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Sustainability

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Sustainability Pillar

We Support Programmes That Nurture The Shift To Sustainability And Circular Economy

Under our sustainability pillar we support education and awareness programmes that nurture the shift to sustainability and circular economy.

With The Habitat Penang Hill we seek to demonstrate a working model of sustainable financing for a protected area in which the funds generated from the effective management of this nature discovery gateway can generate jobs, and fund maintenance and curation of a world class visitor attraction. Protected areas have a tremendous role to play in protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services however unless they can generate economic activity and the resources for effective management, they will be vulnerable to pressures for other forms of land use. 

We encourage constructive discussion of

New policies and approaches, and exploring new technology and systems

We encourage constructive discussion of new policies and approaches, and exploring new technology and systems that have the potential to contribute to responsible use of natural resources and help to reduce human impact on the planet.

In 2020, we have set a target to reduce environmental impact on Penang Hill by establishing new systems to reduce food waste with the introduction of the Effective Food Waste Composter (EFWC) developed by the engineering faculty of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI).

The Habitat Foundation is also exploring an innovative campaign to encourage businesses on the hill to reduce their use of single-use packaging. We look forward to implementing both these programmes in close collaboration with Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) and the Penang Hill community.

Encourage Constructive Discussion

Exploring New Technology

Reduce Human Impact on The Planet

Providing Funding

Apply For Sustainability Grants

The Habitat Foundation Sustainable Tourism Grants have been created to fund initiatives to build capacity and strengthen the practice of ecotourism and conservation in Malaysia. This grants program is motivated by the belief that travel to natural areas can be a driver for conservation and environmental awareness. Ecotourism can also be a way to generate sustainable financing for protecting nature and incomes for local businesses and households. However, for this objective to be achieved, we need to do better.

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Grant Recipients

HUGS Project

Muhamadlaili Bin Basir

Fuze Ecoteer

Kelab Alami Mukim Tg. Kupang
Department of Recreation & Ecotourism (UPM)

Dr. Mohd Hafizal Bin Ismail
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

Dr. Huda Farhana Binti Mohamad Muslim
OwaHalimun

Rahayu Oktaviani

HUGS Project

Muhamadlaili Bin Basir

Sustainable Tourism Grant 2021

Muhamadlaili Bin Basir is an independent conservationist, a community and conservation-based tourism activist and also the founder and the principal of Helping Unfortunate Groups and Society (HUGS) Project Management. HUGS project is a non-profit movement committed to promote tourism around community, conservation and culture by having multitudinous conservation and humanity design. This project has connected volunteers and contributors with organisations involved in a long initiative which provides the opportunity to make a positive impact in conservation while contributing to the welfare of the local community. Laili Basir and his team are determined to enhance the local capacity for Sustainable Cave Tourism in Merapoh, Pahang that could aid in the prediction of future climatic change and help us to rediscover and improve our ability to predict what lies ahead from now.

Project

Fuze Ecoteer

Sustainable Tourism Grant 2021

Fuze Ecoteer (FE) is a social enterprise tourism operator founded by Daniel Quilter in 2011 and is based in Perhentian Island. It works with the local community to be involved in sea turtles conservation, marine conservation and even rainforest research and wildlife rescue with collaboration with the Marine Parks, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) and dive centres in Perhentian Island. Currently, FE trains youths in marine conservation skills to create self-sustaining rapid response conservation unit. The FE project seeks to emulate the Cintai Tioman project but adapted to the situation in the Perhentian Islands. It is also part of a larger project which will involve FE and RCM developing the management plan for the Perhentian Islands Marine Park with a focus on community and stakeholder consultations and ultimately their future involvement. The conservation unit will be self-sustaining through donations from dive centres and resorts.

Project

Kelab Alami Mukim Tg. Kupang

Sustainable Tourism Grant 2021

Kelab Alami is a community environmental education club that has evolved into a social enterprise focusing on educational research and involving the whole kampung. This club was founded by Shalan Jum’at and environmental researcher, Dr. Serina binti Abdul Rahman. Up to today, the club is still run by the youths themselves, focusing on preserving their kampung’s rich heritage and history by documenting stories and knowledge of the older generation. Kelab Alami is currently focused in community empowerment for marine habitat conservation and artisanal fisheries management, using ecotourism, citizen science and environment education to garner new sources of income for the struggling fishing community of Mukim Tanjung Kupang, Johor. This club also helps enable the local community to participate in and benefit from the development and urbanisation.

Project

Department of Recreation & Ecotourism (UPM)

Dr. Mohd Hafizal Bin Ismail

Sustainable Tourism Grant 2022

Dr. Mohd Hafizal Bin Ismail, is a senior lecturer with a PhD in Heritage Tourism and Management from University of Portsmouth, England. He is currently the Head of Department of Recreation and Ecotourism under the Faculty of Forestry and Environment in Universiti Putra Malaysia. He published 6 papers in total on outdoor education that were focused in Malaysia. 

Dr. Hafizal is keen on his current research on the potential of Sungai Linggi crocodile sanctuary as one of the high-impact ecotourism destinations in Malaysia. He is working with the local community to develop ecotourism products that are sustainable and beneficial to the people. Strongly believing in the role of the local community in preserving the natural environment, he trains the local community to conduct wildlife-based tourism along the river and help protect this important riverine habitat.

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

Dr. Huda Farhana Binti Mohamad Muslim

Sustainable Tourism Grant 2022

Dr. Huda Farhana Binti Mohamad Muslim is a PhD holder in Tourism Science from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan. She is currently a senior research officer at Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). She works closely with local communities and organises training and programmes for community-based ecotourism in Malaysia. 

With more than 5 years of experience working with the local community in Kampung Janda Baik, Pahang, Dr. Huda realises the need to educate the children in the village to preserve nature around them, understanding that there is already a natural bond between the children and their natural environment.

Project

OwaHalimun

Rahayu Oktaviani

Sustainable Tourism Grant 2021

Rahayu Oktaviani, a primatologist, co-founder of Yayasan Konservasi Ekosistem Alam Nusantara (KIARA), and also lead researcher at the Javan Gibbon Research and Conservation Project (now known as OwaHalimun). With Rahayu’s development of KIARA in 2020, her main focus is now on research, conservation, education, and also in engagement programmes. She is actively  playing a role in the community engagement programme that concentrates on the local communities situated in the Citalahab Central Village. Currently, Rahayu is working towards empowering women via a programme called Ambu Halimun – whereby “Ambu” means mother or lady in the native language. Working closely with this group of women, Rahayu wishes to not only develop a sustainable livelihood but to also increase the capacity and confidence of the unheard voices of these amazing women!

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2024 recipients
2022 Recipients
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Featured Projects

2022, Grants, Sustainable Tourism

Our Water, Our Duty – World Water Day 2023 Short Clip

Meet a community that is doing its part to protect the forest and its ecosystem services on World Water Day.

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) was awarded a Sustainable Tourism Grant for their initiative, which is assisting in the development of a new generation of local stewards in Kampung Janda Baik. Persatuan Sahabat alam tampik Janda Baik (SATJB) maintains the sustainable use of the 30-hectare area within Lentang Forest Reserve and provides exclusive informative tours. Visits to the energising waters of Ulu Tampik Waterfall are now opportunities to learn about and interact with nature.

We believe that more community guardians can be similarly enabled to enjoy nature while protecting it for future generations.

Click here to view the short video on Facebook or Instagram.

2021, Grants, Sustainable Tourism

HUGS Project in Safeguarding Our Caves in Merapoh

The Habitat Foundation Sustainable Tourism Grants are about supporting community-based tourism because it also strengthens conservation. HUGS Project received a grant in 2021 to organise specialised workshops for local cave guides from the remarkable limestone landscape of Merapoh, Pahang.

Read More “HUGS Project in Safeguarding Our Caves in Merapoh”