Abstract

Co-Creating Nature Positive Outcomes in Human-Dominated
Landscapes of Northern Borneo, Malaysia

Mui How PHUA

Faculty of Tropical Forestry, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
pmh@ums.edu.my

Biodiversity credits are increasingly promoted as a mechanism to finance nature-positive outcomes, yet their implementation in Malaysia remains at an early readiness stage. While national biodiversity policies articulate conservation goals, practical pathways for operationalizing biodiversity credits are constrained by unresolved land tenure, limited governance structures, and the absence of spatially explicit conservation frameworks—particularly in human-dominated landscapes.

This study presents a case from northern Borneo that demonstrates how co-creation through participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) can support biodiversity credit readiness by strengthening local governance and institutional foundations. Conducted in a community-dominated landscape adjacent to the Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve, the study engaged local communities in participatory mapping to document land use, identify conservation areas, and integrate local ecological knowledge into land-use planning. Through this co-creation process, a Community Conserved Area was formally established, providing legal recognition and collective stewardship over biodiversity-relevant lands.

The findings highlight the role of PGIS in establishing enabling conditions for biodiversity credit development, including tenure clarification, stakeholder agreement, and spatially explicit conservation zones. By linking community-led mapping with broader nature-positive objectives, this study demonstrates how governance-oriented interventions can bridge the gap between policy ambition and on-the-ground implementation in emerging biodiversity credit landscapes.