7. SUSTAINABILITY OF RESOURCE USE
Specific categories of both Land Use (69 categories) and Soil Suitability (51 soil association categories) were reclassified in Chapter 6 into the following broad classes of each:
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Ideally, all land which is not Protected (or which should be protected) from Production activities should be used to its maximum potential. Thus, land should neither be under-used nor over-used. So we shouldnot attempt to grow Crops on Class 4 or Class 5 land. Similarly, leaving grassland on Class 2 land does not maximise its use. The land can be more intensively used.
At the ICZM Spatial Plan level the use of the above broad classes will only give an indication of the current situation regarding sustainability in Sabah. The information should not be used for detailed planning purposes. To assess the existence of Development Opportunity Land (or Under-used Land) in the State the following comparison was made:
Land Use | Soil Suitability |
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All areas with these corresponding categories were classed as Development Opportunity land.
The following comparisons were also made and all areas falling within these categories were classed as Over-used land:
Land Use | Soil Suitability |
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7.1. Sustainable Land Use
Sustainable use of the land ensures that its productivity be maintained at an optimal level with minimal adverse environmental impacts. Environmental deterioration includes soil erosion, soil degradation, deforestation, declining water quality and availability, disruption of hydrological cycles and the loss of biological diversity. Sustainability thus implies the securing of a durable, favourable balance of economic and environmental costs and benefits.
The present agricultural methods as practised in Sabah have evolved from indigenous techniques used by the shifting cultivators to large scale logging, mining and plantation agriculture. The latter had intensified land uses to the rainforest and placed great pressure on poor tropical soils.
One of the fastest growing industries in Sabah is the large scale planting of oil palm. Within a span of 5 years the area cultivated grew from about 400,000 hectares in 1992 to about 800,000 hectares in 1997. The extensive land clearing and preparation including the construction of terraces and other planting platforms on hill slopes resulted in excessive runoff and soil loss that ended up in streams and waterways. However, after planting, the soil will normally be stabilised. With good conservation measures such as the planting of cover crops, the oil palm plantations and other perennial cultivation such as rubber and cocoa can be considered sustainable provided they are carried out on good agricultural land. Cultivation on marginal or unsuitable land such as on peat soils or steep slopes (>25 0) not only requires high inputs but also caused extensive damage to the surrounding area including the loss of bio-diversity. This is clearly unsustainable use of the land.
Other agricultural ventures such as vegetable farming occurs on small packets of land less than 5 hectares excluding the Kundasang highland that has its own set of problems. The main concern here is the widespread abuse of chemicals both fertilizer and pesticide. Most of the soil have become extremely acidic resulting in very low yield. The uncontrolled spraying of pesticide has given rise to the issue of safe food for consumption as well as the growing resistant of pest to certain pesticides. Such practices are unsustainable given that the costs of inputs are increasing compared to decreasing output.
The land use maps at 1:25,000 scale, provided by the Department of Agriculture categories land use into several category such as urban and associated areas, the agricultural crops grown (perennial and horticulture) and forest land. The soil map of scale 1:250,000 indicate associated soil units based on common land forms and parent materials. The soil associations were further reclassified into 5 groups based on their limitations to agricultural development.
Through spatial analysis, it is possible to get an indication of the type of usage of the soil; whether it conforms to appropriate land use. However, the data available is on two different working scales; and without supporting data on detailed soil characteristics, cultural practices, management system, climate, pest and disease management and crop yield, the sustainability map produced will have a huge margin of error.
7.2. Development Opportunity Land
Class 2 soils are categorised as soils with few minor limitations and can support a wide range of crops. These soils are relatively fertile and should only be utilised for crops that require intensive agronomic and cultural management. As such, these crops could be managed profitably and sustainably.
Within the ICZM boundary, development opportunity land or underused land as shown in Map 10: Sustainability of Land Uses in Annex B is mostly concentrated on the alluvial plains and flood plains in the East Coast/East Coast South regions (see Chapter 12 for regional compositions). They also occur as small patches that are scattered around Pitas, Kota Marudu, Kota Belud and Sipitang in the West Coast.
It should be noted here that the land area assessed as development opportunity land did not consider areas that are currently gazetted as protected land and that should remain protected areas.
7.3. Overused Land
Marginal or unsuitable land (class 4 and 5) utilised for agricultural development will not only be unsustainable in terms of output but will cause adverse environmental impacts such as soil erosion, sedimentation and declining water quality.
Map 11: Natural Resources 2005 in Annex B shows overused land to be concentrated along the West Coast region from Kudat to Sipitang and along major roads and towns on the East Coast. Substantial areas of overused land also occur along the Semporna-Tawau road, areas immediately adjacent to Tawau and Kota Kinabalu.
The large areas of overused land along the West Coast are due to the absence of suitable land for agriculture and the pressure from the increasing population.
7.4. Conflicts of Marine Uses
7.4.1. Fisheries
The most significant effects on fisheries due to conflicting marine uses are those that came about due to the degradation of the marine environment. The fisheries resources of many coastal areas in Sabah, particularly around build-up zones are affected due to degradation of the environment. Activities such as land reclamation and land clearing has either replaced sea areas which originally were fishing or aquaculture areas or caused pollution (sedimentation) resulting in reduction of marine resources. It must be pointed out that fishing activities, particularly those destructive ones, has also contributed to the degradation of marine fisheries resources.
Direct conflicts between fishing/aquaculture and other marine resources are isolated and localised occurrences. In Indrasabah (Tawau), Inner Dravel Bay (Lahad Datu) and Nunuyan Laut (Sandakan), the numerous sessile gears (staked or anchored lift nets) have in a number of instances caused obstruction to shipping or fishing vessels. In the West Coast of Sabah, there has been a number of complaints by fishermen that fishing gears (traps) and fish aggregation devices (FAD) has been damaged by marine cable laying works or oil/gas pipe laying works. Conversely, oil exploration companies and marine cable contractors have suffered damages due to the unexpected occurrences of FADs. Other instances of marine conflicts that have occurred include the siting of aquaculture projects in tourist development areas and mariculture in marine navigation channels.
7.4.2. Ports
Sabah Port Authority covers port limit, port area and approach area, although the latter is not gazetted, port related activities are enforced within the port limit area. According to the Sabah Ports Authority Enactment, it has the power to control the erection and the use of wharves, docks and any other works within limits of a port or the approach to a port. The Port Authority has provided the legislative basis for its powers and jurisdiction.
The Port Authority’s jurisdiction and powers have no conflict to the other activities such as fishing and other related water uses. This was due to the fact that any activities or operation once inside or within the Authority limit, all must comply with the Authority’s rules and regulations. The SPA Enactment states the SPA,s duties and responsibilities as follow:
- to provide and maintain adequate and efficient port services and facilities;
- to co-ordinate all activities of or within such ports;
- to promote the use, improvement and development of the port;
- to execute such works as may be necessary in respect of the foregoing provisions of this section”
Sabah Port Authority for example kept list of all gazette notification to all the ports’ limits. Table on the numbers of vessels calling at each port by type of vessel, range of size of vessels, tonnage handle by each vessel type at each port and historical summary of vessels and cargo handled from 1986 to date also available at SPA’s office.
Co-operation between Other Uses and Sabah Port Authority Jurisdiction
Any activities or an accident once inside or within the Port limit the Sabah Port Authority has to be responsible. Therefore in co-operation with the Department of Environment, Marine Department and the Oil companies, SPA is involved in oil pollution contingency plan. SPA has a work-boat, a set of first-tier oil spill equipment complete with 150 meters of lightweight boom, skimmer pump, absorbents and dispersants. In addition to the above, both Shell Timur and Petronas Dagangan have their own complete sets of first-tier oil spill equipment intended for mutual use in Sapangar Bay. Presently, Esso Borneo will only be able to supply dispersants and absorbents.
7.4.3. The Ports and Harbour Department
To achieve the objective, vision and mission of the Department it has the following roles to play.
- to license all small ship of 15 net registered tons and below;
- to provide and maintenance navigational aids and to control the Hydrographic survey, sand mining and reclamation of land in ports/harbours, rivers and the fore shore.;
- to operate Public and Barter Trade Jetty (excluding wharves operated by the Sabah Ports Authority);
- to control the construction of jetty and landing ramp in ports and harbours, rivers and fore shore;
- to control pollution in ports;
- to ensure that the shipping lane in the Ports, Harbours and rivers are safe for navigation;
- to comment on the application of state land, sand mining, fishing trap in the Ports, Harbours, Rivers and fore shore;
- to manage and maintenance the State Government launches;
- to collect Port and shipping statistic for the Department;
- to provide pilotage services within the Ports and Harbours area by the Department pilot;
- to control land-up vessel in Brunei Bay.
The Ports of Sabah are as follows :-
Principal Ports - Kota Kinabalu
- Sandakan
- TawauSecondary Ports - Kudat
- Lahad Datu
- Semporna
Minor Ports - Sipitang
- Menumbok/Mempakul
- Weston
- Usukan
- Kunak
- BakapitThe Ports and Harbours Division is a State Section of the Marine Department established under State Fun on 31.07.1966. The state Cabinet decided that the Ports and Harbours Division of the Marine Department should operate on a full Department under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development. In early 1993 it was separated from the Marine Department. The primary aim to establish the Ports and Harbours Department is to look after the port and harbour matters. The legal power relating to Ports and Harbours under the Merchants Shipping Ordinance must now be transferred to the Ports and Harbours Department to enable it to carry out its function effectively.
The territorial waters and the continental shelf boundaries on which 6 regions have been indicated and subdivided into coastal trade ship areas and limits and 3 nautical miles limit from the shore is under the jurisdictions of the Ports and Harbour Department.
The Ports and Harbours Department has enforcement vessels and needs to travel more than 1 nautical miles for enforcement purposes. Islands surrounding Sabah Waters in which at this moment tourism to these places have been increased and therefore coastal trade ship limits needs to be increase to 3 nautical miles. Vessels of below 15 Net Tons is increasing rapidly and with the 1 mile coastal trading limit it is insufficient and require to increase to 3 nautical mile.
Sand mining from the sea is under Ports and Harbours Department. Developer needs to get permission and approval to extract coral and sea from the sea, similarly also for the erecting of new jetties.
7.4.4. Marine Department
The Department is entrusted to ensure the safe navigation of vessels within the Federation waters including rivers navigable by sea-going ships.
At present, the term for “ship” includes every description of vessel used in navigation not propelled by oars and in future to consider that anything floats regarded as a ship.
The Department provides aids to navigation throughout the Coast of Sabah and Labuan F.T. and maintained four (4) major Lighthouses namely Pulau Kuraman, Labuan, Pulau Berhala, Sandakan, Tanjung Trang, Tambisan and Batu Tinagat, Tawau equipped with remote monitoring system.
Remote monitoring of other minor Lighthouses and setting up of differential GPS for navigational purpose to cover the whole of Sabah and Labuan F.T. will be implemented under The Seventh Malaysian Plan (7MP).
The Hydrographic Department of Navy is responsible for bathymetric surveys and the source of Navigational charts. The Marine Department only assists in providing bathymetric data for approaches to Port and within Port areas but does not produce Navigational Charts.
Whilst any ship entering in any ports in Sabah and Labuan is subject to physical onboard inspection after checking the necessary ship’s documentation. Port State Control for foreign registered ships and flag control for Malaysia Registered or Licensed Boats are normally carried out within the gazetted harbour limit to ensure the safety of ships or boats before berthing in any wharf or clearance to depart from the port. Since all operation are within the gazetted port limit which also the same area with Sabah Port Authority, there is no conflicting of uses of marine activities.
