CTI Southeast Asia Validates Proposed Priority Projects in Malaysia

The Asian Development Bank/Global Environment Facility-funded Coastal and Marine Resources Management in the Coral Triangle-Southeast Asia (CTI Southeast Asia)  Project held its in-country inception workshop in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on September 4-5, 2012.

During the workshop, CTI Southeast Asia consultants presented the scope of work, outputs, and expected outcomes of the new project and validated with the Malaysian National Coordinating Committee the proposed priority subprojects which will be implemented under CTI Southeast Asia. These subprojects address the five goals identified in the Regional Plan of Action and in the Malaysian National Plan of Action:

• Priority seascapes and marine protected areas - profiling of marine ecosystem of Malaysia in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion; establishing a sustainable palm oil industry and marine industries in the Silam and Darvel Bay; capacity building on ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM) and marine protected area management;
• EAFM and threatened species protection - developing alternative livelihood in Kota Marudu – Pitas District; community-based ecotourism in three sites; and addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of coral reefs; and
• Climate change adaptation - project scoping, vulnerability assessment and special studies; capacity building on using vulnerability assessment tools; assessment and Implementation of climate change adaptation measures; and monitoring and evaluation.

A session on sustainable financing and how to use the costing template for the identified subprojects was also held during the workshop.  Fifty three representatives participated in the workshop including Asian Decvelopment Bank, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation; Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries Sabah, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Department of Conservation Sabah,  National Oceanography Directorate, Sabah State Economic Planning Unit,  Sabah Parks, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Palm Oil Industrial Cluster Sabah and World Wildlife Fund  Sabah.

Photo Caption: CTI Southeast Asia consultants and CTI Malaysia NCC representatives at the inception workshop