Borneo, the third largest island in the world, was once covered with dense rainforests. With swampy coastal areas fringed with mangrove forests and a mountainous interior, much of the terrain was virtually impassable and unexplored. Headhunters ruled the remote parts of the island until a century ago.
In the 1980s and 1990s
Borneo underwent a remarkable transition. Its forests were leveled at a rate
unparalleled in human history. Borneo's rainforests went to industrialized
countries like Japan and the United States in the form of garden furniture,
paper pulp and chopsticks. Initially most of the timber was taken from the
Malaysian part of the island in the northern states of Sabah and Sarawak.
Forests in the
southern part of Borneo, an area belonging to Indonesia and known as Kalimantan, became the primary source for tropical timber. Today the forests of
Borneo are but a shadow of those of legend and those that remain are highly
threatened by the emerging biofuels market, specifically, oil palm.
No one knows how much
old-growth forest remains in Malinau, but everyone agrees it's a biggest amount.
Almost all of the state's forests - like those all over the East Borneo- have been
cut at least once since mining companies arrived here nearly several years last. All but the
steepest and most inaccessible slopes in Malinau Selatan were logged before
the turn of the 20th century.
What we have today is very, very close to what the first settlers saw
The once-magnificent
tropical forests of Borneo have been decimated by rampant logging and clearing
for oil palm plantations. In some study reveals that Malinau natural forest
timber concessions, i.e. parcels of natural forest leased out to companies to
extract timber on a long term basis
Not only because of personal and group interests, environmental sustainability is at stake. because environmental sustainability is a gift from God to be maintained and empowered to human life more prosperous, wealthy, and wise. so many people can feel the good effects.
As we know that we need to breathe to live, and we need oxygen to breathe. so that we can work well. we also know that good oxygen produced by photosynthesis of plants, and a good crop is trees. then we have to plant trees to human survival from now. how might we could breathe better if our forests continuously cleared? Should this happen, and we let it go? then say yes if you want to live in a bad state! and say no if you want to replant degraded forest and support reforestation in Kaltara hard and give input to the government and companies to pay attention to the environmental impact caused by mining activities in Kaltara! I hope there are still many people who care about the forests in Kalimantan especially local residents and concerned. I hope this article is helpful for every person who intentionally or unintentionally read this. sweet greetings for our forest, from author :)
