Tasik Chini’s iconic pink lotus returns to the lake in Pahang

Pink lotus flowers blooming in Tasik Chini a few years back. The flowers have returned to the lake, thanks to the conservation efforts of several parties.

Tasik Chini’s iconic pink lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) has returned to the lake in Pahang, thanks to the conservation and rehabilitation done by the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).

ECERDC chief executive officer Datuk Baidzawi Che Mat said the lotus, a native of Tasik Chini, has decreased in population over time, as a result of frequent floods and dry seasons.

The efforts to conserve the lotus population and the biosphere at Tasik Chini were done with the collaboration of the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and the Tasik Chini Research Centre, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPTC-UKM) Tasik Chini, he said.

“The rehabilitation efforts to maintain the sustainability of the lotus population in Tasik Chini have proven successful by utilising floating lotus cultivation, or the ‘flotilla’ method.

“The flotilla method involves lotus seeds being planted on land before they are transferred to the flotilla and later released to their natural habitat,” he said in a statement, adding that the method has also won several accolades.

These include the Gold Award for International Innovation Award at the Malaysia Technology Expo 2023 and the Silver Award at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition.

“Apart from conservation efforts, training for stakeholders and the local communities on the new lotus planting method, conservation and maintenance were also conducted to ensure the project’s sustainability in the long run,” he said.

He also noted that on Aug 1, ECERDC handed over the Sustainable Lotus Conservation Project in Tasik Chini to PPTC-UKM to be managed and maintained as part of their edutourism and conservation efforts.

He also said that ECERDC is committed to developing eco- tourism in the East Coast Economic Region in a sustainable manner, citing its other projects such as the upgrading of the solar hybrid system in Pulau Kapas (Terengganu), Kampung-stay at Teluk Buih in Air Papan, Mersing (Johor) and the PETA Rainforest Discovery Centre in Taman Negara Endau-Rompin (Johor). — Bernama