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The Guidance Document presented Conservation Act (WCA) 2010 [Act 716]. WCA
here is designed to improve the effectiveness is an Act to provide for the protection and
of the wildlife assessment in EIA by: conservation of wildlife and for matters
connected therewith, including wildlife
habitats. The adoption of ‘Protected’ and
Assisting project proponents or
consultants in better defining wildlife and ‘Totally Protected’ wildlife category in the
i
its habitat; WCA 2010 and the development of the Red
List of Mammals for Peninsular Malaysia (2010,
Improving the quality of Wildlife Impact 2017) increase the value of the wildlife species
Study and report writing by concentrating and its habitat.
ii on relevant aspects to the existing wildlife
and its habitat in proposed project area;
and Integration the appropriate biological
assessment, particularly existing wildlife and
Ensuring the integration of early its habitat, with impact assessment allows
prediction of wildlife impact and decision makers to deal with fragmentation,
iii mitigation measures included at initial
stage of the project planning and and wildlife management issues, and other
development phases. issues related to ecosystem services. Wildlife
studies are not just about rare and endemic
species, but also about identifying the
opportunity to improve quality of the
1.3 IMPORTANCE OF WILDLIFE degraded area and reversing wildlife species
IMPACT STUDY
declines.
The importance of the Wildlife Impact 1.4 MALAYSIA’S WILDLIFE AND
Study as part of ecological assessments is HABITAT
also described in Guidance Document on
Ecological Assessment in EIA (DOE, 2012). Malaysia is one of 17 mega-diverse
The Government marked its obligation to the countries, with a wealth of biological diversity
principle of sustainable development in the in its terrestrial and marine zones. The flora
9th Malaysia Plan (2006-2010) and 10th and fauna of Malaysia are estimated to contain
Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) to deliver a strong about 12,500 species of flowering plants,
intention to develop the country sustainably. approximately 306 species of mammals, more
Malaysia becoming a signatory to the than 742 species of birds, and about 547
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at species of reptiles, with a large number of
the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 endemic species. The large number of species
marked its commitment toward the occurring in Malaysia reflects a high diversity
conservation of biological diversity, the of habitats. In order to safeguard the globally
sustainable use of its components and the fair significant biodiversity, Malaysia has
and equitable sharing of the benefits arising established networks of protected areas
out of the utilisation of genetic resources. (PAs). In Peninsular Malaysia, there are at least
four PA networks covering a total area of 2.98
Laws and legislations in Peninsular million ha, managed by different agencies
Malaysia related to wildlife protection was including the Federal Department of Wildlife
enacted in 1972 (Protection of Wildlife Act and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Johor
[Act 76]), and now replaced by the Wildlife National Parks Corporation, Perak State Parks
GUIDANCE DOCUMENT ON WILDLIFE 3
IMPACT STUDY FOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
