Balancing conservation and tourism in Sabah

STANDING at the base of Mount Kinabalu or gazing into the clear waters of Sipadan Island, Sabah’s natural beauty can feel timeless and untouched.

Yet these landscapes remain intact not by chance, but through deliberate choices, firm enforcement, and long-standing commitment to balancing conservation with responsible tourism.

From ancient rainforests to the heart of the Coral Triangle, Sabah’s biodiversity underpins its tourism appeal while delivering lasting ecological and economic value.

Protecting this inheritance requires constant vigilance through science-based management, effective enforcement, and a willingness to set firm limits where ecosystems are at risk.

Under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah (KePKAS), Sabah Parks and the Environment Protection Department (EPD) carry out this responsibility of safeguarding fragile ecosystems while supporting high-value, low-impact tourism that can be sustained for generations.

Sipadan Island stands as one of the clearest examples of how this balance works in practice.

Before its gazettement as a Marine Protected Area in 2009, years of uncontrolled diving and on-island tourism facilities had taken a visible toll on Sipadan’s reefs.

In a decisive move in 2004, all resort operators were removed from the island, significantly reducing human pressure.

Nearly two decades on, the results speak for themselves. Studies by Sabah Parks and Reef Check Malaysia in 2024 show that most reef sites now record live coral cover rated as “Good” or “Excellent”.

Large schools of barracuda have returned, protected shark populations remain stable, and endangered green and hawksbill turtles continue to nest undisturbed.

Sipadan’s recovery has since become a global reference point.

KePKAS Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai said Sabah Parks’ success is anchored in strong governance, clear legal authority, and the capacity to act decisively.

“Sabah Parks operates under the governance of a Board of Trustees established through the Parks Enactment 1984, which was strengthened by amendments in 2024.

“This structure provides clear authority, accountability, and strong legal backing for managing both terrestrial and marine parks,” she said.

The governance framework also grants Sabah Parks operational autonomy, allowing revenue from visitor fees and eco-tourism activities to be reinvested directly into conservation, research, and essential infrastructure.

“This model supports long-term financial sustainability, reduces reliance on external funding, and allows Sabah Parks to respond quickly to changing conditions on the ground,” Lai added.

With these structures in place, Sabah Parks now manages nine protected areas; six marine parks and three terrestrial parks covering a total of 1,216,416.76 hectares, or approximately 16.5 per cent of Sabah’s land and marine territory.

Managing an area of this scale requires professional systems, scientific planning, and enforcement capacity that meet international standards.

Sabah Parks has earned rare global recognition for meeting these benchmarks, becoming one of the few conservation bodies worldwide to achieve “Triple Crown” status, of Unesco designations namely, Kinabalu Park World Heritage Site, Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve and Kinabalu Unesco Global Geopark.

These recognitions have opened doors to international collaboration, including partnerships with the Korea National Park Service and Jeju Island.

Beyond prestige, these partnerships translate into practical outcomes, with researchers and scientific institutions contributing directly to staff training, risk management, and capacity building.

Sabah Parks Director Datuk Dr Maklarin Lakim summarised the guiding principle clearly: “High-value tourism cannot compromise our conservation goals.”

To uphold this principle, fragile sites such as Mount Kinabalu, Sipadan Island, and Turtle Islands Park are governed by strict daily visitor limits, permit systems, and activity regulations designed to prevent environmental degradation.

The 2024 amendments to the Parks Enactment further strengthened enforcement by introducing comprehensive zoning, higher penalties, and stronger legal tools to safeguard sensitive habitats, Maklarin said.

These efforts have been recognised nationally, with Kinabalu Park receiving the Platinum Award under the Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance (MyTQA) programme, while Sipadan Island Park earned a Gold Award, reflecting adherence to high conservation and visitor management standards.

Effective conservation also depends on safety, skilled personnel, and community participation.
At Kinabalu Park, the High Altitude Training Centre equips mountain guides, porters, and rescue teams with training in high-altitude safety, emergency response, and risk assessment.

Local communities are also active partners in conservation. The Ulu Senagang Mongool Baru Community Use Zone allows residents to continue traditional activities within designated areas while contributing to ecosystem protection.

“This approach protects biodiversity while sustaining livelihoods,” Maklarin said.

The same philosophy underpins Tun Mustapha Park (TMP) in Kudat. Gazetted in 2016 and spanning nearly one million hectares, TMP is among Southeast Asia’s largest and most complex marine protected areas.

Unlike Sipadan’s full protection model, TMP is a multi-use park where communities continue to live within its boundaries.

Rather than imposing blanket restrictions, Sabah Parks adopted a community-centred zoning system that allows regulated traditional fishing, while designating ecologically sensitive areas such as coral reefs and mangroves as No-Take Zones.

Local communities now serve as the park’s “eyes and ears”, working alongside enforcement agencies to monitor activities and respond swiftly to illegal practices.

Despite strong local management, Sabah’s ecosystems remain vulnerable to global environmental pressures.

In 2024, severe coral bleaching affected reefs at Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, prompting Sabah Parks to temporarily close the Police Beach dive site to reduce stress on the reef and allow natural recovery.

In response, Sabah Parks has intensified active rehabilitation efforts. This year’s coral planting initiative in Tun Mustapha Park saw 12,000 coral fragments transplanted, earning recognition in the Malaysia Book of Records.

These interventions are guided by research, including visitor carrying-capacity studies at Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, ensuring tourism growth remains within ecological limits.

Alongside conservation efforts, government-led infrastructure projects provide critical support.

Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), Sabah Parks implemented 13 tourism and park facility projects worth approximately RM34 million, including visitor centres, trails, signage, utilities, and staff facilities designed to support both conservation and visitor management.

Under 13MP, priorities shift toward the Blue Economy and high-value, low-impact tourism. Key initiatives include a sustainable jetty at Manukan Island, the proposed ‘Blue Ring’ marine conservation area at Darvel Bay, and the PULESTARI building to strengthen research, conservation, and capacity building.

While Sabah Parks safeguards core protected areas, the Environment Protection Department (EPD) ensures surrounding landscapes are managed responsibly so development does not undermine conservation efforts.

EPD Acting Director Daisy Aloysius said: “The Environment Protection Enactment 2002, Sabah State Policy on the Environment 2017 and Sabah Environmental Education Policy 2009 are some of the guiding documents for EPD to carry out its functions alongside other agencies.

“The Sabah State Policy on the Environment 2017 serves as the foundation for enhancing environmental performance in the development of all economic and social sectors in the State.

“Its implementation, through 83 strategies and 195 action plans under the Action Plan for the Sabah State Policy on the Environment for a 14-year period starting from 2019 will guide Sabah’s environmental management, ensuring it is structured, planned, and integrated to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

She added that any development activities listed as prescribed activities must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment or submit a Proposal of Mitigation Measures before approval, as governed by the Environment Protection Enactment 2002.

“This process allows us to identify sensitive areas, enforce mitigation measures, and, where necessary, exclude sensitive areas from development altogether,” she said.

“The Department uses the Shoreline Management Plans to guide sustainable coastal development. “Since 1998, these plans have provided practical strategies, and the updated 2025 version provides a refreshed data-driven perspective on Sabah’s coastal areas, and further supports marine area management in collaboration with Sabah Parks,” Daisy added.

EPD also leads environmental education as the secretariat of the Sabah Environmental Education Network since 2005, implementing programmes such as Sekolah Rakan Alam Sekitar, community environmental education programmes and educational publications.

“We recently published a report on best practices in environmental education to showcase stories from across Sabah that demonstrate meaningful and impactful environmental education initiatives”, Daisy added.

Under 13MP, the Department plans to further strengthen regulations on water, air, and marine quality, while tracking Sabah’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Together, these efforts reflect KePKAS’s role in setting policy direction, guiding sustainable tourism, and coordinating agencies to protect Sabah’s natural heritage.

By balancing firm protection with responsible access, Sabah continues to demonstrate that conservation and tourism are not competing goals, but complementary ones ensuring that its forests, reefs, and iconic landscapes remain resilient, productive, and protected for generations to come.