February 2010February 2010February 2010February 2010

Issue # 8 Issue # 8 Issue # 8 Issue # 8

Spectacled Flowerpecker

discovery

1

Heart of Borneo Initiative—the

story so far

2

HoB Chairman’s address 3

New National Coordinator for

WWF Malaysia’s Heart of Borneo

Programme

3

Selling local products to support

livelihoods and the environment

4

Filmed for the first time 4

Who pays for conservation of the

Heart of Borneo?

5

Support from the highest levels

of Indonesian government

6

Conserving Orangutans in a

Bornean forest concession

6

Planting a conservation message

in Singapore

7

Notes from the field 8

A volunteer in the Heart of

Borneo

9

Heart of Borneo in the News! 10

Inside this issue:Inside this issue:Inside this issue:Inside this issue:

A new bird species, given the common name of

‘Spectacled Flowerpecker’, has been

discovered in the Heart of Borneo, in the

Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah,

Malaysia.

Details of the discovery, made by David Edwards

of the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the

University of Leeds, UK, were in the latest issue

of the Oriental Bird Club’s magazine,

BirdingASIA. It is hoped that it will lead to

further sightings and its formal scientific

description as a new species.

Dr Edwards and his accompanying guide,

Richard Webster, observed the bird while

walking along a 250m canopy-walkway and very

quickly realized they were on the verge of

discovering something very significant.

“The realization that in all probability we had

been watching a species unknown to science was

an incredible feeling,” Dr Edwards said.

“We were elated because we were on the verge

of an amazing discovery, but it was mixed with

trepidation in case it was never seen again.”

Dr Edwards revisited the area several times, but

there was no further sign of the bird.

Photos of the bird show an attractive grey bird

with bright white arcs above and below the

eye, a white throat extending as a broad white

stripe down the centre of the belly, and white

tufts at the breast sides.

“We hope the announcement of our discovery

will lead to our ultimate goal: conservation of

the new species and large tracts of its habitat,

which is under threat from clearance for oil

palm agriculture,” explained Dr Edwards.

The finding is all the more surprising given its

location in Danum Valley, where a scientific

research station has been in operation since

1986.

“The discovery of a new bird species in the

Heart of Borneo underlines the incredible

diversity of this remarkable area,” said Adam

Tomasek, leader of WWF’s Heart of Borneo

Initiative.

“It further emphasizes the importance of the

commitment already made by Brunei

Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to

protect the Heart of Boneo, but also highlights

the need to fast-track implementation of these

commitments to ensure the many new species

discovered in the area survive.”

Deputy Director of International Union for

Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Species

Program, Jean-Christophe Vié, said the

discovery shows once more how little is

known about the diversity of life on our

planet.

“With 2010 being the International Year of

Biodiversity, it is an opportunity to increase

our knowledge of nature and its functioning,

explain its importance to the wider public, and

most of all, undertake action to reduce the

current threats in order to allow thousands of

more discoveries like this one in the future.”

‘Spectacular’ new bird species discovered in

the Heart of Borneo

Photo courtesy of Richard Webster

Heart of Borneo Initiative—the story so far

It is eight months since the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Network

Initiative’s core management team was consolidated and

began implementing strategies to secure the conservation and

sustainable development vision envisaged by the

tri-government HoB Declaration. As these strategies take

shape we profile the progress so far.

Whilst the Declaration, secured in February 2007, was a

stunning achievement, in the face of significant challenges - as

time has passed - converting those political words into on-ground

action has proven to be even more challenging.

WWF Indonesia and WWF Malaysia have been diligently

working with their respective governments to develop national

and sub-national HoB action plans, implement on-the-ground

projects in Protected Areas and important flagship species

landscapes, and raiseing awareness of the importance of HoB to

national and global conservation and sustainable development

priorities.

In its turn, the HoB Network Initiative has been working with

these national offices as well as others in the Network,

expanding the base of international partners and decision-makers

to catalyze action to help move the HoB Declaration from ‘paper

concept’ to ‘on-ground reality’. Efforts have been focused

around three strategies:

Strategy 1 – Aligning policy and management across the

three countries.

The tri-national structure of the HoB Declaration is both a

strength and challenge to its effective implementation. Strategy 1

seeks to enhance cooperation among the three HoB

governments to allow good governance and effective decision

making in all aspects of management. The immediate focus of

Strategy 1 is the forthcoming 4th HoB Trilateral meeting to be

held in Brunei in April. 2010. WWF is working with

government partners to prepare new decisions on key areas of

trilateral cooperation such as governance, climate change and

carbon, sustainable financing and ecotourism. In the future,

WWF will leverage support from key regional forums such as

ASEAN and APEC for HoB decisions and actions.

Strategy 2 – Catalyzing private sector transformation via

Green Business Network.

The private sector must play a key role in delivering the HoB

vision - conservation and sustainable use - as we estimate that it

actively manages more than 50% of land within current HoB

boundaries. Working primarily through the establishment of a

'Green Business Network', this strategy will raise awareness in

the private sector of the vital role it can play in delivering the

HoB vision. A series of sector based reports will kick this work

off, demonstrating the impact of each sector and options for

improvement. The Network ultimately aims to become a driving

force for reducing the footprint of companies that operate,

source and finance business in the HoB.

Strategy 3 – Innovative and long-term finance

In order to achieve the far-reaching commitments envisaged in

the HoB Declaration, long-term financing schemes, equitably

shared amongst stakeholders, need to be developed. The HoB

provides ecological connectivity between ecosystems, important

ecosystem service functions for society and an irreplacable

cultural heritage. Our focus is to develop income generating

schemes based on the natural and social capital values of the

HoB which outcompete the financially lucrative, but short-term,

exploitation models. Several financing schemes are being

explored, including Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES),

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation

(REDD) financing schemes and providing incentives to local

government and the private sector to practice sustainable

forestry and encourage the implementation of conservation

measures.

These strategies are being taken forward with the support of

WWF and external partners. For more detailed information on

any of these strategies please contact the relevant strategy

leader.

Strategy 1: Adam Tomasek atomasek@wwf.or.id

Strategy 2: Katie Stafford Kstafford@wwf.or.id

Strategy 3: Anna van Paddenburg APaddenburg@wwf.or.id

Page Page Page Page 2222

HoB Initiative - helping turn a paper agreement into on-ground reality to

protect iconic species. Photo:©WWF-Malaysia/Lee Shan

Page Page Page Page 3333

By Allard Stapel, HoB NI Chair/Chief External Affairs WWF-Netherlands

Dear Heart of Borneo partners

The Heart of Borneo NI is really making strides. The strategy leaders have

developed ambitious yet ‘must deliver’ programs of work related to

private sector engagement and sustainable financing. A focus on strategic

partnerships with external groups and key decision makers is helping put

WWF's work in a new sphere of regional and global influence. The HoB staff

in WWF Indonesia and WWF Malaysia, in close cooperation with Network

teams, have continued to advance the landscape and policy components

necessary to make the trilateral commitment a conservation success story.

This combination of local and regional influence can not be over-emphasized in importance, as it has resulted in the Heart of

Borneo being recognized in important fora such as ASEAN, APEC, UNFCCC and UNCBD. The Shareholder's Group and

Executive Team are working closely to deliver programmatic, fundraising and communications support necessary from the

Network. Some of you will be able to see the grandeur of the Heart of Borneo in the next few months as the WWF Annual

Conference is being held on its doorstep. We will showcase how our work from the deep forest project sites to capital city

offices to international events is making the HoB vision a reality. 2010 might be known as the Year of the Tiger on the Lunar

calendar or Year of Biodiversity on the U.N. calendar, but we are confident that this year will be remembered for undeniable

successes in Heart of Borneo too.

New National coordinator for WWF Malaysia’s Heart of Borneo programme

Ivy Wong, has been appointed as the new National Coordinator, HoB Malaysia. She will also retain

her duties as the Forest Conservation Manager thus ensuring coordination with WWF Malaysia’s

forest programme and HoB strategies. She also has the added responsibility of leading the

development and implementation of the Sarawak Program as one of the main delivery tools for HOB

within WWF-Malaysia.

In accepting her additional roles, Ivy said that Heart of Borneo was a great initiative by the three

governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei striving to ensure conservation of the last strongholds

of species and habitats on the island of Borneo, while at the same time pursuing sustainable

development. WWF, as one of the leading conservation organizations in the region, is bringing its

experience to provide added value to the conservation of HOB.

WWF Malaysia Conservation director, Dr Arun Venkataraman, said in the years to come there will be much focus on curbing defor-

estation by promoting responsible forestry and the security of forest based carbon in the Malaysian

portions of the Heart of Borneo, so Ms Wong’s highly valued talents and experience will be invaluable in her new HoB co-

ordination role.

Former HoB National Coordinator, Dr Rahimatsah Amat will resume his duties as full time Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for the

Borneo Programme but will continue to provide support to the HoB Malaysia programme on strategies surrounding protected areas

and species landscapes in Sabah..

HoB Initiative leader, Adam Tomasek said he looked forward to working closely with Ivy as the leader of the HoB Malaysia team.

“The trilateral initiative will benefit from Ivy’s technical expertise and clear vision. I also want to extend thanks to Dr Rahim for

balancing the responsibilities of HoB Malaysia coordination as well as CTO of the Borneo Program over the past two years”.

HoB Chairman’s address

Photo credit WWF Malaysia/Rahana Husin

Allard Stapel Photo credit WWF /NL

Selling local products to support livelihoods and the environment

By Dora Jok, WWF-Malaysia, HoB community liaison officer

Community handicrafts and products can contribute

significant income to rural communities, but to be

sustainable, the natural resources used in their production

need to be sustainably managed. Community development

staff from WWF Malaysia and Indonesia, have been

working with groups in the highlands of the Heart of

Borneo (HoB) to help develop locally made products which

support rather than destroy the balance of nature.

Despite the interest in indigenous products and the role they can

play in the supporting local livelihoods, the development of

these forms of ‘cottage’ industries has been slow in the HoB.

Successes have been few and far between and so WWF staff, in

partnership with indigenous communities and their

representative group, FORMADAT, recently visited Ba Kelalan

in Sarawak, to identify more products which could be developed,

grown and promoted under a ‘green and fair products from the

highlands’ brand.

The trip in January this year, was an opportunity for WWF staff to

develop a better understanding of which community products had

economic potential and which ones would benefit from further

research and development.

Constraints

The trip provided a number of insights in to the opportunities for

local product production – but just as importantly, it identified the

significant constraints facing a project such as this.

The most significant constraints being the limited marketing and

product development skills of local communities, as well as the

seasonal uncertainty attached to the supply of many natural

products which provide the raw materials for many locally

produced products.

This latter factor is a key one in terms of the sustainable

development of cottage industry products as mass production of

locally sourced products could cause irreversible damage to the

vulnerable environments in the highlands of the HoB.

Fortunately the communities surrounding Ba Kelalan are intensely

aware of the importance of their environment as the crucial asset

in supporting existing livelihoods, so are keen to work with WWF

to find environmentally sensitive products and solutions.

Opinions, ideas and guidance from local communities will be

used by WWF staff in the coming weeks to plan activities and an

agenda for a ‘green and fair trade product workshop ‘to be held in

Ba Kelalan, in the Heart of Borneo, in March 2010.

For more information contact Dora Jok, email: djok@wwf.org.my

Page Page Page Page 4444

Adan rice - just one of the possible local green and fair trade products

Photo:©WWF-Malaysia/Dora Jok

The Sundaland Clouded Leopard, a

newly identified and little understood

species of big cat in Borneo, has been

filmed for the first time at the Derma-

kot Forest Reserve in the Malaysian

part of HoB.

Until recently, all Clouded Leopards

in Southeast Asian were considered one

species. In 2008 the International Union

for the Conservation of Nature listed the

newly identified Sundaland Leopard as

endangered due to deforestation

throughout Borneo.

Filmed for the first time

Photo courtesy of Mohamed, Wilting & the Sabah Forestry & Wildlife Departments

Despite the considerable benefits associated with effective

conservation, these benefits also entail a cost. Reviewing

current financing mechanisms and exploring additional

options to cover these costs, is the subject of a new report

recently commissioned by WWF’s HoB Initiative.

In close collaboration with WWF, an Indonesia based consulting

company, Starling Resources, is currently leading this effort.

The report seeks to outline what financial mechanisms for

conservation are currently available in the region and what could

potentially be available in the near future. It will provide

recommendations on and how best to secure them to realise the

HoB conservation vision.

According to HoB’s Sustainable Financing and Policy Strategy

Leader, Anna van Paddenburg, this assessment is a critical initial

step in a longer term cost and financial analysis exercise for each

of the three HoB countries.

“The assessment began in late 2009 with initial planning and

methodology design involving a planned program of research on

existing national policies, landscape management issues, and

funding flows. An exploratory review on associated policies and

government funding sources will be carried out, including new

sustainable financing mechanisms such as Payments for

Ecosystems Services (PES) schemes and Reducing Emissions

from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) financing

schemes. A multi-stakeholder trust fund could potentially be a

suitable mechanism to administer the various funding sources,”

Ms van Paddenburg said.

An important aspect of this ‘tri-national financial feasibility

assessment’ will be a series of face-to-face consultations with

appropriate Ministry and tri-national committee representatives

in each HoB country. It will also look at identifying best

practices across the region in terms of budget allocations and

funds management.

“We have identified Ministries and agencies in each of the three

countries as a priority for conducting these consultative

meetings in order to establish the specific responsibilities each

agency have with regard to HoB landscape management and

financing,” Ms van Paddenburg added.

A final project report is expected in April and will be made

available to all appropriate stakeholders at that time.

For more information, contact Anna van Paddenburg email:

apaddenburg@wwf.or.id

Who pays for conservation of the Heart of Borneo?

Page Page Page Page 5555

Photo:©WWF-Malaysia/Raymond Alfred

In a speech given to the German Parliament in Dec. 2009,

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

publically highlighted his government’s support for

initiatives like the HoB.

Below are edited extracts from his speech.

Rainforests are a critical part of the solution to global

warming, but mitigation is only half of the picture; the other

half is preserving and expanding the carbon sinks. I believe

that the next global climate regime must have a very strong

forestry component in it. And because much of the forests in

the industrial countries had been cut down, the hope now

hangs on the developing nations that have tropical forests, in-

cluding Indonesia.

Protecting these forests – the lungs of the earth – is a top

priority for my Government. Protecting our forests is a key to

a low carbon development path.

We have cracked down very hard on illegal loggers: hundreds

of illegal loggers are now in jail and on trial for their

activities. Government officials who are complicit in

providing unlawful licenses to clear forests are tried for

corruption. We have made short, medium and long-term plans

with the aim of managing, conserving and expanding our

forests.

Preserving the forests requires political will by the

Government, but also international cooperation. That is why

Indonesia Brunei and Malaysia are cooperating in the Heart of

Borneo program to conserve approximately 220,000 km2 of

rainforest – almost one third of the island – through a network

Support from the highest levels of Indonesian government

of protected areas and sustainably managed forest.

This is important: the rainforest nations need to be incentivized to

do this. They should not only be incentivized for reforestation but

also for avoided deforestation – for NOT cutting their forests. We

must introduce a new logic to forestry management : that it is more

profitable to keep the trees up, than to cut them down. This is what

is called the REDD plus scheme.

Whatever the mechanism, it is clear that forestry will be a key part

of the next climate regime and part of the future carbon

market.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Germany’s Chancellor

Angela Merkel following a bilateral meeting in late December 2009

Photo: courtesy of Indonesian State Palace

Page 6Page 6Page 6Page 6

Global Forest Trade Network (GFTN)-Indonesia and WWF Indonesia’s Species program are working with a West

Kalimantan timber company, PT Suka Jaya Makmur, to develop a management plan for the co-existence of a 500 strong

orangutan population, within a 171,340 ha forest concession.

Conserving Orangutans in a Bornean forest concession

In January 2010, a team of experts conducted a two week

survey of Orangutan nests inside PT SJM concession.

Hundreds of Orangutan nests, both old and new, were found

inside the concession and the team was lucky enough to

encounter wild Orangutans. The field research will lead to the

development of an Orangutan management plan developed

toward the company’s effort to achieve FSC forest certification.

It is an important commitment in Indonesia for a timber

company to incorporate conservation activity within its

management plan to ensure conservation issues are integrated

with company production activities.

Photo: ©WWF—Malaysia/Lee Shan Kee

In the last weekend of January, 2010, HoB Initiative team

leader, Adam Tomasek, was hosted by WWF Singapore as

keynote speaker at two events, the WWF-UBS, ‘Investing in Our

Future’ event and the opening of National Geographic’s first

retail store in Asia.

The ‘Investing in Our Future’ event was the launching pad for a

strategic partnership between WWF and financial giant, UBS, to

raise awareness of and commitment to forest conservation, as a key

to a sustainable future in the Asia-Pacific region. The event culmi-

nated with a tree planting ceremony on Sentosa Island, with Adam,

Amy Ho, Managing Director of WWF Singapore, Christine Ong,

CEO of UBS Wealth Management, Mike Barclay, CEO of Sentosa

Development Corporation and other senior managers and families.

Later that day, Adam told a packed crowd at the new National

Geographic store in the city centre that: “the Heart of Borneo is in

Singapore’s backyard. It is a global treasure, yet few in Southeast

Asia know much about it. It is a mythical island just a short flight

from Singapore, replete with stories of headhunters, the last

stronghold for orangutans in the world, full of cultural diversity and

under explored jungle adventures.”

Singapore has strong connections to the island of Borneo, some less

positive than others. For example, most Singaporeans had endured

the annual haze where the city is shrouded in an unhealthy and

damaging air. Unfortunately the haze comes from forest fires in

Indonesia and Malaysia.

“The forests of the Heart of Borneo can be the lungs of the region,

but they need to be well protected to capture harmful

greenhouse gases and provide life-giving clean air and

water. Singapore has business connections with Borneo. For

example wood, palm oil, pulp and paper, coal and minerals

that originate from Borneo all find markets or traders in

Singapore. The investors, shippers, traders, retailers, and

consumers all have a role to play in bringing about more

sustainable commerce,” said Mr Tomasek.

What could Singaporeans do to help?

In response to questions as to where Singaporeans could

help support the HoB, Adam outlined four areas:

1/ Encouraging their government to expand financial,

technical, and political support to enhance regional

cooperation and implementation of Heart of Borneo’s

Tri-National Plan.

2/ Supporting establishment of legal and green supply

chains for timber, pulp & paper, oil palm and mineral

resources. This can be done through personal consumer

behaviour or via

advocacy to improve trade policies and investments.

3/ Encouraging the Singaporean government and businesses

to provide leadership on creating long-term financing

mechanisms based on sustainability principles and climate

change realities.

4/ Actively engage others about the importance of the

conservation and sustainable development goals of the HoB.

Planting a HoB conservation message in Singapore

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Tree planting ceremony on Sentosa island Photo: ©WWF—Singapore

Adam Tomasek planting the seeds of HoB conservation in the Singaporean

community.

Photo: ©WWF—Singapore

Orangutan Conservation in Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun National Park received close attention during a recent workshop

in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Attracting participants from local government, universities, forestry departments, local communi-

ties and donor institutions, the workshop made several recommendations, including: 1. The need for Provincial plans to allocate

viable habitat and corridors between the two national parks to provide a migration path for Orangutans. 2. The obligation of compa-

nies (mostly oil palm companies) to accommodate Orangutan corridors within their concession areas. 3. The need for awareness

raising amongst local people to protect Orangutan, and find economic benefits, such as ecotourism, from Orangutan protection .

Orangutan protection moves up the agenda

The 2010-2011 conservation programme for the protection of the Muller Schwaner conservation area has been developed by WWF-

Indonesia and WWF-Finland. Early key activities include awareness raising among stakeholders and the development of a REDD

options paper.

Muller Schwaner 2010-2011 Programme developed

A photo exhibition displaying Indonesia’s environment and espe-

cially the Heart of Borneo from the eyes of the people around

Danau Sentarum National Park in West Kalimantan was held in

later December, 2009.

The exhibition called “Voices from the Archipelago,” was held at a

private reception at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Jakarta.

The photos taken by villagers from the islands of eastern Indonesia

and Kalimantan impressed both the lay person and - according to

National Geographic representatives - the professionals as well.

“Voices from the Archipelago” photo exhibition

The local photographer explains his inspiration for the photos

Photo: © WWF-Indonesia / Nancy ARIAINI

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Orangutan campaign in Pontianak, West Kalimantan

A school campaign to raise awareness of

Orangutan protection was recently

organized by WWF-Indonesia in

Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

School children learning about orangutan conservation

Photo: © WWF-Indonesia / Nancy ARIAINI

Notes from the field

Katherine Barney, a volunteer with WWF-Indonesia’s

Heart of Borneo Initiative shares her experience working on

a coservation project in the peat swamps of Central

Kalimantan in the Indonesian part of the HoB.

Sebangau’s journey has been a rocky one. Comprised of

568,700 hectares of peat land swamp, Sebangau is an area of

Central Kalimantan located between two rivers- Sebangau River

and Katingan River. An area where the orangutan population

alone reaches approximately 9,000, with countless other species

of flora and fauna, Sebangau is a virtual monument to

biodiversity.

Sebangau’s drastic transformation began in 1995 when it was

selected as the site for the Mega Rice Project: turning “one

million hectares” of sparsely populated peat swamp forest into

rice paddies. After considerable investment constructing canals

and felling trees, the project failed and was eventually

abandoned, but only after devastating the landscape.

The canals which were constructed in order to more easily

transport timber out of the forest, have been left to crisscross

the terrain in varying sizes like so many streets and highways.

These canals have delivered one unforeseen consequence; in

continuously draining the water from the soil, they have

artificially dehydrated the peat and transformed Sebangau into a

virtual tinderbox.

Due to the unique nature of the peat swamp, fire spreads both

above and below ground, meaning that once a fire is underway

it is nearly unstoppable. In the dry season, fires consume the

area devouring the wildlife and saturating the air with noxious

smoke.

But, this story is not all bleak. In 2004 the Minister of Forestry

declared Sebangau Indonesia's 50th National Park and since

that time Sebangau has been the focus of tireless conservation

efforts. In 2005 a project was launched to block the canals at

regular intervals, thereby slowing the flow of the water, raising

the water table and allowing the peat to restore itself.

The project is still in full force today. Groups from the local

communities living in and around Sebangau have been

mobilized and trained in dam building, an arrangement that has

multiple benefits. Firstly the program utilizes local man power

rather than outsourcing, spreading awareness among the

community and strengthening the sense of responsibility that

communities have as guardians of their environment

encouraging them to become active agents in the forest's

preservation. In exchange for their labour, the communities are

provided with fisheries and taught how to maintain them

sustainably: providing a steady income for communities whilst

bolstering best practices and a green agenda.

Already, the project has proven to be hugely successful.

Constant surveillance has provided indisputable evidence

that canal blocking is allowing the peat land to rehydrate itself;

reducing the occurrence of forest fires dramatically and

effectively restoring the habitat. Indeed, some areas of new

growth appear to be even greener and healthier than before!

Canal blocking is playing a large part to ensure the continued

success of Sebangau National Park- what is sure to be a fairy

tale ending to its rocky beginning.

A volunteer in the Heart of Borneo

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Halting the drainage of the canals as a first step in the rehabilitation of the

peatlands Photo: ©WWF—Indonesia/Katherine Barney

Canal construction had devasting environmental effects on the peat

Photo: ©WWF—Indonesia/Katherine Barney

Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), we’re encouraging our sources and

industry partners to adopt the RSPO standard. Our work on palm

oil ties in with our partnership with the WWF, in particular our

support of their conservation work in the Heart of Borneo region.

This project aims to work with Malaysian, Indonesian and Brunei

governments to end deforestation and to create incentives to

make forests more valuable standing. Vital new activities to

monitor and protect the local Orangutan population will also be

implemented.

Taking the HoB message from Brunei to the world

Source Brunei Times

Brunei based explorers, husband-and-wife pair of Harun Kurt

Eichbauer and Norhayati Abu Bakar, are set to leave for Europe

on a ‘Brunei’s around the world expedition’.

Anointed as roving ambassadors for the Heart of Borneo (HoB)

project by Brunie’s Deputy Minister Dato Paduka Hj Hamdillah

Hj Abd Wahab, who is also HoB’s chairman, the pair will travel

from Germany to the Western Sahara via Spain before heading

off to North America and finally to Australia before returning

home at the end of this year. Along the way they will be

spreading the message of the need to preserve the HoB and the

potential of Brunie as an eco-tourism destination.

“Its all about the preservation of the rainforests. We all have to

preserve the rainforests in order to fight climate change. Brunei

should be proud of this initiative and should be seen as a role

model by other countries who had yet to preserve their

rainforests,” Norhayati said.

Experts hails HoB lead to curb degradation

Source: Brunei Times

Brunei's Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative has spared lowland

trees from further degradation which has already occurred in

some parts of Borneo due to climate change caused by years of

human activities.

This was indicated in an address by Ferry Slik, Ass. Prof. at the

Key Lab in Tropical Forest Ecology, Chinese Academy of

Science, Yunnan, China during the Asem (Asia Europe Meeting)

Workshop 2010 recently held in Brunei.

Each issue we try and bring you a selection of HoB news

reported by media in the region and beyond. This issue we

focus on Brunei where the next Heart of Borneo tri-national

summit is due to be held in April. All stories have been

edited for length and focused for content.

BIMP-EAGA launches new tourism brand, Equator

Asia

Source: Brunei Times

The Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean

Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) aims to increase its collective tourism

arrivals by promoting the sub-region as a single tourism destination

under new marketing brand, “Equator Asia”.

As result of a collaboration between the BIMP-EAGA Tourism

Council (BETC) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the

new brand hopes to leverage on the sub-region’s status as one of the

most biologically productive and diverse regions in the world.

The new brand effectively includes both

the Heart of Borneo and the Coral

Triangle and claims to be earth’s “true

centre of biodiversity”.

Brunei has green gold too

Source Brunei FM

As well as black gold, Brunei has green gold too, which it protects

and promotes. Venture deep into deepest, darkest Borneo in the

morning and be back in your comfortable hotel room by nightfall.

Really? Where? Brunei!

Brunei might not have the high profile of some of the national parks

of neighbouring Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan, but it tourism

campaigns are making much of its easy accessibility to pristine rain-

forest.

UK retailer Marks & Spencer’s position on palm oil

Source M & S website

By 2015, we aim to use only 100% fully traceable, certified

sustainable palm oil. As an active member of the Roundtable on

Heart of Borneo in the News!

CONTACTS

Adam J. Tomasek HoB NI Leader, atomasek@wwf.or.id;

Wisnu Rusmantoro, HoB National Coordinator, WWF-Indonesia, wrusmantoro@wwf.or.id;

Ivy Wong, HoB National Coordinator, WWF Malaysia, iwong@wwf.org.my;

Anna van Paddenburg, Sustainable Finance Leader, APaddenburg@wwf.or.id; Katie Stafford, Corporate Engagement Leader, Kstafford@wwf.or.id;

Chris Greenwood, International Communications Manager, chris.greenwood@wwf.panda.org; Nancy (Ochie) Ariaini, Communications Officer, nariaini@wwf.or.id

Visit the Heart of Borneo on the web: www.panda.org/heart_of_borneo Page 10