One of the world's biggest rainforests is now officially protected, thanks to the vital help of local Foreign Office staff.

The rainforest, which straddles the highlands of the island of Borneo, is now protected  from further damage by an agreement reached between the three governments involved: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Signed-up

They have all signed up to the Heart of Borneo initiative, started by international environment and wildlife charity, WWF.

It was the outcome of hard work by FCO missions in all three countries to build up support for the project in their host countries.

In February 2007 the three countries committed themselves to work together to protect the forests and restrict logging, mining and plantation agriculture. This represents a significant step: it will have an impact on deforestation in the region, and hence climate-change.

Nearly the size of the UK

The map on the right shows the area of rain forest – nearly the size of the UK -  they hope to save.

The area includes the Danum Valley which for the last 20 years has played host to dozens of British scientists working on the Royal Society's SE Asia Rainforest Research Programme.

Borneo has the world’s third largest remaining tropical forest - after the Amazon and Congo - and is one of its most important centres of biodiversity. According to WWF, over the past ten years, new species have been discovered at an average rate of three per month.

The forest is one of the few places on the planet where elephant, rhino and orangutans co-exist. The island is host to an enormous number of animals, reptiles and birds including flying fox bats, flying squirrels, eight different types of hornbill and 160 species of snakes.

Safeguarding

WWF is safeguarding the rainforest through a network of protected areas and sustainably-managed forests, and through international co-operation led by the Bornean governments, supported by a global effort.

The future of this area depends on the collaboration of all three governments as no one country can protect these unique uplands alone.

Involved

FCO has also been involved with a project aimed at Brunei's schoolchildren. Booklets with maps and information about the rainforest's precious flora and fauna has just been published and will be distributed to all the country's secondary schools.

Various organisations have been involved including the British High Commission in Brunei – which paid the production costs – the Brunei government, WWF and CfBT, a UK educational trust which has worked in Brunei for many years.  

Main message

The main message of the new material is the vital importance of conservation for future generations.

The Heart of Borneo initiative fits in well with British Government's sustainable development agenda of promoting responsible tourism, protecting natural habitats and preventing illegal trading in endangered species.

If you want to know more about the campaign, the wildlife, the problems and possible solutions, visit the WWF website

See more about how the FCO promotes a low carbon high growth economy.