How Rebuilding Forests Helped Pangolins, Orangutans and People

Ryan Pon

13 Feb 2025

How Rebuilding Forests Helped Pangolins, Orangutans and People

A sun bear in Borneo Gunung Palung National Park in Indonesia

    A recent article on the New York Times highlights a successful reforestation project in Borneo, where local community efforts helped restore degraded land. This project benefitted both endangered wildlife and nearby residents. Led by Health in Harmony and Alam Sehat Lestari, the project transformed abandoned rice paddies and dire-prone grassland into thriving forest. They did so by planting native seedlings, dug firebreaks and watered the area during droughts, which quickly created a canopy. Camera traps in 2020 recorded 47 species, including endangered Sunda pangolins and Bornean orangutans, demonstrating the ecosystem's recovery. 

    Borneo is home to 6% of the world's biodiversity but has suffered massive deforestation due to palm oil plantations and illegal logging. Conservationists have since integrated healthcare and economic initiatives, such as medical clinics where villagers could pay with seedlings and chainsaw buyback programs. This community-driven model has led to a 70% decline in deforestation, improved flood control and habitat connectivity. 

A Bornean orangutan captured by the trap cameras

    This project highlights the critical link between environmental conservation and human well-being. By addressing the root causes of deforestation - such as poverty, healthcare access, and unsustainable livelihoods - the initiative shows that conservation cannot succeed in isolation from social issues. Should similar models be applied in other biodiverse but threatened regions, such as the Congo Basin or the Amazon? Additionally, given the massive role of palm oil and logging industries in Borneo's deforestation, how can large corporations be held accountable while still supporting local economies? This community-led approach has the potential to influence global climate policies, particularly in regions experiencing ongoing habitat destruction. 


References:
Buckley, C. (2024, July 12). How rebuilding forests helped pangolins, orangutans and people. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/12/climate/rebuilding-forests-orangutans-and-communities-borneo.html

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