Rainforest care more vital than tourist comfort

ATTENDING to the convenience of tourists should not result in actions that compromise the health of Brunei Darussalam's rainforest, a Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) official told a meeting of the Ulu Temburong National Park Conservation and Development Committee yesterday.

UBD Vice Chancellor Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi voiced this reminder yesterday at the meeting which discussed projects to help address tourists' concerns about comfort during visits to the national park.

"In thinking about the interest of eco-tourism, we must not forget the reason why our rainforest is so special," he said. "It is the fact that it's pristine."

He added: "Any repairs and renovation works must take into full account the speciality of our rainforest."

UBD is finding ways to develop the Field Study Centre in Temburong, in terms of its telecommunication systems and electricity supply without disturbing the area's flora and fauna, said Dr Hj Zulkarnain.

He expressed his gratitude for the support of projects and proposals to further enhance the UBD Field Study Centre. At the same time, he emphasised the need for the committee to be aware of any possible adverse effects on the environment.

During the meeting, Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, chief executive officer of the Brunei Tourism Board, raised the issue of telecommunications access at the park.

"We aim to provide the best services to tourists ... One of them is to be able to keep in touch with the world. When can we expect the telecommunication system to be operating?" he asked.

Hjh Linda Ibrahim from the Forestry Department said that they have applied for a telecommunication project at the national park's Phase III development projects, and that hopefully, the telecommunication system would begin operation this April.

Sheikh Jamaluddin also talked about the importance of providing decent public toilets as "it can make or break" current efforts in promoting tourism in the country.

"Most of the tourists complained about the conditions of the public toilets in Brunei," he said.

In a previous news report, Sheikh Jamaluddin said Brunei Tourism was embarking on a campaign to make the country's public toilets more tourist-friendly and making sure that these have adequate amenities, such as toilet paper and water supply.

Maintenance issues were also discussed at the meeting where Hj Suhaimi Hj Gafar, acting director-general of the Public Works Department, stressed that these needed to be carried out regularly to ensure the buildings are in good condition and services working properly.

The committee members also discussed the possibility of creating a projects fund to be controlled by one ministry.

Meanwhile, the meeting also discussed the absence of research on the national park's carrying capacity.

Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed noted that there had been no studies conducted on carrying capacity to make sure an increase in the number of visitors would not damage the environment.

"Brunei is doing a good job in its tourism efforts," the Tourism Board chief said, "by providing the facilities. However, my greatest concern is whether any studies on the park's carrying capacity had been done."

Deputy Minister of Development Dato Paduka Dr Hj Mat Sunny Hj Mohd Hussein, who is chairman of the committee, responded that no such studies had been done and added that this was an area that researchers from UBD could look into.

The Brunei Times