Tag Archives: Sarawak

A bit naughty? Secret filming exposes murky world of rainforest politics

Global Witness has released footage that exposes the way elites have carved up and sold off the tropical forests of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo, then siphoned away millions of dollars through illegal tax dodge Continue reading

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Kill off the animals and you change the forest — fast

Researchers who tracked the fates of over 470,000 trees of more than 1,100 species for 15 years show just what happens when hunting empties forests of their seed-dispersing wildlife. Continue reading

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The near empty forest that proves conservation is failing

“Boleh makan… Boleh… Boleh.” As I turned the pages of my copy of Mammals of Borneo to reveal more images of wildlife, Siba anak Aji said the same thing each time. “Can eat… Can… Can.” It was 1998 and I … Continue reading

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Q: When is a forest not a forest? A: When no-one knows

The fate of forests gets decided in concrete capitals where policymakers pour over green-tinged maps and financial spreadsheets that only show some of the costs and benefits of changing a real forest into anything else. Continue reading

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Malaysia’s million dollar question — where did the logs come from?

The 50-km long log-jam that blocked Malaysia’s biggest river shows the scale of deforestation in the highlands of Borneo and raises fresh concerns about how the state of Sarawak manages its natural resources. Continue reading

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Borneo’s Husband-and-Wife Mountain Gods Look Down on Illegal Logging

The news that Norway has sold all of its shares in a Malaysian timber company it accuses of illegal logging has brought back memories of one of the best experiences of my life, and of a pair of sad brown eyes I wish I had not seen. Continue reading

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