In my recent 2/04 article I wrote about factors triggering global mass extinction events, and human population sustainability issues on our planet. This time I would like to zoom in on a regional story, which exemplifies a case of willful, ruthless, and barbaric destruction of a natural habitat: the tropical rain forests of the island of Borneo.
Several tribes of Malay origin populate the Borneo rain forest since the dawn of history. They live in close communities (kampong longhouses) along the rivers, which served in the past as transport and travel routes. Individual families also have their individual farmhouses, and plant crops such as rice in isolated paddies. Fruits and firewood are gathered in the rain forest.
Since some thirty, forty years active logging is carried out in the area, leading to massive deforestation, forest degradation and soil erosion. The logging companies that are holding logging concessions ruthlessly plunder the forest without stopping even from governmental or private forest reserves.
The villagers try hard to protect the immediate forest vicinity of their Kampongs – without much of a success, however. A handful of logging companies control the forest with mafia-style methods. They steal even precious trees, which the local population had reserved for future traditional ship-building activities. Felling a tree can also mean exterminating a culture.
If villagers resist the massacre of their forests, the logging companies hire thugs and gangs from the coastal cities to terrorize the villages. This has lead to bloodshed already. The local government is deeply in the pockets of the logging companies, and looks in the other direction. Another case of special interests policy & funding, I guess. Court cases drag on without ever reaching a conclusion. In recent years, many villagers were forced to abandon their homes and to migrate to the coastal cities, and later often fall prey to alcohol, drugs and prostitution.
The mountain jungles of Borneo are not only famous for the Orangutan species, but also for the many unique limestone bats and birds-nest caves. Local farmers harvest these. The rights on the caves were transmitted over many centuries from generation to generation. Harvesting bird’s nests is one of the main incomes of the forest population: bird’s nests are a precious commodity sought by Chinese gourmets.
Recently, I was told, a logging company needed limestone for some local construction up in the mountains, and dynamited several caves that belonged to villagers. It was the easiest way for them to get stones. Not only that thousands of birds have lost their habitat for good – the family who used to harvest the caves are without income, which means they cannot continue to live in the forest. Perceptions what means value seem to differ.
In brief, the above described activities:
- Endanger the habitat of many animal species, including the Orangutan
- Uproot entire populations of indigenous people
- Destroy the priceless heritage of human tradition and culture
We are not only dealing with a burning environmental issue alone, but equally with a deep moral consideration. Coming from a western society, I realize that our cultures have equally bulldozed minorities and raped the environment. It’s a fact, and our western societies have no moral authority to tell other countries what to do or not to do. It is probably too late to save the Borneo forest anyhow, with her indigenous tribes and wonderful culture. Asia’s new giant, China, the main consumer of tropical hardwood doesn’t have a good track record of respecting human values or environmental concerns, and exploits Borneo with the help of the above mentioned logging companies. Money is the only concern, period.
This said questions arise how much damage our planet can still afford. We are gradually removing the pillars of our human existence, and destroying the habitat of life which supports us. Which means that we not only talking environment, law, and morality but increasingly: our survival as humans.
© 2004 by Franz L Kessler
~ Sara
Carmen