The Borneo Project

A CRITICAL MOMENTTO PROTECT RAINFORESTS AND RIVERS

Industrial logging and plantation development in Borneo’s forests have polluted rivers, degraded fragile forest ecosystems and made it difficult for communities to find the forest products they need to survive.

ABOUT BORNEO

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTFOR INDIGENOUS CAMPAIGNS

The Borneo Project responds to the needs of local partners, providing whatever support best suits programmatic and campaign needs.

OUR WORK

ELEVATING GRASSROOTS VOICESWATCH OUR FILM SERIES

The Borneo Project Film Team created a series of short documentary films about the 12 mega-dams slated for construction in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, in northern Borneo.

WATCH NOW

HUMAN RIGHTSFOR FOREST PROTECTORS

Most of the indigenous communities of Borneo do not have legal rights to the land that they depend on for their lives and livelihoods.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

09 Jul

Alarming new logging project exposed in Indigenous conservation zone

Malaysian Borneo’s last primary rainforests under threat despite international conservation promises A new logging operation in Sarawak’s Upper Baram region poses an immediate threat…

11 Jun

Penan community accuses Samling of destroying protected salt lick

Opposition mounts in Layun Forest Management Unit, while Long Pakan community blames Samling’s logging operations for destruction of an HCV protected salt lick People…

06 Jun

A Letter from our Director

Dear friends, I recently returned from Sarawak, where I once again experienced the breathtaking beauty of this region alongside the stark reality of ongoing…

31 May

Communities fighting deforestation push for inclusion in EU talks

Human Rights Watch calls for environmental groups and Indigenous communities to be included at the Malaysia and Indonesia EU anti-deforestation task force meetings. (Brussels,…

Behind the Scenes

borneoproject

Helping #Borneo's #rainforest communities protect their lands, livelihoods, and cultures for generations to come. #StopTheChop

⠀ ICYMI: A new logging operation in Sarawak’s

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ICYMI: A new logging operation in Sarawak’s Upper Baram region poses an immediate threat to some of the last primary rainforests in the Heart of Borneo.⠀
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Penan communities fear the logging activities could devastate the rich biodiversity near Gunung Murud Kecil, a major landmark in the region. “All 18 Upper Baram Penan communities are opposed to this logging operation”, said Penan leader Komeok Joe. “We request that Sarawak Premier Abang Johari will stop this encroachment into our forest.” ⠀
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Read the full story on our website. ⠀

We often discuss keystone species in Sarawak—tho

We often discuss keystone species in Sarawak—those remarkable animals whose influence on the ecosystem far exceeds their numbers. Similarly, Borneo can be seen as a keystone island, a place with a disproportionately large impact on planetary health, thanks to its ancient and vital tropical rainforests that help stabilize temperatures, absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide, and provide a haven for countless species.

At The Borneo Project, we like to think of ourselves as a keystone organization. Despite our small team, we've achieved amazing things. Over the past decade, we've helped defeat a mega-dam project, faced down legal threats from one of the largest timber companies, and stopped logging in critical areas.

We are halfway to reaching our goal for our 2024 midyear appeal. These funds will enable us to expand our team, enhance our efforts, and delve deeper into our work. All donations up to $20,000 made between now and the end of the month will be matched, thanks to a generous donor in Portland, Oregon.

Make an outsized impact by doubling your donation. Find all the different ways to contribute at borneoproject.org/ways-to-give

A new logging operation in Sarawak’s Upper Baram

A new logging operation in Sarawak’s Upper Baram region poses an immediate threat to some of the last primary rainforests in the Heart of Borneo.

We call on @anwaribrahim_my to urgently clarify the situation with Sarawak authorities.

A new logging operation in Sarawak’s Upper Baram

A new logging operation in Sarawak’s Upper Baram region poses an immediate threat to some of the last primary rainforests in the Heart of Borneo.

“It is disturbing that Malaysia allows the logging of one of Sarawak’s last primeval forest areas inside an internationally funded conservation area. We call on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to clarify the situation with the Sarawak authorities”, said Lukas Straumann, director of the Bruno Manser Fonds.

Read the full story at borneoproject.org
Pic via @brunomanserfonds

We're halfway there! 🍃 Double your impact by do

We're halfway there! 🍃 Double your impact by donating today 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Investing in Indigenous communities is the best way to protect forests. Holding this core belief is key to all the success we have had at The Borneo Project.

We always focus our efforts where they can have the greatest impact. When we see a crack in the door, we push it wide open. Right now, we have the opportunity to grow our team, and we just need a little help to get there.

We are halfway to reaching our goal for our 2024 midyear appeal. All donations up to $20,000 made between now and the end of the month will be matched, thanks to a generous donor in Portland, Oregon.

Double your impact by donating today. Find all the different ways to contribute at borneoproject.org/ways-to-give

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT 🍃 All donations up to $20,0

DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT 🍃

All donations up to $20,000 will be doubled by a generous supporter until the end of July!

More and more communities are seeking support as they see the impacts of our projects and campaigns. There is still so much work to be done, and there is still so much worth protecting. Donate today to double your contribution and help us get to our $40,000 goal by August 1st.

Head to borneoproject.org/ways-to-give to find all the ways to contribute.

Pictured here: our incredible local partners SAVE Rivers workshopping a community declaration for Indigenous self determination in the Baram Peace Park.

Right now is *the best possible time* to donate to

Right now is *the best possible time* to donate to The Borneo Project. All donations up to $20,000 between now and the end of July will be doubled by a generous supporter in Portland, Oregon.

More and more communities are seeking support as they see the impacts of our projects and campaigns. Empowering communities to shape their vision of the future and to determine what development looks like on their terms is crucial for tackling deforestation, mitigating climate change, and ensuring human rights.

There is still so much work to be done, and there is still so much worth protecting. Donate today to double your contribution and help us get to our $40,000 goal by August 1st.

Head to borneoproject.org/ways-to-give to find all the ways to contribute.

A sustainable energy transition is not sustainable

A sustainable energy transition is not sustainable if it does not respect Indigenous rights.

Repost via @saveriversofficial and @yufemy

The fact that timber giant Samling has destroyed a

The fact that timber giant Samling has destroyed a salt lick, as well as clear community resistance to their logging operations, indicates that they are once again falling short of meeting the certification standards, yet their operations are nonetheless certified. 😡

Read the latest letter from our Director Jettie as

Read the latest letter from our Director Jettie as she marks her tenth year at The Borneo Project:

"The landscapes of Malaysian Borneo are truly awe-inspiring—flourishing rainforests teeming with life, and vibrant cultures rooted in centuries-old forest stewardship traditions. While the threats from logging and forest clearing continue, the fact is, there is still so much worth protecting. And our collective campaigns are making a significant impact."

Get the full letter at our website. Pictured: the phenomenal Tekewit waterfall.

Once again, timber giant Samling has been accused

Once again, timber giant Samling has been accused of environmental destruction by local Indigenous communities in Baram. This time, the Layun logging area is coming under fire, as multiple communities send letters of complaint to the company.
The Penan community of Long Pakan, pictured here, has reported that Samling has destroyed a salt lick, an important conservation area mandated to be protected under Sarawak’s policy of Sustainable Forest Management.

The Layun FMU was certified under the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme earlier this year. The MTCS is supposed to guarantee high environmental and ethical standards. The fact that Samling has destroyed a salt lick, as well as clear community resistance to their logging operations, indicate that they are falling short of meeting the requirements, yet their operations are nonetheless certified.

We would love to know: how does this keep happening? @mtcc_my @forest_department_sarawak

Read the full story at borneoproject.org

From California to Sarawak, communities have been

From California to Sarawak, communities have been fighting destructive dam projects for decades. We stand in solidarity with river defenders everywhere. Water is life. 🌊💙✊

In Sarawak, the government is proposing building n

In Sarawak, the government is proposing building new dams against the wishes of communities. On the other side of the world in California, large dams are being demolished on the Klamath River after decades of Indigenous campaigning.

What was a seemingly impossible goal not so long ago is now a reality. Native communities are now restoring the watershed, bringing life back to the Klamath — where the river has been altered by hydroelectric dams for over 100 years.

Our friends from Sarawak were here to witness the largest dam removal in history, finding inspiration in the unwavering efforts of the Yurok, Hoopa, and Karuk tribes. Once the dams are gone, salmon will rebound, water health will be restored and once-drowned ecosystems will grow back.

Native communities fought these dams for decades, and won. And now, communities in Sarawak are bracing for a new fight, in a world where there is no appetite for cultural or environmental destruction.

Did you see the latest modelling from @rimbawatch

Did you see the latest modelling from @rimbawatch showing that Malaysia is set to lose 16 percent of its remaining forest cover? The State of Malaysian Rainforest Report 2024 shows that the area at risk of deforestation has increased in the last year to over 3 million hectares.

And the biggest risk to forests? Timber plantations. And the state with almost three quarters of the forests slated to be lost? You guessed it: Sarawak.

The work we do safeguarding forests alongside Indigenous communities is addressing a clear and present danger. Now is a critical time to protect forests in the tropics. They pack an enormous punch in protecting our planetary health.

You can read the full report at #linkinbio

Just because a forest has been damaged doesn’t m

Just because a forest has been damaged doesn’t mean it should be destroyed 💚

Read our latest FAQ article on our website, explaining three reasons we need to protect secondary forests right now. #LinkInBio

Have you checked out our Storymap for the Baram He

Have you checked out our Storymap for the Baram Heritage Survey yet?

You can get an insight into the survey results and see some amazing photos from the Baram at #LinkInBio

The Baram Heritage Survey trained and employed local field technicians to collect social, ecological, and economic data throughout 2020 and 2021 across three sites in the Baram River Basin. Field technicians walked forest transects twice every month, once looking for animal sightings and again looking for animal signs. They also conducted fishing and hunting surveys and interviewed community members.

The results show that these communities have an *exceptional* knowledge of local wildlife, with the ability to identify animals and birds through sight, sound, tree markings, footprints, feathers, scat, nests, and food.

The data collected by the field technicians confirms the presence of a huge diversity of wildlife, including many endangered and protected species. They have shown that their villages rely heavily on healthy forests and rivers for their nutritional, cultural, and livelihood needs. The social interviews confirm that people from the communities of the middle and upper Baram River have far-reaching connections to the land and a strong desire to celebrate their way of life and protect their resources for generations to come.

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