How the Universe Could be a Better Place

A chainsaw amnesty is protecting the rainforest in Borneo
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Borneo was once covered in lush, dense rainforests, but they are rapidly disappearing. The Southeast Asian island, roughly three times the size of the UK, has lost half its forest cover since the 1930s, destroying precious habitat for wildlife such as the critically endangered orangutan, as well as valuable carbon stores.

A non-profit called Health in Harmony (HIH) is asking farmers to hand in their chainsaws in return for money, and a chance to set up an alternative livelihood.

Borneo is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and it is estimated that up to 10% of its land is taken up by industrial palm oil and logging operations. But deforestation isn’t just about large-scale tree clearance; some of those behind the logging are small-scale farmers, cutting trees as a sideline to make ends meet.

Buyback and healthcare
HIH launched its chainsaw buyback scheme in 2017, under the group’s Indonesian name, Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI). Farmers who illegally log and sell the wood to timber companies are given around $200 for their chainsaws, as well as up to $450 in financial support for them to set up an alternative, sustainable livelihood, such as opening a shop, organic farming and even beekeeping.

The scheme also involves addressing the root causes of the problem. According to HIH, many of the farmers who turn to logging do so because they need the money for basics like healthcare.

“They live far from the healthcare clinics, and they see logging as a place where they can get quick cash,” explained Mahardika “Dika” Putra, conservation program manager at HIH. “If they need this amount of money, they cut this amount of trees.

“We asked what solutions they think they need to live in harmony with the forest and they said, ‘high quality, affordable healthcare, and training in organic farming.’”