EXPLORING STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION & COMMUNICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE PENANG HILL BIOSPHERE RESERVE: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH

Biosphere reserves (BRs) are essential places for sustainable development through human and environmental equilibrium. The area must be well-managed, yet communication and collaboration among various stakeholders is the primary issue that each biosphere management confronts when attaining its goal and maintaining its international significance as a UNESCO BRs site. Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve (PHBR) has been acknowledged by the UNESCO as the third biosphere site in Malaysia in 2021. There are three main tourism destinations in PHBR: Penang Hill, Penang Botanic Garden and Penang National Park. These destinations are under their own governance, and the management office of PHBR is under development. This paper highlights the findings from a focus group discussion with the destination managers, local communities, and non-profit organisation involved in managing the three destinations in PHBR sites. The findings indicate that effective stakeholder communication and collaboration are important for achieving conservation and socio-economic development goals. Inclusivity in decision making, transparent communication and shared values were indicated as critical factors for motivating engagement and ensuring balanced governance. The present study carries a strong message on to the governance of PHBR to have a strong collaboration communication strategy for sustaining PHBR as a worldwide popular biosphere sites. Keywords: stakeholder communication, stakeholder collaboration, Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, sustainable tourism, biosphere reserves