The Heart of Borneo
1950
1985
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
2000
2005
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 2010
2020
Figure 13: Past and projected forest loss on Borneo.
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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