The Borneo Project has spent the last 35 years standing alongside Indigenous communities in Sarawak, Malaysia, defending rainforests, resisting destructive development, and advocating for Indigenous rights. This critical work is made possible entirely through the shared commitment of our donors: a powerful community of supporters, partners, and allies who believe in environmental justice, solidarity, and grassroots action.
We want our community of donors and supporters to know exactly what kind of impact they are helping to create. Our work is your work – and our strength lies in long-term partnerships built over years of deep listening, mutual learning, and collaboration. Here are three key ways your support powers Indigenous resistance and leads to real impact on the ground:
1. Championing Indigenous-Led Forest Protection
At the core of our work is a simple belief: the people who live in and care for the forest are its best protectors. That means the key is not only defending their land from external threats, but also supporting communities as they build the systems and structures to continue protecting it for generations to come.
We provide direct support to communities resisting forest destruction – from helping to file official complaints about damage to customary territory, amplifying Indigenous land rights claims, and bringing international attention to efforts to silence community voices. And just as critically, we work to support communities as they self-strengthen their local institutions, revitalize their customary laws, and build community-led conservation models rooted in cultural expertise and long-term sustainability.
This year, we’re working closely with three Indigenous communities in the Upper Baram region to support their self-declaration of communal protection forests. These declarations formalize what communities have always known – that the land of their ancestors is theirs to protect. Our support, made possible by our donors, will ensure these declarations are recorded in an international database of protected areas, strengthening Indigenous land claims and forest protection efforts globally.
And when new logging threats arise – as they did this year in Ba Data Bila – our partner communities know they are not alone. We help monitor forest loss via satellite and on-the-ground verification, giving communities the tools to hold companies and the government accountable. Together, we’re defending land rights where it matters most.
2. Forest Protection = Climate Action
Study after study has shown that lands cared for by Indigenous communities tend to have healthier forests, higher species diversity, and lower rates of degradation. Their continued stewardship is one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, forces sustaining life on our planet. As the climate crisis accelerates, this work will only become more critical. Supporting Indigenous-led conservation isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s essential to our shared future.
The communities we work with in Sarawak are already facing the impacts of climate change firsthand. Unpredictable weather patterns are disrupting planting and harvesting seasons, key resources like clean water and wild food sources are dwindling, and traditional knowledge systems are being put to the test. These changes threaten not just local livelihoods, but the ecological balance of Borneo itself, whose forests are so crucial for our global climate.
Indigenous rights are a key part of climate justice. That’s why we invest in long-term, on-the-ground action. Together with our local partner SAVE Rivers, we’ve helped facilitate workshops on carbon credit projects and Indigenous land rights – ensuring that communities are informed, prepared, and equipped to defend their territories when a new threat initiative or development project arises. We’re also keeping a watchful eye on Sarawak’s last unprotected primary rainforests. Your support helps us sustain the painstaking but crucial work of monitoring illegal logging, support/growing local advocacy, and amplifyying Indigenous voices in Sarawak – one of the most critical frontlines in the global fight for climate justice.
3. Campaigning for Change, From the Ground Up
The Borneo Project’s strength lies in our steady, grassroots approach – designing and supporting campaigns that achieve meaningful, long-term impact. That means we don’t chase headlines – we focus our efforts where they are needed most: in solidarity with communities facing the brunt of environmental destruction and cultural erosion. Our campaign work combines grassroots organizing with targeted international pressure: helping Indigenous communities build the tools they need to hold powerful actors accountable, while turning the spotlight on corporate and government wrongdoing to build public momentum for change.
This grassroots-centered approach has contributed to real, tangible wins. Years of persistent pressure helped push the Malaysian timber certification scheme to reform many of its policies on Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) – a crucial step in recognizing this fundamental Indigenous right. This year, we celebrated another major victory with you – one of the largest logging companies in Sarawak cancelled their operations after years of Indigenous community resistance. In meetings with civil society, the company’s leadership acknowledged our efforts as a key influence in their decision. It’s proof that sustained, community-driven advocacy works – and it’s powered by supporters like you.
We’re a small, deeply committed team backed by a growing network of allies around the world. We’ve seen firsthand how long-term solidarity, with Indigenous communities at the center, can shift the course of forest protection and climate justice.
When you join the Borneo Project community, you’re joining a global solidarity movement that results in tangible action on-the-ground. Together, we’re working to build a future rooted in justice, resilience, and care.