Community Ecotourism Co-operative - KOPEL Ltd.
Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
KOPEL's MISSION & PURPOSE
The Batu Puteh Community Ecotourism Co-operative (KOPEL) is set up to promote and build upon the full ethos and
scope of Agenda 21 of the Earth Summit in Rio 1991 in Borneo, towards Ecologically Sustainable Development.
The Community of Batu Puteh, is like many poor, isolated, indigenous rural communities in Sabah, Borneo Malaysia,
where a millennia of traditional reliance on the rainforest for food, medicines, everyday commodities, as well trade with
the outside world has been displaced by a rapidly developing world, the loss of forests and cultural heritage, and a cash
driven lifestyle.
Established now for almost ten years, KOPEL was set up to reverse the losses, to capitalise on ancient indigenous and
traditional knowledge and culture, to save and create economic value and appreciation of the mega-diverse rich
rainforests of the area, and in the process create a sense of hope for a sustainable future for the people of the Lower
Kinabatangan Sabah.
The Batu Puteh Community Ecotourism Co-operative (KOPEL) is set up to promote and build upon the full ethos and
scope of Agenda 21 of the Earth Summit in Rio 1991 in Borneo, towards Ecologically Sustainable Development.
The Community of Batu Puteh, is like many poor, isolated, indigenous rural communities in Sabah, Borneo Malaysia,
where a millennia of traditional reliance on the rainforest for food, medicines, everyday commodities, as well trade with
the outside world has been displaced by a rapidly developing world, the loss of forests and cultural heritage, and a cash
driven lifestyle.
Established now for almost ten years, KOPEL was set up to reverse the losses, to capitalise on ancient indigenous and
traditional knowledge and culture, to save and create economic value and appreciation of the mega-diverse rich
rainforests of the area, and in the process create a sense of hope for a sustainable future for the people of the Lower
Kinabatangan Sabah.
KOPEL QUICK FACTS
•
KOPEL Ltd. is the Community Ecotourism Co-
operative of the Batu Puteh Community.
•
KOPEL is an acronym for KOPERASI
PELANCONGAN means “EcoTourism Co-operative”
•
KOPEL was registered in July 2003 under
Subsection 7(1) of the Malaysian Co-operative Act
1993. KOPEL's Registration No. is: S-4-685
•
KOPEL is located in the village of Batu Puteh, Lower
Kinabatangan, Eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.
•
Batu Puteh community comprises four (4) villages:
Batu Puteh Village, Mengaris Village, Perpaduan
Village, and Singgah Mata Village.
•
KOPEL has 209 members from all of the four
villages.
•
KOPEL was formed to amalgamate (join) a number
of separate village ecotourism associations such as
MESCOT, Miso Walai Homestay, Mayo do Talud
Boat Service, Wayon Tokou Nature Guide Service,
MESCOT Culture Group, and the Tulun Tokou
Handicrafts Associations.
•
KOPEL proudly encompasses the objectives of the
MESCOT Initiative, which helped create KOPEL and
includes the founding objectives of supporting
sustainable alternative livelihoods for local people,
the conservation of forests and biodiversity, as well
as supporting the skills development and training
needs of the local community.
© created for KOPEL by CREST Sustainable Tourism Planning
