Borneo Nature Foundation
Project country: Indonesia
The Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) is an Indonesian-based NGO with 20 years’ experience implementing conservation and research programmes in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. BNF works in partnership with key stakeholders to implement landscape conservation strategies based on rigorous scientific research and supports local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods that complement environmental protection.
In 2020/2021, the Eurofins Foundation supported Borneo Nature Foundation’s (BNF) work in the Sebangau National Park, the largest non-fragmented area of lowland rainforest remaining in Borneo, containing the world’s largest protected population of the Bornean orangutan.
Prior to receiving protected status, the area was logged extensively, firstly by legal, controlled logging and then by intense illegal logging, resulting in peatland drainage which puts the whole ecosystem at risk from fires, causes substantial public health problems across the region, destroys large swathes of rainforest, and is a significant cause of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, accelerating climate change.
BNF works with local communities and governments to address the causes of the fires by restoring degraded peatlands and encouraging behavioural changes among local communities while tackling the impact of fires by improving local firefighting capacity and developing fire-prevention networks. The primary objective of this project is to reduce fires in the target area, benefit biodiversity conservation and improve human health.
Funding from the Eurofins Foundation has been integral to implementing conservation activities in the Sebangau National Park. Since receiving this funding in January 2021, BNF has established four additional community nurseries to supply the seedlings needed for reforestation and generate extra income for local people through a seedling buyback scheme.
BNF has also maintained 410 dams, aiding water retention and thus raising groundwater levels to reduce fire risk, and conducted monthly hydrology monitoring, using 40 dip-wells to monitor the groundwater dip table, and 35 locations across ten canals to monitor water flow.
In March 2021, BNF built a new in-situ nursery in the reforestation area, with a capacity for over 25,000 seedlings.
In combination with their other in-situ nursery, they can now store 45,000 seedlings, ready for planting. They also constructed a 1km boardwalk in June 2021 to improve accessibility to the reforestation area. Finally, they have engaged with 282 children through education programmes in 2021, through online sessions due to COVID-19, and through regular Anak Sebangau and Sebangau Rangers youth clubs.
Local stakeholders are involved in the various activities managed by the Borneo Nature Foundation. This involvement benefits both political leaders and the NGO, as it helps build relationships with local leaders and ensures long-term sustainable conservation in Borneo. It also supports the largest region of lowland rainforest remaining in Borneo, with approximately 6,000 orangutans believed to live there.
In 2023/2024, the Eurofins Foundation renews its support to the Borneo Nature Foundation, through a contribution to the project 1 Million Trees in Indonesia, which is reforesting areas that were burnt down in major fires between 2015 and 2019, with a particular focus on sites that have failed to naturally regenerate. This initiative addresses the root cause of the fires by restoring the peatland’s natural hydrology and fire-resistance and supporting a network of firefighting patrols to rapidly identify and respond to fires. The BNF puts local communities at the heart of the project, from growing seedlings to putting out fires and developing peat-friendly sustainable livelihood practices.
In 2025-2026, the Eurofins Foundation is supporting the project “Restoring Sebangau’s Peatlands: Community Action to Reduce Fire Risk and Protect Biodiversity.”
In Central Kalimantan, Sebangau’s rich biodiversity includes over 1,100 plant and animal species, including 46 that are globally threatened. The peatland forests are of critical importance for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and the local people, yet have been severely degraded by illegal logging and drainage, leaving dams that lower groundwater tables and dry the peat. Dry peat becomes highly flammable, fuelling catastrophic wildfires and releasing toxic haze and vast amount of carbon to the atmosphere. Peat fires now occur annually in the region, destroying ecosystem services for local communities and vital habitat for critically endangered species.
Thanks to Eurofins’ contribution, BNF will restore peatland hydrology by constructing 20 community-led dams to block canals, rewetting approximately 760 hectares, and reducing fire risk across a 19,000-hectare catchment. Local families will be trained and employed to build and maintain the dams, gaining skills in hydrology restoration and ecosystem stewardship. Native saplings will be planted on the dams to create natural living barriers, ensuring long-term stability. Alongside restoration, the project will deliver environmental education for children and awareness sessions for communities, fostering a new generation of conservation leaders. Specifically, the Eurofins Foundation’s grant will fund the construction of 20 dams (materials, tools, transport), stipends and training for 16+ families, hydrology and biodiversity monitoring, and project coordination/logistics. It will also support delivery of community awareness, outreach and children’s education sessions, including training materials and facilitation costs. This will ensure direct, tangible impact by rewetting ~760 ha, thus reducing fire risk, protecting biodiversity, while supporting community education and awareness of peatland stewardship.
This project contributes to the following United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
