Deforestation in Borneo: What Malaysia is doing to Protect Rainforests

When I traveled to Sabah, Borneo I wanted to learn more about conservation efforts and what deforestation in Borneo looks like.

You hear about deforestation and see images of it, but what’s the reality of deforestation and what is being done about it? That is what I wanted to find out on my own.

I asked licensed guides, went to wildlife conservation centres, and did my own research to find out the extent of deforestation in Borneo and want to share what I learned, what I saw, and what is being done to save Malaysia’s rainforests.

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Introduction to Borneo's Rainforests

Borneo’s rainforests are among the oldest and most biodiverse in the world. The rainforests in Borneo are home to many endemic species like the Proboscis Monkey and Bornean Orangutan.

The rainforests of Borneo span across three countries: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Since the forests are so vast, they play a vital role in so much more then just providing a home to wildlife. These dense rainforests also play a role in regulating climate and support indigenous communities.

Unfortunately, Borneo has lost more than half of its natural rainforests due to rapid deforestation, logging, and human expansion.

But there is still hope, at least for the Malaysian side of Borneo.

What is Causing Deforestation in Borneo?

Deforestation in Malaysian Borneo is primarily driven by palm oil plantations, logging, and land conversion because of agriculture and expansion.

Due to global demands for palm oil, large areas of rainforest in Borneo have been cleared.

Besides palm oil, illegal and legal logging and poorly managed concessions are huge factors in the accelerated forest loss which has a huge impact on local wildlife.

While conservation efforts are growing, deforestation in Malaysian Borneo is a huge issue and causes major environmental challenges.

Below are some of the factors that are contributing to deforestation in Borneo.

Palm Oil Plantations

Palm Oil itself is not bad or harmful. But it’s the production and palm oil industry that plays a role in the deforestation of Borneo’s rainforests.

In fact, palm trees that are used to extract palm oil aren’t even from Borneo. It’s not a native species.

I’ve seen movies, documentaries, and read about the palm oil industry. I thought I knew the extent of these plantations until I actually went to Borneo and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Driving from Sandakan to the Kinabatangan River. I saw palm oil plantations with palm trees as far as the eye could see. The palm oil plantations completely took over the natural rainforest. Every mountain, every valley, everywhere was palm trees.

What is palm oil exactly? It’s a widely used vegetable oil extracted from the fruit of the palm trees. This oil is found in almost everything from food products to cosmetics.

Next time you buy a product look at the ingredients, you might see palm oil listed.

Because palm oil is in such high demand, tropical rainforests to include rainforests in Borneo are being cleared to make way for palm oil plantations.

Logging

Logging has always contributed to deforestation in Borneo. In Sabah and Sarawak, large areas of lowland rainforest have been logged for valuable tropical hardwoods.

Of course, there are both legal and illegal logging happening in Borneo today. In regards to legal logging, the government has introduced more strict forestry regulations and sustainable forest management plans.

Urban Sprawl and Development

Urban sprawl and rapid development is another contributing factor to Borneo’s deforestation. As cities like Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan expand, infrastructure projects like roads, housing, and dams are built, large areas of rainforest are cleared.

Urban sprawl and development disrupts wildlife corridors and threatens Borneo’s unique species.

Development definitely draws economic opportunities but poorly planned projects and urban expansion do accelerate habitat loss. Not to mention all the waste and pollution left behind.

How is Deforestation Impacting Borneo's Wildlife?

Not just Borneo but everywhere that deforestation occurs has a devastating impact on local wildlife. In Borneo, the orangutan, pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey, sun bear, clouded leopard, and other species are in danger of loosing their habitat.

Deforestation make it harder for wildlife to forage for food, migrate, reproduce, and can force animals closer to developed areas which increases the conflicts between animals and humans.

Deforestation disrupts ecosystems which reduces biodiversity and can push many of Borneo’s endemic species sadly toward extinction unless drastic measures are taken.

What is Malaysia Borneo Doing to Protect it's Rainforests?

Up until now, I haven’t painted a good picture about what’s going on in Borneo in terms of deforestation. But after talking to licensed guides, visiting conservation centres and doing my own research, I think there is hope.

The guides I talked to think that Malaysia is turning things around and that the rainforests and wildlife in Malaysia Borneo can be saved.

Below are some topics that I asked my guides about and I want to share some good news with you all. Here are a few efforts being made by Malaysia to but an end to deforestation in Borneo. Keep in mind this is just Malaysia and their efforts.

Protected Areas and National Parks

Despite ongoing threats from logging, expansion, and palm oil, Malaysia has taken significant steps to protect its remaining rainforests and biodiversity.

The government has designated a lot of land for national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, forest reserves, and internationally recognized heritage sites, like Kinabalu Park.

In Sabah, the government has taken a proactive approach to forest protection and conservation efforts. Their aim is to increase protected areas and limit logging, expansion, and palm oil plantations.

Conservation Projects

Across Borneo, there are numerous conservation projects that are underway to protect the islands unique ecosystems and wildlife.

There are island wide conservation efforts between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

But speaking on the Malaysia side there are organizations like the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Sun Bear Conservation Centre that are working to protect and rescue Borneo’s vulnerable species.

There are also conservation foundations like the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation, they are working on long-term wildlife rehabilitation and tree-planting projects.

Wildlife Corridors

Before visiting Borneo, I never really heard of or thought about Wildlife corridors. What is a wildlife corridor, you ask?

A wildlife corridor is a strip of natural habitat or network of natural habitats that connect through or around land areas disturbed by human interference, such as from agriculture or other development.

Wildlife corridors are like networks of roads in a natural sense that animals use.

Wildlife corridors act as a linkage of natural habitat that allows wildlife to move safely from place to place. These wildlife corridors should surround each palm oil plantation giving animals like orangutans room plenty of natural habitat to freely move.

There are efforts in place to connect major protected areas like Tabin Wildlife Reserve to the Kinabatangan area. There are also planned pygmy elephant corridors in the Kinabatangan region.

Responsible Palm Oil Farming

Palm Oil Plantations are one of the biggest contributors to deforestation in Borneo. Unfortunately, when driving in Borneo, you see the affects of these plantations. Miles and miles as far as the eye can see of unnatural land where old rainforest should be.

But is palm oil a thing of the past? According to guides I talked to in Borneo, it is. Since there has been a lot of push back on palm oil from other countries, palm oil is no longer in high demand.

I was told that the government no longer allows new palm oil plantations or it is extremely regulated. Now this does not stop illegal palm oil plantations.

In Sabah, I learned that plantations are now required to set aside conservation areas, certain buffers around rivers, and implement wildlife corridors around the plantations.

I said earlier, palm oil is not the problem. It’s the mass production and land clearing. I see no problem with smaller and sustainable farms. Hopefully with education and awareness, palm oil demand will decrease over time and rainforests can regenerate.

Reforestation Efforts

Similar to the conservation projects, there are restoration efforts in place by numerous organizations.

In Sabah, there is an organization called the Animal Projects & Environmental (APE). They are responsible for planting more then 100k native trees to reconnect forest corridors. These efforts often include volunteers, students, and local communities.

There is a project known as Regrow Borneo, the focus is on forest restoration.

How Travelers Like You and I Can Make a Difference!

As a traveler, you might not think of it, but you are actually playing an important role in helping conservation efforts and forest restoration in Borneo, as long as it’s done ethically.

By supporting ethical tourism, your money is supporting local communities, funding projects, and helping bring awareness.

Below you can find some topics about how travelers like you and me can make a difference in a positive way!

Choose Ethical Wildlife Experiences

When choosing a wildlife tour in Borneo or anywhere really, do your research! Look up the company, read reviews, and use your judgement.

I was looking for an ethical and authentic wildlife tour in Borneo and decided to go with this 3 Day and 2 Night wildlife tour at the Tanjung Bulat Jungle along the Kinabatangan River.

After the tour, I highly recommend it. You could tell the guides really care about the wildlife, nature, and educating tourists. We were given strict rules about encountering wildlife and really learned a lot about Borneo and it’s wildlife.

Pay a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Sun Bear Conservation Centre, near Sandakan. These conservation centres do all they can to protect Borneo’s vulnerable species.

Keep this in mind, next time you visit an elephant sanctuary in Thailand or a tiger sanctuary in India. Do your research and only choose ethical wildlife experiences.

Be mindful of Palm Oil Products

As we already learned, palm oil is everywhere! From the snacks you eat to the cosmetics you use. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world.

Always check the ingredients of the products you are using. I don’t think it’s 100% possible to avoid all palm oil products, but there are alternatives out there.

There is this German snack I love called Knoppers, I read the ingredients and palm oil was listed there. Although I love this snack, I gave up on eating it and will until they replace the palm oil ingredient.

Donate, Volunteer, Support

You don’t have to be a resident of Malaysia to help fight deforestation. Really, anyone can help. You don’t even have to visit Borneo to take part in combating deforestation.

There are numerous sites online where a person can donate to help either plant trees, pay for wildlife care, or even donate to certain organizations.

When I visited Borneo and visited the Orangutan rehab centre, they allow visitors to adopt an orangutan. No, this doesn’t mean you can take one home with you, but with a donation, you can sponsor one. In return you’ll get updates, photos, etc.

Just by visiting conservation centres in Borneo or taking part in tours, your money is going toward supporting local communities and conservation efforts.

Tours realize that visitors are coming to Borneo specifically to see wildlife. So they want to do everything they can to protect the species for everyone to enjoy.

Educate

Education is one of the most powerful ways travelers can help combat deforestation in Borneo. Most of us are aware of what is going on, but seeing it in person is a whole different story.

Learning about deforestation and seeing it happen you can truly see the consequences of forest loss. Travelers like me, can see what is at stake and what needs to be done to limit deforestation in Borneo.

I recommend when visiting Borneo, visit conservation centres, learn about the effects deforestation has on wildlife and local communities.

If you are like me, seeing deforestation happen right in front of you really opens your eyes. I want to share my opinions and thoughts on this ongoing issue and hopefully educate some of you on the hazardous effects of deforestation.

Indonesia's New Capital in Kalimantan?

I was unaware of this, but Jakarta, Indonesia’s current capital city is rapidly sinking due to groundwater pumping, large populations, and the threat of rising sea levels.

Because of this, Indonesia is basically creating a new capital city, Nusantara. This new capital city is being built in East Kalimantan, Borneo. Let that sink in! – No pun intended!

The creation of Nusantara, this new capital city is definitely raising concerns about deforestation in East Kalimantan. In order to built a new capital city, the development requires a lot of land to sustain a huge population.

My opinion, this is a huge blow to Borneo’s already struggling problems with deforestation. No matter how much the government mentions it’s low impact and measures will be in place to protect the rainforest.

This means a lot more roads, meaning more traffic, urban sprawl will lead to more animal and human encounters, and logging will occur in order to sustain the populations.

The expansion of Indonesia’s new capital is definitely something worth monitoring.

Conclusion

Let’s be honest, Borneo’s rainforests are facing ongoing threats still from palm oil plantations, logging, and urban expansion. But there does seem to be a small light at the end of the tunnel.

Based on my research and discussions with licensed guides in Borneo, it does seem that Malaysia is doing its part in investing in protected areas, figuring out sustainable forestry policies, and working toward better conservation efforts.

I visited places like the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and it brought me hope that Malaysian Borneo is heading in the right direction.

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