Rainforest: Additional Detailed Specific Examples (Cambridge International IGCSE Geography)

Exam Hint In the main revision notes there is a detailed specific example on the Malaysian rainforest. Whilst some of that case study covers the part of Borneo governed by Malaysia, this case study focuses on only the island of Borneo.

Not all schools and centres will use these detailed specific examples. Provided below is an alternative detailed specific example that may also be used.

Introduction - Borneo Rainforest

Detailed specific example - Borneo rainforest

• Borneo, the third-largest island in the world

• Located in Southeast Asia it is divided among three countries:

  • Malaysia (states of Sabah and Sarawak)
  • Indonesia (Kalimantan),
  • Brunei

• Over 50% of the island is still covered in tropical rainforest

• Borneo is part of the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot, among the most biologically diverse places on Earth

Climate

• The Borneo rainforest has an equatorial climate:

  • High annual rainfall – between 2,500 mm and 4,000 mm
  • Consistently high temperatures averaging 27–32°C year-round
  • Humidity levels frequently above 80%
  • Rain often falls as daily convectional storms, especially in the afternoon

Biodiversity

• Borneo's rainforest has one of the richest ecosystems on the planet:
• Over 15,000 plant species, with over 3,000 species of trees
• Home to the endangered Bornean orangutan, pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, and clouded leopards
• 420 bird species, 100 amphibian species, and over 150 reptile species
• Exceptional endemism *due to its long period of isolation

Threats to the rainforest in Borneo

• Borneo has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, especially in Indonesian Kalimantan and Malaysian Sarawak
• The main threats to the rainforest include:

Logging

• Commercial logging for tropical hardwoods
• Illegal logging, especially in remote Indonesian regions
• Even selective logging requires road access, increasing forest fragmentation

Palm oil plantations

• Borneo is a major producer of palm oil

  • Clearance to plant palm oil is responsible for millions of hectares of cleared land

• Large-scale deforestation has replaced forest with monoculture plantations

Mining and infrastructure

• Open-cast coal and gold mining in Kalimantan
• Road and dam construction (e.g., Murum Dam in Sarawak) lead to displacement and forest submersion.

Fires

• Slash-and-burn agriculture by local and commercial interests causes uncontrolled forest fires
• Dry periods increase the risk of fires, releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide

Urbanisation and settlement

• Government policies (e.g., Indonesia’s Transmigration Programme) encouraged settlement in more rural remote areas in Borneo, leading to additional land clearance

Impacts of destruction of the rainforest in Borneo

Environmental

• Soil erosion due to removal of protective tree cover
• Reduced interception causes more overland flow and flooding
• Leaching *of nutrients leads to poor soil fertility
• Loss of biodiversity including critical endangered species such as the clouded leopard, orangutan and pygmy elephant
• Increased greenhouse gas emissions due to biomass burning
• Increased sedimentation in the Rajang River system which affects water quality and fish populations

Social

• Displacement of Indigenous Dayak communities
• Loss of traditional knowledge and medicinal plants
• Health impacts from smoke 'haze' pollution caused by fires (e.g., 2015 Southeast Asian haze crisis)

Economic

• Short-term income from timber and palm oil
• Long-term loss in ecotourism and ecosystem services like water regulation and pollination

Strategies to protect the Borneo rainforest

International efforts

• Heart of Borneo Initiative (2007):

  • Collaboration between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei with WWF to protect 220,000 km² of forest

• REDD+ Programs: Financial incentives to reduce emissions from deforestation

• Sustainable forestry certification (FSC/PEFC) encouraged for logging companies

Government initiatives

• A ban on new palm oil plantations in Indonesia (since 2018)
• Increased protected areas, though enforcement remains a challenge

NGOs and Indigenous communities

• Reforestation initiatives by NGOs like Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation and Hutan
• Borneo Nature Foundation working with Indigenous groups to protect the rainforest
• Community-based forest management by Indigenous groups

Ecotourism

• Ecotourism projects in Sarawak and Sabah to provide alternative income (e.g., Danum Valley Conservation Area)