Abstract :
Wetland provides diversity and beauty to the landscape. Wedands include mangroves, fresh water and peat swamp forests, lakes, rivers and marshes and they can be developed as tourism and recreational areas. At present, tourism is an important source of revenue for economic growth of Malaysia. Therefore, these areas should be carefully preserved, conserved and protected for tourism. Without them, Malaysia will lose its natural heritage, which can be the basis of wealth, pride and joy of Malaysians and at the same time, efforts to preserve wedands will help to contribute towards a healthier global environment.Recognizing the needs for wedands conservation, Malaysia launched several policies and acts to guide and ensure the wise and sustainable use of wedands. For instance, Malaysia introduced The National Ecotourism Plan in 2003 to promote ecotourism as a tool for conservation. Ecotourism can be an effective preservation tool if it is properly implemented. In 1994, Malaysia ratified the Ramsar Convention by listing Tasik Bera as a wedands site of international importance. The ratification enables Malaysia to obtain advice and assistance on wise use of wedands and to ensure that wetland landscapes and eco systems continue to provide benefits to Malaysians. This paper high lights the importance of wedand land scapes conservation for ecotourism purposes including the status of conservation and benefits to the local communities. The paper also makes few recommendations that can be adopted for future conservation of wedands.
