Conserving Biodiverse Heart of Borneo

Conserving Biodiverse Heart of Borneo



Feb 2007 - A declaration to 
protect the forested Heart of Borneo was signed today by 
ministers from the three Bornean governments - Brunei 
Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia. The agreement will 
conserve and sustainably manage one of the most important 
centers of biological diversity in the world, inhabited by 
endangered orangutans, elephants and rhinos. 
The agreement ends plans to create the world’s largest palm 
oil plantation that would have cleared a vast rainforest along 
Indonesia’s border with Malaysia across the world's third 
largest island. 
A boat makes its way up the Rupert River in the Heart of 
Borneo. 
The Heart of Borneo covers 220,000 square kilometers (85,000 
square miles) of equatorial rainforests – almost one-third of 
the island of Borneo. The area spreads across the 
transboundary highlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, and down 
through the foothills into adjacent lowlands and to parts of 
Brunei. 
"This is an historic occasion which marks new collaboration 
between our three countries," said Malem Sambat Kaban, the 
Indonesian Minister of Forestry. "This will put the Heart of 
Borneo on the world stage as one of the last great blocks of 
forest in the world." 
Indonesian Forest Minister Malem Sambat Kaban 
The island is inhabited by 13 species of primates, including 
the endangered orangutan, 150 species of reptiles and 
amphibians, over 350 species of birds, and around 15,000 
species of plants. 
Many species are still undiscovered - more than 50 new species 
were identified on Borneo last year alone. 
The Heart of Borneo Declaration, signed at an official 
ceremony held in Bali, is a lifeline for Borneo’s rainforests 
that are threatened by logging, forest fires and forest 
conversion for plantations. 
"This event is more than symbolic as it represents a 
commitment between our three countries to conserve and 
sustainably manage the Heart of Borneo," said Dato Seri Azmi 
bin Khalid, Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and 
Environment. 
Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato 
Seri Azmi bin Khalid 
Since 1996, deforestation across Indonesia has increased to an 
average of two million hectares (7,722 square miles) per year 
and, today, only half of Borneo’s original forest cover 
remains. 
The world’s largest palm oil plantation, supported by Chinese 
investments, was planned to cover an area of 1.8 million 
hectares (6,949 square miles) and would have had long-lasting, 
damaging consequences to the Heart of Borneo. 
"It has become clear since we started to discuss cooperation 
on the vision for the Heart of Borneo that the world outside 
our countries is excited by what we are doing and is prepared 
to lend us support," said Pehin Dr. Awang Haji Ahmad bin Haji 
Jumat, Minister of Brunei Darussalam’s Industry and Primary 
Resources. 
Brunei Minister of Industry and Primary Resources Pehin Dr. 
Awang Haji Ahmad bin Haji Juma 
"Future generations will look back on this occasion and admire 
the leadership and courage shown by the three governments 
today to conserve the Heart of Borneo," said James Leape, WWF 
International’s Director General. 
The global conservation organization WWF has supported the 
three governments in their desire to conserve the Heart of 
Borneo since the announcement of their joint intention at the 
Convention on Biodiversity in Brazil in March 2006. "WWF 
stands ready to assist Borneo’s three governments in realizing 
the groundbreaking commitment they have made today," said 
Leape. 
The United States government is contributing financially to 
protection of the Heart of Borneo. Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice announced a pledge of US$100,000 to help 
advance this regional project focused on combating illegal 
logging and wildlife trafficking during her joint press 
conference with Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid in Kuala 
Lumpur on July 28, 2006. 
The U.S. funds will be disbursed through the World Wildlife 
Fund and the International Tropical Timber Organization, in 
consultation with the three Southeast Asian countries. 
Leape said, "That three countries have come together with a 
shared vision that will promote sustainable development, 
protect vital natural resources and reduce poverty, should be 
an inspiration to everyone." 
"The Heart of Borneo harbors up to six percent of the world’s 
total biodiversity," said Dr. Dino Sharma, Executive Director 
of WWF-Malaysia in January. 
The unspoiled rainforests of Borneo will be protected by the 
three nations that share the equatorial island. 
"The highlands and adjacent foothills along the borders of 
Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia are vital for the people of 
Borneo," Sharma said. "The Heart of Borneo is the source of 14 
of the island’s 20 major rivers and conserving this precious 
region is essential for safeguarding the water and food 
security for the people of Borneo." 
But the natural forests of Borneo are being cleared for 
commercial uses, including rubber, palm oil and pulp 
production. As logging trails and cleared forest extend into 
remote areas, the illegal wildlife trade grows. 
In addition to endangered animals, plants that could help 
treat or cure diseases such as cancer, AIDS and malaria have 
been found in Heart of Borneo rainforests. 
A WWF report published in April 2006, "Biodiscoveries, 
Borneo's Botanical Secret," detailed the efforts of scientists 
who are testing samples collected in the Malaysian states of 
Sabah and Sarawak, as well as in Kalimantan, the Indonesian 
part of Borneo. 
The Australian pharmaceutical company Cerylid Biosciences has 
identified a promising anti-cancer substance in a shrub found 
in Sarawak. A compound present in the plant Aglaia leptantha 
has been found to effectively kill 20 kinds of human cancer 
cells in laboratory tests, including those that cause brain 
and breast cancer, and melanoma.

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