of integrated coastal management plans, and lack of awareness on sustainable use of natural resources.
Malaysia has one of the richest marine resources and coral reefs in Southeast Asia. This feature constitutes an important tourist attraction that stimulates significant economic growth (Tahir, 2008; Vasanth, 2005; Jaafar & Maideen, 2012). The idea to establish MPAs in Malaysia was first proposed in the 1980s, when it was discovered that marine fishery resources were declining. This was followed by the Malaysian marine parks gazettement in 1994, which became constitutional law in 1995 upon the review of the Fisheries Act 1963. The goal of MPAs is to protect habitats and marine resources while also serving as a management tool to promote sustainability in the fisheries sector (Department of Fisheries, Malaysia, 2012). The MPAs in Malaysia are greatly constrained by a host of problems and challenges such as environmental degradation, lack of enforcement, lack of coordination, lack of awareness, and poor socioeconomic status that have direct effects on environmental conservation behaviour.
MPAs in Malaysia are faced with several environmental issues such as the rapid increase in solid and plastic waste generation due to the huge amount of waste generated by visitors, poor water quality due to poor sewage, and poor garbage disposal and treatment (Masud et al., 2018). The water quality is also adversely affected by significant amounts of detergents or sun blocks, as well as oil residues from tourist boats. Additionally, the bleaching of coral reefs, tropical storms, floods, prolonged droughts, high tides, and the outbreak of disease due to climate change also severely affect MPAs. Generally, the islands in Malaysia have been destroyed by rapid development, lack of environmental conservation, poor law enforcement, and indifferent tour operators. Rapid development on the islands of Malaysia, namely Perhentian, Redang, and Tioman Islands, have seriously harmed the natural habitat and ecosystem. Visitors have also contributed towards natural degradation in the islands, and researchers believe that climate change is worsening the issues which confront the marine environment.
MPAs in Malaysia are also challenged by management issues due to the centralised management approach, which reflects a lack of positive perception regarding community-based management among the marine park communities (MPCs). The inhabitants of MPAs are largely poor, and their human, financial, and environmental resources were significantly reduced after the establishment of MPAs. Such outcomes are inconsistent with the main purpose of MPAs. Fundamentally, these are very challenging issues as it is widely accepted that poverty and conservation are interlinked problems, given that poverty affects conservation and vice versa. Specifically, MPCs are severely affected due to their dependence on natural resources. In order to achieve the main purpose of MPAs, an integrated management plan is required to tackle conservation and poverty in order to achieve sustainable coastal community development.
This book contains eight chapters, the contents of which are as follows: This chapter presents the synopsis of this book to provide a clear picture to readers. Chapter 2 explains the main concept of MPAs with a very brief overview of global MPAs, featuring a particular focus on Malaysia. Malaysia, one of the 12 most biodiverse countries in the world, places great importance on the conservation and sustainable use of its rich natural heritage. The MPA, as a concept introduced by Malaysia in the 1980s, aimed to counter the decline of fisheries resources and degradation of marine ecosystems. The creation of MPAs around the world, and particularly in Malaysia, is a vital geographical element, not only for biodiversity, but also for society and the economy.
Thereafter, Chapter 3 discusses the overview of sustainable development goals (SDGs), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Coral Triangle initiatives of six countries. This chapter also highlights the major challenges to the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources, which poses a barrier to achieving SDG-14 by 2030, particularly for Malaysia. Following this, Chapter 4 highlights the economic, social, and ecological importance of MPAs, especially their substantial contribution to preserving the region’s biodiversity, generating significant livelihoods, ensuring food security, increasing income, and reducing poverty for coastal communities. It is therefore important to improve our understanding of the links between MPAs and local communities, and to recognise that everyone plays a key role in achieving sustainable global use of the seas.
Chapter 5 presents the primary dimensions of sustainable development for MPCs. Global biodiversity losses and environmental degradation are accelerated by rapid population growth, unsustainable economic development, rapid urbanisation, and climatic conditions. There is a dynamic and composite relationship between livelihoods and conservation. Maintaining an effective balance between environmental conservation and community development has proved difficult. Conservation and poverty reduction are integral parts of the conservation philosophy and practices in most developing nations. However, there have been few studies about the effects of economic, social, political, cultural, technological, and ecological development on the sustainab...