Malaysia and Indonesia yesterday expressed support for Brunei’s proposal to connect all of the protected forests under the Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative into an ecological corridor.

Chief Executive of Brunei HoB Centre Mahmud Hj Yussof had previously advocated the establishment of an ecological corridor to connect and protect all forest ecosystems on the island that would help to connect fragmented forests in the HoB area through sustainable agriculture.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 10th HoB Trilateral Meeting here, Mahmud said the three countries are still discussing how best to proceed with the plan, said

“However, we have just heard the endorsements from the other delegates during the meeting that they would support the plan of establishing the Heart of Borneo corridor of protected forests.

“There are certain limitations that must first be considered such as the time needed to discuss with the relevant stakeholders in each country but it is still a positive step forward to have the support,” he added.

The CEO said it is time to show people that the HoB initiatives were not for the maps but to improve the system at the ground level.

“All the while, we know of the HoB areas (of protected forests) only on the map but it is time for us to consider what is actually happening on the ground so this is the right time to push forward with discussions of how we can best implement the HoB initiatives at the ground level,” he said.

“At this stage, we would just like to earmark on the ground based on the existing protected forests and national parks that we already have scattered within the Heart of Borneo,” he added.

Mahmud noted the challenges of establishing the HoB corridor of forests but urged for greater cooperation from stakeholders.

“Wildlife needs this corridor to roam freely so it is important for all stakeholders to come together and cooperate,” he said.

The ecological corridor will also support conservation of the marine ecosystem, according to Mahmud. “Every type of forest is interdependent. Without a healthy terrestrial ecosystem, we don’t have a healthy marine ecosystem. They are related and rely on each other,” he added.