After months of discussions with various members of the local community, we had our first ‘formal’ project presentation. On February 9, 2013, 33 members of community-based project Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Programme (KOCP), all of whom are villagers from Sukau, gathered to hear about the project. Half a day of activities were conducted and participants shared the value of the river for themselves and their families. We also discussed the perceived threats that are impacting the village, focusing on the river and its related value. The afternoon was spent with a smaller group refining the draft of interview questions that were to be used by the project to gather the views of the broader Kinabatangan community. KOCP staff also voiced their support for the project and their willingness to collaborate. The morning activities came up with the following outputs:
- Value of the river: Twelve uses of the river were identified, with the 2 main uses being household use such as bathing, cooking, washing; and as a source of income;
- Threats to the river and fish populations: Fifteen threats were identified, with the main ones being pollution from oil palm plantations and destructive fishing practices;
- Proposed solutions: Thirteen solutions were suggested, with improved awareness being the most commonly mentioned suggestion.
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