The forests of Borneo are among the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, possessing staggeringly high numbers of unique plants and animals. They are home to marvelous creatures like the proboscis monkey, sun bear, clouded leopard, and flying fox bat, and endangered animals like the Bornean elephant.

Borneo’s vast wealth of natural resources has attracted large-scale international financing focused on extractive industries, from precious hardwoods and minerals to palm oil, rubber and coal. Deforestation and unsustainable agriculture such as the expansion of palm oil plantations is encroaching on landscapes crucial to species conservation.

The illegal wildlife trade is also a major problem in this region. Rampant poaching, facilitated by the growing number of roads and logging trails, poses a grave threat to Borneo's endangered tigers and rhinos.

What WWF is Doing

In Borneo, WWF works with local communities and governments and uses global action to address the relentless forces that are destroying the last strongholds of tigers, orangutans, and other species.

Safeguarding species: WWF collaborates with local communities, industry, and governments to alleviate human-wildlife conflict by improving enforcement and providing alternate income opportunities for local people.

Enabling responsible forestry: WWF assists producers and traders, educates consumers, and works with partners to enable responsible forestry and restore local communities.

Practicing sustainable agriculture: Palm oil coming from Borneo and Sumatra accounts for more than half of all palm oil produced in the world. WWF co-founded the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in 2003, a collaborative group working to bring sustainable palm oil to the marketplace and reform land use practices.

The Heart of Borneo project: WWF implemented a collaborative conservation plan with the governments of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia to protect the Heart of Borneo—a pristine area of equatorial rain forests larger than Kansas.