WWF in Action: Borneo
An Initial Success Story Paves Way for Future Conservation Opportunities
Communities
Communities near Kampung Bako in Borneo have something to be proud of. Their forefathers were instrumental in getting the state's first protected area, Bako National Park, gazetted within a year of initial consultations in 1957. One of the village elders, Haji Sami Nor, 91, still remembers clearly how the communities were approached by Forest Department Sarawak officials in 1956, laying down the proposal for a national park.
“In June 1956, 17 other village elders and I were chosen to become the intermediary and spokesmen between local communities and the department when the proposed Bako National Park came about.” He said the officials explained the need to have the area protected for future generations,
WWF-Malaysia and Forest Department Sarawak have produced a video called Parks,