Public awareness of the preservation and conservation of the natural environment: The case of Taman Wetland, Putrajaya

Realising the positive impacts of preserving and conserving the natural environment on peoples’ quality of life certain areas have been developed as preservation and conservation sites of the natural environment in an effort to enhance the biodiversity and ecological integrity of local flora and fauna. However, such activities did not normally attract much attention, cooperation and commitment of both the the general public and the private sector as they did not bring in direct and substantial material benefits and profits. This study gauged public awareness of the preservation and conservation of Taman Wetland Putrajaya, the first and largest man-made lakes in Malaysia. It was based on the questionnaire returns of 30 respondents and in-depth interviews of two key informants. Overall, the study found that there were still many who did not know about the exact ecological functions of the Putrajaya wetland. Thus, several aspects of improvements were advocated with respect to infrastructure, management and local community involvement so that the entire environmental preservation and conservation responsibility of the wetland would not rest solely and permanently on the shoulders of government institutions.