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The Heart of Borneo
1950
1985
2000
2005
2010
2020
Figure 13: Past and
projected forest loss
on Borneo.
An analysis of land-cover data compiled by the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) found that during the period of
1990–2005, at least 55% of palm oil expansion in Malaysia and 56% of
that in Indonesia occurred at the expense of forests (Koh and Wilcove
2008). Due mainly to the high levels of carbon released by the conversion
of tropical forests and peatlands to palm oil plantations, the growth of this
industry is also a major component of Malaysia and Indonesia’s carbon
footprint (Dewi et al. 2009).
Forestry and mining
Forestry is an important source of revenue for Indonesia and Malaysia.
In 2008, export revenues totaled $6.7 billion and $6.8 billion,
respectively. Forestry provides income for rural communities, employing
more than 300,000 in Malaysia and 500,000 in Indonesia. Plans for
economic development also prioritize the exploitation of energy resources
-especially coal- to help meet growing domestic and export market
demands. Kalimantan holds 53% of Indonesia’s 4,300 million tons of
recoverable coal reserves, and Sabah and Sarawak hold 99% of Malaysia’s
1,724 million tons of coal deposits. Borneo also holds rich metal and
mineral resources, including tin, copper, gold, silver, coal, diamonds,
and different types of sand and stone. Together, the forestry and mining
sectors are one of the main contributors to forest loss in Borneo.
heARt oF BoRneo DeCLARAtIon AnD stRAtegIC PLAn oF ACtIon
In February 2007, the governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia
and Malaysia signed the Heart of Borneo Declaration (WWF 2007).
This agreement committed the three governments to one conservation
vision to ensure the effective management of forest resources and the
conservation of a network of protected areas, productive forests, and other
sustainable land uses. The main objectives are to improve the welfare of
the island’s population and protect the island’s forests and biodiversity.
This represents a bold step towards large-scale nature conservation and
the sustainable use of natural resources in this region. The declaration has
led to a regional strategic plan of action and to national plans that guide
actions over multiple sectors in each of the three countries. The Heart of
Borneo also benefits from having governance bodies that represent a range
of sectors and that are responsible for driving environmental conservation
and socioeconomic development in each of the three countries.
The declaration and the action plans, together with the governance
groups, have received international acclaim for designing effective green
development strategies that promise to deliver lasting and balanced
environmental, economic and social benefits. For example, both the