A Treasure For South East Asia

Borneo forest magic - A treasure for Southeast Asia
15 Mar 2007

There is only one place remaining in Southeast Asia where tropical rainforests can still be conserved on a very large scale – a place where endangered species such as orangutans, elephants and rhinos, and countless other undiscovered species continue to thrive.
This area straddles the transboundary highlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, and reaches out through the foothills into adjacent lowlands and to parts of Brunei.

We call this area the Heart of Borneo.

The forests of the Heart of Borneo are some of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, possessing staggeringly high numbers of unique plant and animal species.

The Heart of Borneo's forest area is 1 of the only 2 places on Earth where orang-utans, elephants and rhinoceros still co-exist and where forests are currently large enough to maintain viable populations.

WWF aims to assist Borneo’s 3 nations (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia) to conserve the area known as the Heart of Borneo – a total of 220,000 km² of equatorial rainforest - through a network of protected areas and sustainably-managed forests, and through international co-operation led by the Bornean governments, supported by a global effort.

The future of this transboundary area depends on the collaboration of all 3 governments as no one country can protect these unique uplands alone.

The Heart of Borneo presents a unique opportunity to conserve pristine tropical rainforest on a huge scale - almost 30% of the world’s third largest island.

But if the Heart of Borneo is going to happen, it has to be now or never.

Find out about Borneo animals and plants, the island’s people and the problems they all face.