Version: 18 December 2006
Translation by Ben Dowson
Final edit by Swary Utami Dewi
Despite sustaining extensive damage, Kalimantan’s forests are still considered a very important global resource, owing to their great biodiversity. Various kinds of animals and plants live and thrive within these forests. Certain fauna that are classified as endangered, such as the orangutan, hornbill and proboscis monkey, can still be found there. The same is true of flora such as the black orchid and ulin, a type of hardwood.
However, within the last decades, the forest’s wealth has been entirely obliterated. Non-timber forest products have been overlooked. Multistakeholder Forestry Program (MFP) stakeholders in Kalimantan have taken steps to develop the economies of the local communities based on the exploitation of non-timber forest products. Some have begun to prosper, while others are still fighting for survival. However, one important lesson has been learnt. The strengthening of local economies has opened the door to other issues such as gender, and community bargaining strength. This paper discusses what has happened in Kalimantan.