CONSERVATION WITH DEVELOPMENT: SHOWCASING LANGKAWI GEOPARK

Abstract

Debates on whether conservation and development can be integrated have been going on for decades. Economists argue that the economy is the main support of the human race; conservationists argue that without sustainable natural and human resources, economic activities cannot be sustained; humanists argue that culture and history are necessary to sustain a community’s identity and continued existence. This article argues that conservation and development can be integrated through sustainable development. Land use planning is identified as the integrating process while sustainable land use development is the manifestation of integrated conservation and development. The geopark concept, developed by the Global Geopark Network (GGN), and endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which promotes conservation, education and sustainable development, is accepted as a concept which conserves natural and cultural heritage while enhancing socio-economic development for the sustainable wellbeing of the local population. Langkawi Geopark is an example of such integration.