DaMaI World Heritage Site, Sabah, Malaysia

Introduction

In the northern reaches of the island of Borneo lies a sweeping, forested crater, so wide that it would take more than 5 hours to walk across. This place is isolated from the world by a jagged rocky rim. At up to 1600m high, these cliffs are almost four times the height of the Empire State Building, decorated by countless curtaining waterfalls. Its uncharted rainforests are so secluded that it has never been permanently inhabited by humans, and its ecosystem is virtually self-contained. It’s as though it exists on a separate planet. Some call it Sabah’s “Lost World”.

The immense rim of the Maliau Basin, with cliffs that are up to 1,600m high.

On its rim stand trees adorned with pitcher-like carnivorous flowers as tall as your arm is long. On the ground grows one of the world’s largest blooms, bursting from the understory like a Dr. Seuss painting: the fantastical red Rafflesia, which imitates the scent of a corpse. At the foot of the basin’s northern cliffs lies a lake, the only true lake on this part of the island, scattered with the fossils of ancient sea creatures. The Murut, a tribe of former headhunters, tell of a dragon that lives in the lake and holds back the water with its massive tail.

This is the Maliau Basin, one of three sites within the proposed DaMaI World Heritage Site in the state of Sabah on the Malaysian island of Borneo. To the north of Maliau is Imbak Canyon, “The Green Canyon of Borneo”, brimming with undisturbed lowland rainforest. In the east is the Danum Valley, a vast depression carpeted with prehistoric, virgin forest containing a Kadazan-Dusun indigenous burial site.

At 130 million years old, the Danum Valley rainforest is twice as ancient as the Amazon.

Sumatran elephants are under attack by poachers who sell their skin and ivory in illegal markets around the globe.

Natural Heritage

The DaMaI (Danum-Maliau-Imbak) ecosystem, often referred to as the Heart of Borneo, is one of the last intact primary forests in Asia and a critical habitat for endangered megafauna like Borneo pygmy elephants, Sunda clouded leopards and Sumatran orangutans, as well as all eight species of Bornean hornbills. With hundreds of bird species, some endemic to this area, Danum Valley and Maliau Basin have been designated as Important Bird Areas by BirdLife International.

Sumatran orangutans require protected wild spaces to survive.

Saving DaMaI

Today, there is little organized protection for wildlife in the proposed DaMaI World Heritage Site. Armed gangs are aggressively hunting, both for international trade and sale to wildlife eateries on Borneo that are frequented by foreign tourists. Illegal hunting has rapidly increased over the past 10 years, depleting wildlife populations; without effective protection, we will lose more endangered species and critical habitats in one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Already, in 2015, rhinos were declared extinct in Malaysian Borneo.

Deforestation is rampant as corporate interests illegally exploit the natural resources in Borneo. Global Park Defense is being deployed in World Heritage Sites to protect forests and stop poachers.

Global Conservation aims to deploy Global Park Defense against wildlife poaching and illegal land clearing through an integrated system. Our technologies and training will include park-wide communications, cellular trailcams, aerial surveillance, SMART patrols, the Vulcan Domain Awareness System, ranger and community eco-guard training, and improved visitor security.

With almost no dedicated park or wildlife patrols today, DaMaI is highly vulnerable to illegal activities. Initially, Global Conservation funding, training and oversight will be critical to ensure patrol coverage of its core wildlife areas.

DaMaI Park Protection Team navigates rugged jungle terrain on foot.

Our goal is to achieve ‘No Cut, No Kill’ protection in three core habitats within 5 years. To accomplish this, we are working with leading conservation organizations in Sabah, including the Sabah Environmental Trust (SET), Sabah Forestry, Sabah Foundation, and the Sabah Department of Wildlife.

Proposed UNESCO World Heritage Designation

Fortunately, the 130,000-hectare (598,000 hectares including its buffer zone) DaMaI Rainforest Complex was approved by the state government in 2011 for nomination as Sabah’s second World Heritage Site. The nomination dossier has been completed and handed to the national focal agency for submission to UNESCO. Working with state and national governments, Global Conservation will move the World Heritage Site nomination process forward while improving planning for protection, conservation and sustainable tourism. We are proposing new buffer zones, a single management structure, and an increase in the total area under state-level protection to over 800,000 hectares.

National parks and World Heritage Sites might become the last protected wild spaces on the planet.

The proposed World Heritage Park has the potential to bring millions of visitors in the coming decades, which provides a powerful financial model for long-term protection and sustainability. Few other rainforest wildlife areas offer this opportunity. Already, Sabah has millions of visitors to their other parks, marine areas, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Primary Goals
Deploy Global Park Defense against wildlife poaching and illegal land clearing through an integrated system, technologies and training including park-wide communications, Cellular Trailcams, aerial surveillance, SMART Patrols and the Vulcan Domain Awareness System (DAS), ranger and community ecoguard training, as well as improved visitor security. Goal is to achieve "No Cut, No Kill" Protection in 3 core wildlife habitats within 4-5 years.
Increase Ranger Patrolling Coverage. With almost no dedicated park or wildlife patrols today, DaMaI is highly vulnerable to illegal activities. Initially Global Conservation funding, training and oversight will be critical to ensure the highest quality training and equipment for Park Rangers including Threat Assessment, Patrol Support, a dedicated Master Ranger, and secured support across Park, Wildlife, Forestry and Law Enforcement for increasing targeted patrol coverage to 80% of core wildlife areas within 4 years.
Establish the DaMaI UNESCO World Heritage Park. Working with the Sabah state government and Malaysian national government, we will move the nomination process forward while improving planning for protection, conservation and sustainable tourism. We are proposing new buffer zones, a single management structure and increasing the total area under state-level protection to over 2 million acres

Global Conservation is supporting DaMaI patrol teams to battle illegal logging and wildlife poaching in the heart of Borneo.

Key Initiatives
Global Park Defense equipment, systems and training is being funded to support dedicated park ranger teams focused on anti-poaching and law enforcement in DaMaI core conservation areas. Key initiatives include:
Implementing ground and aerial surveillance equipment including cellular trailcams and UAV drones.
Installing 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 for carbon offset value.
Planning for tourism and improved park management including best placement of roads and tourism facilities to reduce impact on wildlife and sensitive forest habitats.

DaMaI Rainforest Complex World Heritage Site would protect one of the last major primary forest ecosystems in Asia, including critical lowland forests that harbor endangered elephants, orangutans, leopards, bears, hornbills and other species facing extinction in other parts of Malaysia and across Asia.

Partners in Conservation

Sabah Environmental Trust

Sabah Environmental Trust (SET) is led by chief executive officer & founder Dr. Rahimatsah Amat, FASc, FMSA. SET works in capacity building, logistical support, and scientific studies related to the environment. SET also manages wildlife conservation and environmental activities in Sabah including training of rangers, and wildlife population baseline studies.

Sabah Forestry Department

Sabah Forestry Department is entrusted to manage forests and regulate forestry activities in Sabah, the second largest state in Malaysia. Led by director Sam Mannan, the Forestry Department is a strong partner against illegal deforestation and forest rehabilitation and management.

Sabah Foundation

Sabah Department of Wildlife