5 m² of deserted palm oil plantation will be renaturalised in Malaysia

Oasis for orangutans and pygmy elephants

Transformation of palm oil plantations into rainforest

The 50 largest tropical trees in the world are located in Sabah, in the Malaysian part of the island of Borneo. The tallest of them measures 100.8 meters - about six times as much as a sperm whale. The rainforests on Borneo are one of the largest CO2 stores in the tropics and are therefore indispensable for our climate. But the rainforests of Sabah have also been massively cleared in recent years to make room for palm oil plantations. Palm oil is now an important component in many of our everyday products. It is found in biodiesel, chocolate bars and ready-made pizzas. On the island of Borneo alone, the palm oil industry is responsible for 39 percent of the forest loss between 2000 and 2018. In total, over 6.3 million hectares of tropical forest were cleared on Borneo during this period (Reuters, 2019). The plantations destroy the habitat of animals and plants, fragment protected areas and restrict the movement of species such as pygmy elephants and orangutans. In doing so, they endanger one of the most important ecosystems on our planet.

need

Networking of nature reserves in Malaysia to protect endangered animal species.

activity

Planting trees to convert a palm oil plantation into rainforest and to connect two nature reserves.

Measurable performance

Number of newly planted hectares of wildlife oasis for orangutans and pygmy elephants.

Result

An 800-meter-wide green corridor will be created, connecting two nature reserves with a total area of 200,000 hectares.

Systemically relevant impact

The habitat for many endangered species will be expanded and Malaysia’s biodiversity will be strengthened.

background

The state of Sabah is Malaysia's largest palm oil producer. Over 21 percent of the state's area is covered with palm oil plantations (Statista, 2020). The palm oil industry has developed into a billion-dollar industry in Malaysia and Indonesia. Compared to many other plants whose fruits are used to produce oil (such as rapeseed or coconut), oil palms (Elaeis guineensis) have a particularly high yield per area (Woittiez, 2017). They grow particularly well in tropical latitudes and are therefore in direct competition for area with the last tropical rainforests.
For many tropical countries, the cultivation of palm oil is an important part of their economic development strategy. However, the global demand for palm oil has claimed a great sacrifice, particularly in Borneo: 34 percent of the forests, some of which are over 130 million years old, were destroyed between 1973 and 2015 (Gaveau et al., 2016). This destruction leads to irreversible damage to vulnerable ecosystems and catastrophic declines in biodiversity. In addition, the loss of habitat leads to conflicts between humans and animals. In search of food, pygmy elephants and orangutans, for example, often leave their shrunken forest areas and get lost on palm oil plantations. Here they are often viewed as "pests" and fall victim to poachers.

The result: species that are already threatened are put even more at risk by the cultivation of palm oil. For example, the populations of wild orangutans, pygmy elephants and banteng cattle are declining more and more. Many species are at acute risk of extinction. This situation has already led to the disappearance of the Sumatran rhinoceros. The last known specimen in Malaysia died on November 23, 2019. This means that the species is extinct in Malaysia. According to the nature conservation organization WWF, there are only around 80 Sumatran rhinos left in Indonesia (Zeit, 2019).

The good deed

With today's donation you are supporting the reforestation of a wildlife corridor between the Tabin (123,000 hectares) and Lower Kinabatangan (80,000 hectares) nature reserves. An 800-meter-wide green forest corridor is being created on a disused palm oil plantation. The connection between the two forest islands counteracts the fragmentation of the habitat. The wildlife corridor thus increases the chance of survival for endangered species such as pygmy elephants, orangutans and banteng cattle and serves as a model project for the successful renaturation of palm oil plantations. 8,250 tree seedlings will be planted, including the descendants of the jungle giants, fruit trees and fast-growing pioneer species that quickly form a canopy and push back grasses and other plants. As soon as the new canopy is high enough, the remaining palm trees will be removed.

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