3. Challenges and How to Overcome Them
3.1. Community Challenges, Initiatives and Hopes
Challenges:
The primary forest that functions as a water catchment area for the Terian
River is partly located within the Crocker Range Park (CRP) and the other
part is privately owned land. Although the community has gotten
permission from Sabah Parks authorities to use and protect the water
catchment, the community has not been given written acknowledgement
from Sabah Parks. There have been incidents of encroachment in the past
by outsiders who entered the community forest to gain profit from the sale
of agarwood and exotic animals.
Initiatives:
So far, we have continued our cooperation with Sabah Parks to care for
and protect the CRP area, including reporting any encroachment for
collection of valuable wood and exotic animals to Sabah Parks authorities
and illegal fishing in the upstream of Terian River.
Hopes:
Sabah Parks will give their trust, cooperation and recognition to the
community in protecting and managing the water catchment area that is
included in the CRP. We also hope that Sabah Parks authorities will
continue their Community Use Zone initiative in Terian Village.
Challenges:
Climate change that is hard to predict has also affected agriculture yield
such as paddy, fruits and commercial crops like rubber. However, the
biggest threat for our community at the moment is the proposed
construction of Kaiduan Dam that has been announced by government
authorities in 2009. The communities of Ulu Papar, including Terian, are
faced with the risk of forced displacement and loss of customary land,
customs, culture, and traditional knowledge when the connection of the
community to the land and its resources is severed.
15 | T e r i a n D u s u n C o m m u n i t y P r o t o c o l