The application of ecosystem thinking and ecosystem management sciences to natural resource management is a fundamental path to sustainable development intentions and associated policy formulation.

Pertinent issues in this regard, are the appreciation and need to:

1. Localize international commitments

2. Increase and ensure strategic advocacy on link between ecosystem sciences and sustainable development

3. Build capacity of local groups

The development and delivery of national obligations the international environmental conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the RAMSAR Convention cannot solely depend on government investments and activities. At large, there is global appreciation of the role of civil society involvement in participating in activities associated in delivering on these obligations. Community and environmental-based NGOs (CBOs and ENGOs) are more often than not uniquely positioned to understand the fundamentals of such international conventions, both in the text and in the spirit. This is often a primary result of the nature of focused skill-sets and international networking the CBOs and ENGOs exercise. However, and more importantly, is the ability of consortiums such as MENGO to take a step back and critically analyse the Malaysian Government’s performance (and ability to perform) on its international obligations, consistent with national development aspirations.

The development and implementation of sectoral policies, strategic planning and implementation tools and key national development guiding tools such as the National Physical Plan (NPP) and the 9th Malaysian Plan (9MP) must function to strike a balance between Malaysia’s aspirations to become a develop nation by 2020 and its need to provide a secure, sustainable managed and productive environment for its citizens. MENGO can and will play a key role to ensure that an understanding of ecosystem functioning and management sciences are understood, appreciated and practiced in our sustainable development activities.

On the ground, and at the grassroot levels, MENGO must and will strive to build a strong, capable and committed local community groups that are active and dynamic in communicating to their respective local and state governments their stake and concerns related to landscape management and development. To this end, a key guide and starting point would be the National Physical Plan (NPP) (applicable to Peninsular Malaysia only) and its prescriptions on Environmental Sensitive Areas (ESAs).