Borneo: Treasure Island at Risk Status of Forest, Wildlife and related Threats on the Island of Borneo Acknowledgement The following persons provided valuable advice and information to this report: - Fitrian Ardiansyah, WWF Indonesia - Stuart Chapman, WWF Indonesia - David S. Edwards, University of Brunei Darussalam - Nina Griesshammer, WWF Germany - Mirjam Müller, WWF Germany - Bambang Supriyanto, WWF Indonesia - Junaidi Payne, WWF Malaysia - Florian Siegert, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich - Lely Rulia Siregar, Indonesian Ministry of Forestry - Alois Vedder, WWF Germany - Stefan Ziegler, WWF Germany Published by: WWF Germany, Frankfurt am Main, June 2005 Authors: Mario Rautner, Consultant, Borealis Centre for Environment and Trade Research Martin Hardiono (maps), Consultant Raymond J. Alfred (Sabah maps), WWF Malaysia Coordinator: Markus Radday, WWF Germany, Assistance: Mirjam Müller, WWF Germany Contact: Markus Radday, WWF Germany, phone +49 69 7 91 44-189; e-mail: [email protected] Layout text: Astrid Ernst Production Rainer Litty, WWF Germany Printed on recycled paper © 2005 WWF Germany, Frankfurt am Main Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit of the above mentioned publisher as the copyright owner. Cover photo: © WWF Jikkie Jonkman / Alain Compost Preface The forests of Borneo are rapidly disappearing: A man-made disaster. A few decades ago the third largest island on our planet was still covered by a vast green carpet of lush rainforest. These forests are invaluable because of the diversity of unique plants and animals they harbour: Majestic species such as orang-utans, elephants and rhinos, to name but a few. Equally important: They are of critical value to people, both as a prized natural heritage and for the goods and services that they provide. Today satellite images reveal that these forests have become a patchwork in many lowland areas and that some of the most biologically diverse formations, like the lowland rainforests, may become extinct within the next decade in the Indonesian part of the island. However, despite this situation, Borneo is the only place left where the Indo- Malayan forests of Southeast Asia could be conserved on a large scale, to maintain their ecological functions and retain the value they have for people. Vast stretches of forest can still be found in the mountainous interior of the island. This report aims to give a comprehensive picture of the status of Borneo's forests and provides key information on one of the most prominent mammal species, the orang-utan. The report also analyses the most significant threats to Borneo's forests and wildlife and provides an outlook on what might happen if forest loss cannot be stopped. It contains a short description of the peoples of Borneo and reveals how important forests are for the rich cultural and social heritage of the island. While working on this report, we felt more than ever that there is not much time left to save what remains. We hope that this report will motivate others, notably government and industrial stakeholders, to act while the window of opportunity is still open. Markus Radday Senior Forest Officer WWF Germany WWF Germany 3 Contents Preface........................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Summary and Key Findings........................................................................................................................................ 6 1. An Introduction to Borneo....................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Overview.......................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 A land of plenty.............................................................................................................................................. 10 1.2.1 Flora........................................................................................................................................................ 10 Mangroves................................................................................................................................................... 10 Peat Swamp Forests..................................................................................................................................... 12 Dipterocarp Forests ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Montane Forests .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Heath Forests............................................................................................................................................... 14 1.2.2 Fauna....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Orang-utan................................................................................................................................................... 16 Sun bear....................................................................................................................................................... 20 Proboscis monkey........................................................................................................................................ 20 Clouded leopard........................................................................................................................................... 21 Borneo Elephant .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Borneo Rhinoceros ...................................................................................................................................... 22 1.3 People and politics ......................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.1 The Early Days ....................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.2 The Europeans arrive .............................................................................................................................. 24 1.3.3 Modern society ....................................................................................................................................... 24 1.4 Borneo in numbers: 2005 ............................................................................................................................... 26 2. The People of Borneo........................................................................................................................................... 27 2.1 Overview........................................................................................................................................................ 27 2.2 The Dayak ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 2.2.1 Origins & History ................................................................................................................................... 28 2.2.2 Trade & Commerce ................................................................................................................................ 29 2.2.3 Agriculture.............................................................................................................................................. 29 2.2.4 Society & Culture ................................................................................................................................... 30 The Kayan-Kenyah group ........................................................................................................................... 30 The Kelabit-Lun Bawang group.................................................................................................................. 31 The Iban....................................................................................................................................................... 31 The Bidayuh ................................................................................................................................................ 31 The Barito.................................................................................................................................................... 32 The Dusun-Kadazan-Murut......................................................................................................................... 32 The Penan .................................................................................................................................................... 32 2.3 Radical transformations.................................................................................................................................. 33 2.3.1 Sustainable land use and deforestation ................................................................................................... 33 2.3.2 Governance ............................................................................................................................................