A Forest in Peril—and a Species on the Brink
The Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, once thrived across the lush lowland rainforests of Borneo. Today, this great ape faces an existential crisis. Research from 2015 warned that 74% of its habitat could vanish by 2080, driven by the twin threats of climate change and deforestation. Compounding the crisis, the population of Bornean orangutans has plummeted by 80% since 1973.
Further alarming is the projected impact of Indonesia’s proposed capital relocation to Borneo—an initiative that could trigger widespread land clearing and exacerbate habitat loss.
Is Conventional Conservation Enough?
Author Finni Alqorina in her articleargues that incremental conservation measures are woefully insufficient to reverse this downward spiral. Enter the “Nature Needs Half” (NNH) vision—an ambitious plan to designate 50% of Earth’s surface, including critical ecosystems, as interconnected protected areas.
In Kalimantan specifically, only 6.97% of its 36.9 million hectares currently holds protected status (as of 2022). The remainder is earmarked for production, including plantations—unless urgent change is enacted.
The NNH Proposal: Radical, but Necessary
Scaling up to NNH would require a massive expansion of conservation areas—reclaiming land from industrial plantations and production forests. Of particular importance would be conserving peatlands and enabling degraded lands to regenerate.
The trade‑off is steep: foregoing cultivation on 30 million hectares of oil palm and food crops might mean annual economic losses exceeding $180 billion. Additionally, the costs of land management, potential conflicts over land rights, and displacement of indigenous communities cannot be ignored.
Yet, conservation advocates argue that it’s not merely a moral imperative—it’s sound economics. Tropical forest ecosystems deliver services—such as carbon storage, water regulation, and biodiversity—valued at $2,700 per hectare per year.
Lessons from “Half-Earth” in Practice
Supporting Alqorina’s vision, a 2022 analysis involving 17 orangutan experts compared outcomes under “Half-Earth” and “Whole-Earth” strategies. They found that maintaining half of Borneo’s forests under protection more than halved the predicted decline of orangutan populations by 2032. In contrast, “Whole-Earth”—a model favoring equitable land distribution and economic integration—could lead to a 56% population decline within a decade.
Encouragingly, if habitat loss and killings were stopped, orangutan numbers could potentially rebound to 148% of current levels by 2122.
Community-Driven Conservation: A Vital Complement
The Nature Needs Half approach gains strength when paired with grassroots engagement. In East Kalimantan’s Wehea landscape, partnerships between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and local communities have resulted in 29,000 hectares of protected land, with sustainable management practices extended across 532,000 hectares.
Here, locals serve as Forest Guardians, patrolling against illegal logging and poaching, and managing human‑orangutan conflicts through education and relocation initiatives.
A Glimpse of Hope
- Bold vision works: Half-Earth strategies can dramatically slow orangutan habitat loss and population decline.
- Economics matters: The ecological and climate benefits of preserving forests outweigh short-term losses.
- Community collaboration is key: Empowering local people creates durable conservation success.
Final Thoughts
The plight of the Bornean orangutan is more than a conservation issue—it’s a litmus test for sustainable coexistence. "Nature Needs Half" may sound radical, but with the clock ticking, it might just be the bold fix we need.
Will humanity rise to the challenge—or let one of its closest cousins fade away?
References & Key Evidence
- 74% habitat loss by 2080 forecast (Struebig et al. 2015)KOMPASIANAKOMPASIANA+1
- 80% population decline since 1973 (BOSF 2024)KOMPASIANA+1
- Only 6.97% of Kalimantan forest is protected (2022)KOMPASIANA+2https://event.kompasiana.com+2
- Potential $180B/year economic loss by repurposing plantationsKOMPASIANA
- Ecosystem value: $2,700/ha/yearKOMPASIANA
- Half‑Earth reduces decline more than half; Whole‑Earth predicted to cause 56% declineoryxthejournal.org+2Phys.org+2
- Orangutan rebound to 148% by 2122 if threats haltedoryxthejournal.org+1
Wehea conservation model: 29,000 ha protected + 532,000 ha under sustainable managementCool Green Science