The Sg. Eloi community has been been facing the threatof losing their customary lands since the 1980s with the development of the Acacia Mangium plantation in Pitas for the paper wood industry by SAFODA during the 11th Malaysian Plan. This development program has caused a large area of the community?s land (NCR) to be included in the SAFODA gazzeted area and until now there is still no solution.

The issues is further complicated with the implementation of large-scale prawn farms as a form of poverty eradication in 2012. Development of this project has caused more than 2,300 acres of mangrove forest to be cleared and destroyed and some 1000 acreas are threatened for the extension of new areas of the farm.

For the Sungai Eloi community, the main challenge after the clearing of the mangroves for the shrimp farm is the distruption of the mangrove ecosystem and the decrease of mangrove area. This has caused a significant decrease in catch of fisheries thus effecting community livelihood. The community is also prohibited from accessing the resources in their customary area.,

The government development plans such as the acacia plantation and shrimp farm project are done without the involvement of the community in terms of community opinions and decision making. The existence of localcommunitiesare not taken into account as per FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Constent) principles. In addition there are leadership issues whereby leaders are appointed and not elected by the community traditionally or according to mutual decision. Appointed leaders are not in line with the wishes and aspirations of the community.

These challenges and obstacles has led to the traditional knowledge and livelihood of the Sungai Eloi indigenous communitythat is closely related to the mangrove forest and customary territory to be increasingly threatened and may be lost in the future.

This project will be implemented to preserve and protect important resources found in mangrove forest and customary territories and indirectly preseve the traditional practices of the Sungai Eloi indigenous people. With this project, the community will monitor their customary territory to conseve and manage the area in accordance to traditional practices to maintain the identiity, knowledge and practices that have been passed down from their ancestors.

With this resource management and preservation programme, local communities will be able to continue harvesting food resources sustainably, reinforce the traditional practices oft heTombonuo ethnic group in Sungai Eloi and inherit traditional knowledge in sustainabe management of resources for future generations.