The Heart of Borneo: the Nexus of Bioregional Transition, Indigenous Environmental Ethics and Environmental Sustainability
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The Heart of Borneo: the nexus of bioregional transition, indigenous environmental ethics and environmental sustainability International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) 2016 Conference held at the University of District Columbia, Washington, D.C, United States June 26-29, 2016 Choy Yee Keong Graduate School of Economics Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan [email protected] This work was supported by the MEXT*-Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private University, 2014-2018 (*Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan) Aim To critically examine the process of bio- regional transition to a Green Economy in Borneo To examine the connection between indigenous environmental ethics and environmental sustainability and its implications on bioregional green economic transition Located in Southeast Asia Composition: Indonesia (Kalimantan), Malaysia (the states of Sarawak and Sabah) and Brunei, covering an area of roughly 740,000 km2) 3rd largest island in the world next to Greenland and New Guinea 3 Natural Cultural value value A unique blend of Economic value Forests evolved about 100 million years ago 15,000 plant species (>5,000 endemic) 150 reptile and amphibian species 100 mammal species 200 bird species Between 1994 and 2004: 361 new species 30 unique fish species identified 16 ginger species 3 tree species 2 tree frog species 2006 alone: 52 new species indentified 1 large-leafed plant Source: WWF, Indonesia, 2006 species Plant diversity: as great as all of Africa which is 40 times the size of Borneo Source: Schilthuizen, M. 2006. Biodiscoveries. Borneo’s Botanical Secret. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Jakarta, Indonesia 8 world’s largest flower species Source: WWF (undated): http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/about_borneo_forests/borneo_animals/bor neo_plants/, also, in WWF. 2007. Forests of Borneo. Forest Area Key Facts & Carbon Emissions from Deforestation. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Washington D.C. Germany Netherlands UK Borneo Plants 2,683 1,221 1,623 15,000 Birds 247 192 229 620 Mammals 76 55 50 221 Source: WWF-Cannon, 2010 Economic value Timber Mineral deposits (coal) Source of hydro energy Medical/herbal plants Industrial and agricultural land Indonesia Kalimantan Betung Karihun National Park, West Kalimantan (41 species) Kutai National Parks, East Kalimantan (220 species) Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan (55 species) Source: Wawan Kustiawan, Natural Life, Vol. 2. No.1, 2007, 24-34, Research Institute of Mulawarman University, Samarinda, Indonesia Malaysia Sabah: 1,300 species Source: Julius Kulip, “Useful Wild Plants of the Natives in Sabah, Malaysia,” Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia, 2014 Malaysia Sarawak: 1,300 speceis Source: Forestry Department Sarawak, Malaysia, 2015, http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/modules/web/page.php?id=652 In 2007, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)+ Indonesia + Malaysia + Brunei Heart of Borneo Initiatives (HoBI) Development that is economically environmentally, and socially sustainable 1. Protection of ecosystem services 2. Halting further conversion of natural forests 3. Reducing green house gases emissions The Structure of HoB Green Economy Economic Environmental Social policies policies policies Innovation Deployment of advanced renewable energy and resource saving technologies Low-carbon, eco- and resource-efficient economy Environmental sustainability & socioeconomic progress The HoB Green Economy and the creation of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) One of the world’s most biological diverse ecosystems 17 Trilateral Strategic Plan of Action Each country Trilateral Strategic of Plan Trilateral Own specific specific Own Sustainable forest management Sustainable forest Indonesia: HoB conservation and biodiversity Working Group Projector Implementation Framework Framework Malaysia: National Action Expert Group and HoB Steering Committee Strategic Plan Brunei Darussalam: HoB National Council Source: WWF. 2012. Building a Green Economy in the Heart of Borneo: South-South Cooperation between Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Malaysia, http://www.unep.org/south-south- cooperation/case/casefiles.aspx?csno=69 The HoB Strategic Plan of Action v Transboundary management Protected area management Sustainable resource management Ecotourism development Capacity building Source: http://www.hobgreeneconomy.org/downloads/HoB_strategic_plan_of_action.pdf OR Sabah Forestry Department 2009, Strategic Plan of Action (Sabah). The Heart of Borneo Initiative http://www.hobgreeneconomy.org/downloads/sabah_plan_of_action_heartofborneo.pdf HoB Strategic Plan of Action in practice HoB area is recognized as an area of National Strategic Importance through Government Regulation No.26 of 2008 Presidential Decree No.2 of 2012: to prevent activities that may disturb the HoB Indonesia Presidential Decree No.3 of 2012: Hob is recognized as the “lungs of the world” (Government target to reduce gas emissions by 26% by 2020) Source: Nancy Ariaini 2013. Focus Group Discussion on Heart of Borneo Green Economy in Indonesia, http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?209292/Focus-Group-Discussion-on-Heart-of-Borneo-Green-Economy- in-Indonesia# Malaysia Identify and gazette tracts of natural forests based on the establishment, wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves (totally protected national parks areas) [Target : 1 million hectares by 2020] Source: Heart of Borneo, a joint commitment to conserve, protect diverse world ecosystem, http://sarawakmonitor.blogspot.jp/2013/12/heart-of-borneo-joint-commitment-to.html, Posted 1st December 2013 by Sarawak Monitor To indentify key conservation targets and to create tracts of protected forest (forest reserves and protected areas created: 1.55 million ha or 21% of Sabah’s land area) + to institutionalize multiple-use forest landscape planning and management model [Source WWF Malaysia. 2014 WWF-Malaysia commends Sabah Forestry Department for setting aside more forests for protection and restoration, http://www.wwf.org.my/media_and_information/updates__former_newsroom_main_/?uNewsID=18505 To establish and maintain protected areas and forest reserves, to improve connectivity of forests for wildlife mobility, biodiversity reservoir, to protect watershed areas, and to create a destination for eco-tourism (HoB corridor initiative) Transboundary management, protected area management and sustainable resource management of the Heart of Borneo in practice 23 totally protected areas Illegal logging activities Uncontrolled oil palm plantationv expansion Mega-dam infrastructure development Poaching & wildlife trading/smuggling From bioregional Green Economy to transboundary Brown Economy Lost 2 million ha or 10% of its forest cover since 2007 Empirical evidence Indonesia Source: Greenpeace, “Certifying Destruction”, 2013 Source of pictures: The Guardian, United Kingdom, http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2014/feb/28/deforestation-of-kalimantan-rainforest-in- pictures Damage caused by industrial machinery outside of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia In 2010 alone, land-clearing for oil palm plantations in Kalimantan emitted more than 140 million MT of CO2 – an amount equivalent to annual emissions from about 28 million vehicles (Rob Jordan. 2012. Stanford researchers show oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo . Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University. Stanford, California http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/october/oil-palm-plantation.html) Source: WWF, http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/borneo_deforestation/ Central Government’s 2011 Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI) IndoMet Coal Project (ICP): covers 5 potential coal deposits in East and To mine 1.25 billion tons Central Kalimantan (350,000 hectares, of thermal and more than twice the size of Greater metallurgical coal London located deep in the HoB) Open-cut mining contributes Extensive forest destruction directly to erosion + heavy metals + biodiversity disruption + leaching into waterways + adverse socio-economic impact on aquatic ecosystem impoverishment of the natural resource dependence Center for Media and Democracy, 2014, IndoMet Coal Project, http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/IndoMet_Coal_Project indigenous people Malaysia Logging tracks Forest irreversible conversion oil palm plantation >60-fold expansion Source of data: R.A. Cramb, 2007; Cooke et al. 2011; Lyddon, 2014, MPOB. 2014 and 2015 Statistics Lawas HEP Limbang HEP Irreversible destruction of 230,000 Tutoh HEP ha of rainforest Baram HEP Completed Under planning Bakun HEP stage HEP: Hydro-electric Metjawah HEP Linau HEP Murum HEP Power Belaga HEP Belepeh HEP Pelagus HEP Completed Baleh HEP Ulu Air HEP Batang Ai HEP (7 million hectares: 57% of state’s total land mass) 33 About 80 percent of the forest: impacted by logging or clearing Sarawak Kalimantan (Indonesia) Source: Rhett A. Butler, 2013 Aerial view of palm oil plantation on deforested land, Sabah, Malaysia Source: WWF, http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/borneo_deforestation/ Expanding oil palm in Sabah, Malaysia (photo by Rhett Butler) 36 What is ethics? 37 Ethics A set of moral principles or values Guide one’s action and prescribes what human beings ought to do in terms of obligations or duties to others based on moral rules38 39 40 Human beings: members of the biotic community/ecosystem