The Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initiative is a transboundary effort between Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia to enable conservation and sustainable development that improves the welfare of those living on the island while minimizing deforestation, forest degradation and the associated loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

WWF is aiming for a network of protected areas and sustainably-managed forests in the Heart of Borneo, to be achieved through international co-operation led by the Bornean governments, supported by a global effort.

The future of this transboundary area depends on the collaboration of all 3 governments. No one country can protect these unique uplands alone.

Together this presents a unique opportunity to conserve pristine tropical rainforest on a huge scale; saving almost 30% of the forest on the world’s third largest island.

3 countries working together

One of the fundamental principles of the Heart of Borneo programme is that 3 countries working together can achieve much more for the conservation of this area than 3 countries working in isolation.

The very success of the initiative hinges on the participative efforts from Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, who all have high stakes in maintaining a functioning, ecologically sound Heart of Borneo.

The commitment of the 3 countries was first demonstrated in March 2006 at the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Curitiba, Brazil. Now, WWF is working to translate this commitment into tangible actions on the ground.