Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a Research Approach …
683
Currently most of the tourists are day tourists as the island lacks the proper facilities to accommodate overnight tourists such as electricity, water, and other facilities.
The increased in tourist arrivals to the island, often for day trips, have also resulted in
visible physical impacts on the island. Indiscriminate disposal of solid and organic
waste, lack of sewerage facilities, and a severe deterioration of the maritime environment in terms of coral reef biodiversity. With the development of resorts and hotels,
the aim of the tourism industry is to extend the length of stay for tourists on the
island which can contribute to an increment in tourism income. As stipulated above,
the island lacks water resources and sewage management facilities, and with the
intense growth of tourism on Pulau Mantanani, the locals are fearful that the island’s
resources would be depleted. In addition, the local community is also pressured to
vacate the island and relocate to the mainland to make way for the state’s tourism
development plans on the island. There have been some efforts by local politicians
and members of Parliament who are tasked to convinced the locals to move to low
cost housing flats built by the state government to facilitate the easier transition and
movement of the island community to the mainland. However, this has resulted in a
strong opposition by some groups within the local community.
Pulau Mantanani, with its scenic and picturesque landscapes, is at a crossroads
of addressing the needs of the local community, the intricacies in balancing highimpact tourism development, a sustainable livelihood for the community, and proper
environmental management of the island. The lack of access to clean water, the deteriorating marine environment, lack of skills and capacities of the local community,
and the lack of alternative economic activity has resulted in the initiation of the
Alternative Livelihood program where four environmental NGOs combined their
resources, efforts and strengths to address the development of sustainable communities and livelihoods on Pulau Mantanani. Funded by a single donor for two years
(2013–2015), the Alternative Livelihood Program is a multi-NGO collaboration and
partnership to engage the local Bajau Ubian community and implement interventions aimed at developing alternative income-generating activities such as homestay
tourism development and a community-based environmental management plan that
would address minimization of the impacts of the community’s activities on the maritime environment. With the implementation of the Alternative Livelihood program,
the objectives of the interventions designed and delivered are to enhance community
capacities in other income-generating activities, reduce the impact of land-use and
maritime activities (sewage and waste) on the environment, and encourage community participation, action and empowerment in the NGO interventions to ensure the
continuity of the benefits of the NGO interventions planned and implemented in the
Program.
The researcher negotiated for and gained access to the real-time phenomenon
as a volunteer of the NGO and also as a sustainability researcher. The researcher
negotiated for the application of the PAR methodology as a research approach in
the Alternative Livelihood Program which was agreed up by the local community
and the NGOs. The areas of interest for the researcher is to observe and document
the application of the PAR method in the NGO and local community’s research and
683
Currently most of the tourists are day tourists as the island lacks the proper facilities to accommodate overnight tourists such as electricity, water, and other facilities.
The increased in tourist arrivals to the island, often for day trips, have also resulted in
visible physical impacts on the island. Indiscriminate disposal of solid and organic
waste, lack of sewerage facilities, and a severe deterioration of the maritime environment in terms of coral reef biodiversity. With the development of resorts and hotels,
the aim of the tourism industry is to extend the length of stay for tourists on the
island which can contribute to an increment in tourism income. As stipulated above,
the island lacks water resources and sewage management facilities, and with the
intense growth of tourism on Pulau Mantanani, the locals are fearful that the island’s
resources would be depleted. In addition, the local community is also pressured to
vacate the island and relocate to the mainland to make way for the state’s tourism
development plans on the island. There have been some efforts by local politicians
and members of Parliament who are tasked to convinced the locals to move to low
cost housing flats built by the state government to facilitate the easier transition and
movement of the island community to the mainland. However, this has resulted in a
strong opposition by some groups within the local community.
Pulau Mantanani, with its scenic and picturesque landscapes, is at a crossroads
of addressing the needs of the local community, the intricacies in balancing highimpact tourism development, a sustainable livelihood for the community, and proper
environmental management of the island. The lack of access to clean water, the deteriorating marine environment, lack of skills and capacities of the local community,
and the lack of alternative economic activity has resulted in the initiation of the
Alternative Livelihood program where four environmental NGOs combined their
resources, efforts and strengths to address the development of sustainable communities and livelihoods on Pulau Mantanani. Funded by a single donor for two years
(2013–2015), the Alternative Livelihood Program is a multi-NGO collaboration and
partnership to engage the local Bajau Ubian community and implement interventions aimed at developing alternative income-generating activities such as homestay
tourism development and a community-based environmental management plan that
would address minimization of the impacts of the community’s activities on the maritime environment. With the implementation of the Alternative Livelihood program,
the objectives of the interventions designed and delivered are to enhance community
capacities in other income-generating activities, reduce the impact of land-use and
maritime activities (sewage and waste) on the environment, and encourage community participation, action and empowerment in the NGO interventions to ensure the
continuity of the benefits of the NGO interventions planned and implemented in the
Program.
The researcher negotiated for and gained access to the real-time phenomenon
as a volunteer of the NGO and also as a sustainability researcher. The researcher
negotiated for the application of the PAR methodology as a research approach in
the Alternative Livelihood Program which was agreed up by the local community
and the NGOs. The areas of interest for the researcher is to observe and document
the application of the PAR method in the NGO and local community’s research and