The Heart of Borneo
of the watershed management service are communities living in and around Betung Kerihun National Park. Similar approaches are being developed in Sabah, Malaysia, including REDD+ programs to improve the management of forest reserves and corridors, and to reduce emissions that result from activities such as deforestation and land use. Additionally, the 10th Malaysian Plan, an economic blueprint for Malaysia’s national budget to 2015, acknowledges that proper valuation of Malaysia’s environmental and ecological resources is key to making sure these resources are used sustainably (Prime Minister’s Department of Malaysia 2010). One way the government is doing this is by focusing on the link between the preservation of ecosystems and business operations. Translating the national growth priorities into initiatives and activities at the local level in Sarawak and Sabah is part of the blueprint for sustainable growth in both states.
4 MILLION
There are an estimated 4 million ha of protected areas within the Heart of Borneo, with more than 1 million more hectares planned
Expanding protected areas to include areas which provide for multiple ecosystem services Well-managed protected areas are at the core of the Heart of Borneo program. There are an estimated 4 million ha of protected areas within the Heart of Borneo, with more than 1 million more ha planned. The two largest national parks on the island of Borneo are found in the Heart of Borneo, namely Kayan Mentarang in East Kalimantan Province and Betung Kerihun in West Kalimantan Province. The protected areas that run across the three countries are linked through forest corridors and conservation landscapes. The network of functioning nature reserves, parks, and responsibly managed logging concessions vastly improve chances that the Heart of Borneo can meet its ecological and economic needs. The protected areas provide ecosystem services for tourism, sustainable timber, nontimber forest products, drinking water, and carbon storage. Through the Heart of Borneo Trilateral Strategic Plan actions, the governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia have agreed to identify, assess and establish trans-boundary conservation zones in order to strengthen the management of the protected areas for both natural and cultural heritage values, water catchments capacity, and preservation of biodiversity. The management of protected areas and conservation landscapes within the Heart of Borneo are, however, facing numerous challenges. Due to their often-remote location, many of the protected areas do not have fully mapped boundaries, or management plans approved by all
51