The Borneo Project

A CRITICAL MOMENTTO PROTECT RAINFORESTS AND RIVERS

Industrial logging and plantation development in Borneo’s forests have polluted rivers, degraded fragile forest ecosystems and made it difficult for communities to find the forest products they need to survive.

ABOUT BORNEO

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTFOR INDIGENOUS CAMPAIGNS

The Borneo Project responds to the needs of local partners, providing whatever support best suits programmatic and campaign needs.

OUR WORK

ELEVATING GRASSROOTS VOICESWATCH OUR FILM SERIES

The Borneo Project Film Team created a series of short documentary films about the 12 mega-dams slated for construction in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, in northern Borneo.

WATCH NOW

HUMAN RIGHTSFOR FOREST PROTECTORS

Most of the indigenous communities of Borneo do not have legal rights to the land that they depend on for their lives and livelihoods.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Latest News

10 Jan

Deforestation alert: Ulu Belaga

What: Clearing of native forest for oil palm expansion Where: Long Urun is located in the upper Belaga river, Sarawak. When: Over the last…

07 Jan

The Promise of ‘No Deforestation’: Sarawak’s Forests Tell a Different Story

This article was originally published in Malaysiakini. The sound of a forest tree being felled tugs at some primal place of fear in our…

31 Dec

Waters of Resilience: Indigenous Action from California to Borneo

This year, when we joined the Yurok Tribe and EPIC (the Environmental Protection Information Center) on California’s Klamath River for a once-in-a-lifetime exchange on…

16 Dec

Three amazing things The Borneo Project did in 2024

It’s been a big year for The Borneo Project! From challenging corporate giants to strengthening global alliances, we’ve been making waves in the fight…

Behind the Scenes

borneoproject

Helping #Borneo's #rainforest communities protect their lands, livelihoods, and cultures for generations to come. #StopTheChop

DEFORESTATION ALERT 🔔 Over the last year, def

DEFORESTATION ALERT 🔔

Over the last year, deforestation for palm oil production in the Ulu Belaga area has ramped up rapidly, with significant losses recorded on Global Forest Watch every month of the year. According to GFW, there were 40,302 deforestation alerts reported in the area of concern between 4th of September 2023 and 30th of December 2024, with nearly 500 hectares of forest lost.

While some of the loss seen on the satellite images is old oil palm being cleared, drone footage from the ground confirms that native forests are being indiscriminately logged. This is new clearing of secondary forests for oil palm.

The company Sin Heng Chan (Malaya) Berhad, is working on the customary land of Indigenous Kenyah and Penan villages along the Urun river. The Long Urun community is opposed to the clearing of their temuda (native customary forest) and has launched a petition and human blockade to stop logging activities. This is a last resort after official complaints were stymied by internal community conflict and community members felt threatened for speaking out to save their forests. The company has denied any wrongdoing.

What you can do to help:

Share the article from our field visit in our bio.
Sign the petition supporting the Long Urun community: https://bit.ly/4h3Xq6U

As threats to Sarawak’s lands and peoples intens

As threats to Sarawak’s lands and peoples intensify, so does our commitment to coalition building. This year, we strengthened our alliances with local partners, working hand in hand to protect Borneo’s forests and communities.

💪 We also grew our team! Meet Jessica, whose on-the-ground experience in Sarawak is supercharging our outreach and advocacy efforts. With a stronger coalition and expanded capacity, we’re prepared to tackle new challenges and amplify our impact for Indigenous rights, environmental protections, and sustainable development.

🚀 But we can’t do it without you. We're aiming to raise $100,000 to power this vital work into 2025—and thanks to our board’s matching campaign, every dollar you donate will go TWICE as far!

✨ Together, we can:
🌳 Strengthen communities facing deforestation
✊ Challenge exploitative industries
🌍 Protect ecosystems vital to our planet’s health

Your support fuels real action. Let’s keep building a just, forest-protected Sarawak.

➡️ Donate today at our website

It’s been a big year for The Borneo Project! Fro

It’s been a big year for The Borneo Project! From challenging corporate giants to strengthening global alliances, we’ve been making waves in the fight to protect Sarawak’s forests.

💚 Right now, every dollar donated is matched up to $50,000 by our board. Donate today to DOUBLE your impact. 🌿

Find all the ways to donate at: borneoproject.org/ways-to-give #LinkInBio

Small things can make a big difference! In case yo

Small things can make a big difference! In case you missed it, every donation to our end of year appeal will be doubled — up to $50,000! ✨ No contribution is too small, and every bit counts. ⠀
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💚 Head to the link in our bio to find all the different ways to give 💚

Our campaigning brought us closer to home this yea

Our campaigning brought us closer to home this year, when we joined the Yurok Tribe and @epic_wildcalifornia on California’s Klamath River for a once-in-a-lifetime exchange on dam removal. Indigenous tribes on the Klamath River campaigned for dam removal for decades, and this year celebrated the removal of four dams along the river – the largest river restoration in U.S. history. Our partner Celine Lim @saveriversoffical joined us to witness the impact of their efforts and strategize about ways to increase international Indigenous solidarity on river protection efforts.⠀
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This visit hit close to the heart of our work in Sarawak, where we face yet another dam-related challenge. Near the Gunung Mulu National Park in the Tutoh-Apoh region, state-owned Sarawak Energy has proposed a series of cascading dams. These dams could seriously threaten the fragile ecosystem of this critical World Heritage Site. With SAVE Rivers, we’re closely monitoring these plans and supporting community petitions against the dam project. ⠀
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💚 This critical work needs your support! Right now, every dollar donated is matched up to $50,000 by our board. Donate today to DOUBLE your impact. 🌿⠀
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Find all the ways to donate at #LinkInBio

🌿 Teamwork makes the dream work 🌿⠀ Donate

🌿 Teamwork makes the dream work 🌿⠀
Donate today and help us protect Sarawak’s forests from destruction — your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000.⠀
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We’re aiming high this year with an ambitious goal: raising $100,000 to power our work into 2025. This reflects the growing scope and success of our efforts to protect Sarawak’s forests and uplift Indigenous communities.⠀
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✨ Your donation fuels action. Together, we can:⠀
🌳 Build resilience in communities facing deforestation.⠀
✊ Strengthen advocacy to challenge exploitative industries.⠀
🌍 Protect ecosystems vital to our planet’s health.⠀
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Your contribution means you’re investing in climate justice and a more sustainable future. And with our board matching donations, every dollar you give will go twice as far.⠀
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💚 Let’s finish 2024 strong, together.

borneoproject.org/ways-to-give⠀

It’s been a big year for The Borneo Project! Fro

It’s been a big year for The Borneo Project! From challenging corporate giants to strengthening global alliances, we’ve been making waves in the fight to protect Sarawak’s forests and Indigenous communities. ⠀
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Our latest post on our website runs through three amazing things we did this year. The first of those, is exposing the timber industry. This year we:⠀
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✔️ Published a major report calling out the holes in the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme⠀
✔️ Brought a delegation to Europe to explain to leaders why Sarawak must be designated high risk under EUDR⠀
✔️ Helped expose a new logging operation in the Upper Baram that the state government claimed didn't exist⠀
✔️ Documented dodgy practices in industrial plantation areas⠀
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💚 This critical work needs your support! Right now, every dollar donated is matched up to $50,000 by our board. Donate today to DOUBLE your impact. 🌿⠀
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Find all the ways to donate at #LinkInBIo

Little actions make a big difference. 💚 Until y

Little actions make a big difference. 💚 Until year-end, every donation to our appeal will be doubled — up to $50,000! ✨Head to the #LinkInBio to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT today!✨

Read the 2024 wrap up from our Executive Director,

Read the 2024 wrap up from our Executive Director, Jettie:

"While this journey can at times be gruelling, it has also been deeply fulfilling. I feel so grateful to work alongside such a wonderful group of people, from our core team and board to our incredible partners in Sarawak and beyond. It’s hard to overstate how much it means to be part of a community that is committed, resilient, and genuinely joyful, even in the face of daunting challenges."

Read the full letter on our website borneoproject.org

🦎 Small things can make a big difference! Fro

🦎 Small things can make a big difference!

From now until the end of the year, every donation to our appeal will be doubled — up to $50,000! ✨DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT by donating today at #LinkInBio✨

Via @bobbrownfoundation — Malaysian timber corpo

Via @bobbrownfoundation — Malaysian timber corporations need to get out of Tasmania

"The challenges to democracy we're witnessing glob

"The challenges to democracy we're witnessing globally are more than abstract political issues–they have tangible consequences for environmental and social justice. When democratic institutions weaken, environmental protections and human rights often follow suit. Autocratic leadership frequently aligns with dismantling environmental safeguards, silencing Indigenous voices, and prioritizing short-term gain over long-term health and sustainability."

Read the full 2024 letter from our Director, Jettie on our website.

Plantations ≠ Forests⠀
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🌳 When Sarawak’s plantations fail, they leave behind lifeless wastelands. Pictured here is a small part of the thousands of acres of abandoned acacia plantations that now scar the landscape where thriving forests once stood.⠀
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These trees will never make it to a harvestable height, so the waste was all for nothing. This is not sustainability—it’s devastation.⠀
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Read more at #LinkInBio

“What people don’t realise, is it’s not just

“What people don’t realise, is it’s not just about land grabbing,” explains Gebril, a fierce Indigenous rights activist from Punan Bah. “If you take away our land you take away our culture and our identity. Without forests, we can’t teach children words for plants, trees, animals, everything else. It all disappears, our whole culture.”⠀
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Read our op-ed about Gebril's story at @ecobusinesscom ⠀
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🚜 In Sarawak, monoculture tree farms are often

🚜 In Sarawak, monoculture tree farms are often called “reforestation" projects. The reality? Toxic eucalyptus and acacia replace vibrant old-growth forests, leaving wildlife with nothing to survive on. True reforestation nurtures biodiversity, it doesn't destroy it. ⠀
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Read our latest op-ed in @ecobusinesscom explaining why plantations are NOT forests. #LinkInBio

@cutcampaign bringing the campaign to save the Bar

@cutcampaign bringing the campaign to save the Baram Peace Park to the Global Justice March yesterday 🌏🌱💪☮️

You can sign the petition to save the Baram Peace Park — the largest area of unprotected primary forest left in Sarawak — in our bio.

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