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WWF 2020 Goals

  • Ensure the protection and sustainable management of 240,000km2 of forest areas bordering Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia on Borneo.
  • Aim for a zero rate of conversion of high conservation value forests to other land uses in this region.
  • Help increase income generation for local communities and governments from environmental goods and services.

Facts & Figures

  • From 1994-2004, 360 new species have been discovered in the Borneo rainforest.
  • 52 new species were discovered between July 2005 and September 2006: 30 unique fish species, 16 ginger species, 3 tree species, 2 tree frog species and 1 large-leafed plant species.
  • The tall-growing dipterocarp tropical hardwood tree holds the greatest insect diversity on Borneo; as many as 1,000 species have been found in just 1 tree.

Heart of Borneo Forests

The tropical rainforests of Borneo are one of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth. By creating a network of protected areas, WWF is working to ensure that the island’s natural treasures are protected well into the future.
 
Borneo orang-utan (<I>Pongo pygmaeus</I>).

© WWF-Canon / Michel Terrettaz

One of two orang-utan species is found only on Borneo.

Key Downloads

A treasure trove worth saving

There is only one place remaining in Southeast Asia where tropical rainforests can still be conserved on a grand scale.

This is the dense forest that stradddles the borders of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia on the island of Borneo.

Here one finds such endangered species as the orang-utan, pygmy elephant, clouded leopard, Sumatran rhino as well as thousands of other animal and plant species. There are also many species yet to be discovered.

This natural treasure trove, however, is threatened by a number of threats: logging, plantation agriculture, mining and hunting.

The forests and its biodiversity are at risk of disappearing if it doesn't get the protection it deserves.

Where are the Borneo Forests?

Borneo is highlighted in yellow below.


View all WWF Critical Regions of the World.

3 countries, 1 conservation vision

Like many tropical areas around the world, the Borneo forests are being cleared rapidly for commercial uses, including rubber, palm oil and wood production. The threats posed by logging and land clearing for agriculture are worsened by a growing illegal wildlife trade.

WWF is working with the 3 Borneo nations to conserve 220,000 km2 of rainforest - almost 1/3 of the island - through a network of protected areas and sustainably-managed forests.

It's not too late. Borneo can avoid the deforestation that has devastated the neighbouring island of Sumatra over the last 20 years. 
Forests of Borneo. Sabah, Malaysia.

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