Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Funds Global Conservation for World Heritage Protection for the Heart of Borneo

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation announced their  2017 Partners in Conservation in park and wildlife protection in developing countries. Global Conservation was one of the honored grantees to receive major funding protect the proposed DaMaI World Heritage Park in Sabah, Malaysia.

Often referred to as the Heart of Borneo, the Danum Valley – Maliau Basin – Imbak Canyon (DaMaI) is one of the leading candidates in Malaysia for UNESCO World Heritage, and has one of the last intact primary forests and wildlife habitats in Asia for endangered megafauna species including elephants, clouded leopard and orangutans to co-exist together in the wild.

The new Global Park Defense program is being led in DaMaI by Sabah Environmental Trust, Global Conservation's partner in Sabah.   The new MOU was recently signed at the Heart of Borneo International Conference in October.   The new MOU establishes the first dedicated Ranger Patrol Teams for DaMaI Park and Wildlife Protection.

While forests of Sabah are generally well managed by the Sabah Department of Forestry under strong leadership from Director Sam Mennan over 2 decades, growing demand has led to a spike in illegal hunting and commercial wildlife poaching.

In 2017, over 8 tons of pangolin were seized in Sabah destined for overseas markets, and wild meat tourism is on the rise with visitors demanding illegal wild meats for lunch and dinner while vacationing in the country. As well, commercial level poaching of wildlife is rampant with many press articles and photographs published.

To assist the DaMai authorities, Global Conservation is funding a multi-year Global Park Defense program to improve anti-poaching and law enforcement against encroachment, illegal hunting and wildlife poaching in the Danum Valley – Maliau Basin – Imbak Canyon (DaMaI) core conservation areaswildlife habitats.

Training and deployment of Global Park Defense will help DaMaI Ranger effectiveness and provide critical communications, cellular trailcams, transport, training, equipment and systems for newly dedicated park ranger patrols.

Illegal hunting and wildlife poaching has rapidly increased over the past 10 years, resulting in since the extinction of the last last Sumatran Rhino in the wild and depleted populations of both megafauna and their prey.  Armed gangs and organized syndicates are aggressively hunting endangered wildlife for commercial profit including overseas trade and wildlife eateries in Sabah frequented by foreign tourists in the Heart of Borneo in Sabah.

The proposed DaMaI Rainforest Complex for UNESCO World Heritage was approved by the state government on 22nd June, 2011 as the 2nd World Heritage site in Sabah. Currently, the nomination dossier has been completed and submitted to the national focal agency for submission to UNESCO World Heritage.

Global Conservation is working so that our funding and support can not only assist in the protection of DaMaI Rainforest Complex, but also help facilitate listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site, for its Universal Value to Mankind, importance for endangered wildlife and primary forest protection, and intrinsic value for global tourism which enables sustainable revenues for long-term park protection.

Using Global Park Defense methodology, technologies, systems and training, large areas of deep forest wildlife habitats will be monitored for illegal activities and effective targeting of ranger patrols and law enforcement against wildlife poachers.

The DaMaI Conservation Program led by Global Conservation and Sabah Environmental Trust uses Global Park Defense methodology including:

• New equipment for park communications and wildlife monitoring;
• Training for rangers and other park authorities;
• Ground and aerial surveillance equipment including drones,
• Cellular Trailcams, Command and Control systems and joint patrolling with law enforcement agencies;
• Detailed mapping of DaMaI forests and ecosystems using sophisticated LiDAR and multi-sensor analysis; and
• Planning for tourism and improved park management including best placement of roads and tourism facilities to reduce impact on wildlife and sensitive forest habitats.

About DaMaI Rainforest Complex 

DaMaI Rainforest ComplexWorld Heritage would protect one of the last major primary forest ecosystems in Asia, including critical lowland forests protecting endangered elephants, orangutans, leopards, bear, hornbills and other species facing extinction in other parts of Malaysia and across Asia.

The proposed DaMaI Rainforest Complex is one of the most important new nominations to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, and has been under planning by the Sabah Provincial government, including NGOs and community groups, resulting in a well-received professional nomination dossier.