Sustainable rainforest use A Borneo Case Study

Sustainable rainforest use A Borneo Case Study

1. Action on part of regulatory bodes

   • Afforestation and reforestation - the example for the Borneo Rainforest being The Forest and Land Restoration Initiative, which aims to re-introduce 900 000 hectares of forestry per year in Kalimantan.
     • Reforestation involves the REPLANTING of trees on deforested land that has been previously covered by forestry
     • Afforestation involves the planting of trees where there were formally no trees - i.e. afforestation happens on land that HAS NOT been occupied by forest before
   • Between MEDC nations (who are generally more inclined to conserve the rainforest) and LEDC nations (who are generally less inclined to conserve the rainforest), a deal known as a "debt-for-nature swap" can occur. This is where an (often MEDC) creditor is owed money by a debtor (often an LEDC). The MEDC nation agrees to write off some of the LEDC country's debt in exchange for the LEDC agreeing to keep a part of the rainforest intact AND fund local conseravtional activities.
   • Establishing national parks and conservation areas protected from development - the Heart of Borneo is one of the main conservation established jointly by the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
   • Stricter controls on deforestation in National Parks and conservation areas - for example, the Kutai National Park in Kalimantan was routinely breached by large timber/palm oil corporations due to cash-hungry politicians.

2. Action on part of Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs]

   • NGOs, e.g. WWF and The Rainforest Alliance can work to educate consumers on the extent of the problem. For consumers that live a long way away from the rainforest, they will likely not know the environmental implications of their consumption habits. By knowing what type of products directly or indirectly contribute to deforestation (e.g. hardwood products, products containing palm oil)
   • Certain NGOs operate sanctuaries for lost, hurt or displaced wildlife - Orangutans in the case of Borneo. Organizations such as Orangutan Appeal UK are already operating orangutan sanctuaries.
   • NGOs can act as third party certification bodies that incentivise businesses to do the right thing in conserving Borneo's rainforests for generations to come. organizations such as the FSC and the Rainforest Alliance can be used to identify products that are made without causing damage to the world's rainforests. As the number of eco-conscious consumers rise across the world, they will increasingly be looking to minimise their impact on the world's rainforests, and hence, in the long run, certified goods may have better sales than their non-certified counterparts. The allure of additional sales acts as the incetitive in this type of programmes.
   • NGOs can act as pressure groups to encourage industry players that have a negative impact on the rainforest (e.g. palm oil and timber industries) to take charge of their actions. For example, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil was a coalition formed by industry stakeholders to clean up the image of the palm oil industry by being more responsible in managing the rainforest. Members of the RSPO include growers and other stakeholders along the palm oil supply chain.

3. Action on part of the individual

   • Reducing or eliminating the consumption of palm oil - plantations for palm oil are often placed on deforested land in Borneo. Consumers should check labels and be alert when coming across products with "palm" in its name - e.g. palm kernel oil - as they could otherwise be inadvertently buying palm oil and fueling deforestation in Borneo.
   • When making purchasing decisions, consumers should only choose products that are certified sustainable - e.g. wood/paper products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] or the Rainforest Alliance. Aside from certifying forestry products the Rainforest Alliance also certifies agricultural products such as coffee, bananas and tea.
   • Minimise the use of paper by writing on or printing on both sides of each sheet. Paper should be recycled as far as possible and consumers should also support the circular economy by purchasing independently certified recycled pulp products. This can in turn improve conservation in Borneo as recycling/reducing lowers the demand for virgin materials (trees in this case)

4. Actions on part of other stakeholders

   • Selective logging practices can be used to sustainably manage forests. In selective logging, only trees that are mature/have reached their full growing potential are felled, reducing problems such as soil erosion as only individual trees are removed.
   • Ecotourism comes with many benefits for the rainforest and the local people alike. Firstly, it provides job opportunities to locals, which allow them to have a stable income, thereby reducing the number of desperate people turning to illegal logging. Secondly, it educates locals and visitors abroad alike the importance of managing the Borneo Rainforest sustainably, encouraging consumers to think about how they could minimise their contribution to deforestation in Borneo through their purchasing choices - for example, by steering away from palm oil and buying FSC certified forestry goods. By seeing the forest in person, they will marvel the indisputable beauty of the rainforest and will feel much more guilty the next time they purchase a rainforest-harming product (e.g. a palm oil containing snack). The fact that rainforests can make money also discourages locals from damaging/cutting it down for uses such as farming.