Brunei's commitment to the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initiative was reiterated at the recent international meeting of Commonwealth heads of state in Sri Lanka attended by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. On that occasion the Sultan mentioned that cooperation with neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia through the HoB Initiative is part of Brunei's contribution to mitigating the global effects of climate change.

Minister of Development Pehin Dato Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman reiterated his country's pledge at COP19/CMP9 in Poland, "...We continue our commitment to implement the HoB Initiative, where we have designated 58% of our forest area for protection - an initiative we are very proud of which has also been highlighted by our leader, His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, at the meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth countries in Sri Lanka. We would like to see Warsaw as a pivotal point for the implementation of the decision..."

Strong leadership an example to emulate

A look back in time, it was Brunei Darussalam that hosted a workshop that laid the first stone, in 2005, in bringing the three countries of Borneo - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei - together for the first time to discuss the HoB and its future. Not long after the signing of the HoB Declaration in 2007, Brunei again hosted the first trilateral meeting since the Declaration.

Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) voiced its support for conservation and sustainable development in the HoB. Finally, in 2013, Brunei Darussalam led the organization of a trilateral meeting that led to a renewed commitment to the HoB Initiative, delivered in the Bandar Seri Begawan Joint Statement. The statement was delivered by ministerial-level country representatives, for the first time since the 2007 Declaration.

Under Brunei's HoB Initiative, forestry development is under the authority of Brunei's sustainable management regime and sustainable development principles through the HoB National Council (HoB National Council), which consists of various relevant ministries established with the blessing of His Majesty and which reflects His Majesty's support to realize the HoB vision.

The Sultan's leadership has been a strong foundation for conservation policy in Brunei. The strong leadership of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam and his government played an important role in bringing HoB to become a flagship conservation initiative in the country and even among the three Borneo countries.

Aneta Nikolova of UN ESCAP said of the HoB and Brunei, "for us, Brunei is the heart of Borneo, and Borneo is the lungs of Asia Pacific. It is the last well-preserved tropical forest in our region and the efforts of the Sultan in this regard are a great example for the whole region."

Small but meaningful

The protection of the Belait peatland forest is of global importance, as it acts as a carbon sink, which is important for climate change mitigation, and may be the best protected forest of its type in the world.

As a country with an area of 576,532 hectares, a limited land resource, it is certainly a big challenge for Brunei Darussalam to promote sustainable development. Although Brunei currently relies on oil and natural gas revenues, and that large-scale exploitation of forests is not yet needed, Brunei is well aware that inappropriate development for purely economic reasons can lead to rapid deterioration of the entire ecosystem, and loss of future long-term benefits.

"Forestry development must therefore follow the sustainable management regime and sustainable development principles through the HoB National Council," said Mahmud Yussof, CEO of Heart of Borneo Center.

"We promote environmental education and awareness, with a focus on community outreach programs including the preservation of indigenous wisdom. We recognize that these are essential for the effective protection of Brunei's forest areas."

We need to ensure that the protection of Brunei's forests, as a national treasure, is actually economic development in itself. In the context of an ecosystem-based economic approach, carbon payments from these forests can be a source of revenue that supports the country's economic diversification efforts. In addition, local communities can benefit from conservation governance, as the biodiversity of animals such as mammals, birds, orchids, insects and amphibians in forest areas can be a strong attraction for nature tourists and anyone with an enthusiasm for nature. This kind of activity will provide additional income for local communities," Yussof further explained.

Growing support among Brunei's youth

In September, the International School of Brunei donated $30,000 to support HoB's program for community-based forest rehabilitation in Brunei Darussalam. More than one million trees have been planted in Brunei under the HoB Initiative, and HoB has become an important platform in building awareness and advocating for nature conservation.

ISB is an active supporter of the HoB Initiative and has been heavily involved in local conservation actions initiated by HoB Brunei, namely the "One Million Tree Planting" Program which is not only located in Brunei, but also expanded to assist the same program in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia. This activity is part of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) global "One Billion Trees" campaign.