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Building Bridges

Integrating community development and conservation of

forests and biodiversity in the Kinabatangan River area,

Sabah, Malaysia

Final Progress Report 6, Jan – August 2013

HUTAN/KOCP IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

People Nature Consulting

International and

Shining Hope Foundation

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Summary

The Shining Hope Foundation has provided financial support to HUTAN and its implementing partners from

September 2010 to August 2013 to demonstrate that integrated management of environmental and socio-

economic aspects of land and natural resource management are needed to achieve long-lasting outcomes for

sustainable biodiversity and environmental conserva tion as well as human development in tropical developing

countries. Specifically, the project seeks to achieve a measureable improvement in the ecological conditions of

Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and selected key stone species, and demonstrable improved welfare

and well-being of selected target groups in the Kinabatangan community, through effective integration of

community development with conservation of forests and biodiversity in the Kinabatangan River area.

A final review of project activities, outcomes, and financial expenditures was conducted by Erik Meijaard from

10-12 November 2013 for the period January to September 2013. No field visit was included this time, and the

reporting was done based on field reports submitted by individual units of HUTAN (OURS, HEAP, Wildlife

Wardens etc). The financial review was conducted in Kota Kinabalu on November 12th

together with the HUTAN

accountant and involved checking of receipts, compiling expenditures over the period and comparing these

with predicted expenses. Information about project activities was obtained through interviews with several

field staff.

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Financial Progress Report January to August 2013

Project spending between January and September 2013 was l imited to a reduced number of budget centers , as

agreed by the Shining Hope Foundation, with a view towards reconciling actual spending needs with available

budget (Table 1). This succeeded to reduce project overspending with regard to the budget as reported in

previous reports. Thus, the total expenditure for the Shining Hope Foundation funds used by Hutan between

September 2010 and August 2013 was approximately € 164,795.29 on a total disbursed budget of €

166,845.00, resulting in an absolute underspending of € 2049.71 (see Table 2 below). Based on these spending

rates a budget revision is proposed for the final 9 months of the project to ensure that the final spending is in

l ine with what was initially budgeted.

Budget Expenses Spending% Expenses

Budget period Jan 13-Aug 13 (€) Jan 13-Aug 13 (€) Rate (over)/underspent

(€)

Salary Ahbam Abulani 5,688.89 5,897.89 103.67 209.00

Salary Hamisah Elahan 2,488.89 3,051.69 122.61 562.80

Salary Azri Sawang 5,475.56 5,021.89 91.71 -453.67

Fuel for boat 2,737.78 2,796.22 102.13 58.44

Petrol for car 2,737.78 2,450.78 89.52 -286.99

Photo camera - - - -

Total Office costs and consumable - - - -

Materials for HEAP activities in

schools - - - -

Training for HEAP staff - - - -

Reforestation activities 3,768.89 4,043.06 107.27 274.17

Total Warden activities - - - -

Total Equipment and uniform 1,232.00 1,110.47 90.14 -121.53

Education Camp/Activities - - - -

Total Boat expenses - - - -

Environmental awareness and

training centre - - - -

Total Orang utan bridges - - - -

Helicopter monitoring - - - -

Total Swift nest population and

harvesting survey 2,737.78 2,810.29 102.65 72.51

Total Budget and Expenditures 26,867.56 27,182.30 101.17 314.74

Table 1. Total budget and expenditures from January to August 2013.

Comments on budget

Overspending in the early stages of the project with regard to projected budget expenditures was primarily

caused by strengthening of the Malay Ringgit and price inflation. Regarding the exchange rate, the Malaysian

Ringgit initially increased in value compared to the Euro from 4.5 at the start of the project to 3.85 at the end of

2012, but a relatively stronger euro has in 2013 resulted in similar MYR exchange rates as at the start of the

project (MYR 4.45 to the Euro). No inflation correction was applied when the budget was developed. Average

annual consumer price inflation in Malaysia was about 1.8% in 2012.

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Table 2. Budget forecasts and actual expenditures

Budget period Actual expenditure

(RM)

Actual expenditure

(Euro)

Forecasted budget

requirements

September to December

2010

MYR 93,123.95 ca. € 22,439 € 27,566.80

January to June 2011 MYR 130,981.13 ca. € 30,819 € 28,850.20

July to December 2011 MYR 132,095.54 ca. € 31,081 € 24,483.00

January to June 2012 MYR 104,153.62 ca. € 26,706 € 25,800.00

July to December 2012 MYR 102,286.30 ca. € 26,568 € 25,781.67

January to June 2013 MYR 94,198.91 ca. € 20,933.09 € 25,772.50

July and August 2013 MYR 28,121.42 ca. € 6,249.20 € 8,590.83

TOTAL ca. € 164,795.29 € 166,845.00

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Narrative Progress Report January – September 2013

Activity 1. Populations of orangutans, hornbills, and edible nest swiftlets are regularly monitored by KOCP's

Orangutan Research unit (OURS)

Orangutan surveys

Hutan’s intensive OrangUtan Research Site was established in

1998 in 6.2 km2 of secondary forests in Lot 2 of the Lower

Kinabatangan Wildlife Reserve near the vil lage of Sukau. A team

of ten intensively trained local research officers - Hutan’s

Orang-Utan Research Unit - take turns to track orangutans in

the forest and conduct eco-ethological observations. A wide

range of data are collected on standardized datasheet including

dietary observations, feeding behaviour, social aspects and

ranging patterns.

Recently, the OURs team has witnessed the influx of several

non-identified males (Figure 1) in the orangutan study site.

Since the offspring’s of several resident females to the

orangutan study site have reached the dispersing age and

become independent of their mother, Hutan’s orangutan

specialists think that these males could be coming in to check

on the sexual status of these females. Hutan has also

intensified their efforts to better understand the dynamics

between orangutans and how they use the mature oil palm

plantations areas.

Orangutans are very difficult to follow in the human-made oil

palm landscape since they hide or run away when human

observers come too close to them. However,

efforts to follow the orangutans into the oil

palm landscape were successful in April 2013

when the team followed Otai, an adult

unflanged male for two consecutive days

inside an oil palm estate (Figure 2). The first

morning, Otai left the forest and walked into

the plantation bordering the northern side of

our intensive study area. Although Otai has

been followed by the OURs team for the past

three years and is fully habituated, as soon

as he entered in the plantation he started to

display signs of stress and wariness.

However, by hiding from him most of the

time, the team managed to keep Otai under

Figure 1. One of the unidentified orangutans encountered during surveys in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Reserve, Sabah.

Figure 2. Otai in oil palm plantation.

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observation for the next two days. At some point, Otai climbed onto a palm and started to pick up fruits one by

one ate them (see pictures next page). The team was very excited by this observation since this is the first

record of such behaviour of orangutan from the study site.

Otai build a nest with the palm plant, which means that orangutans are therefore using mature palm plants for

nesting or as possible source of food. More long-term research is needed to better understand the rela tionship

between orangutans and mature oil palm plantations in order to enhance the prospects of long-term survival of

orangutan populations l iving in multiple-use landscapes.

Hornbill surveys

Hutan was excited to discover that a Helmeted Hornbill (Figure 4), one

of the rarest of the eight hornbill species in Sabah, was found to be

nesting in a tree within the orangutan study site. According to Ravinder

Kaur, a PhD student working on hornbills, this is the first positive

identification of a nesting site for this species of hornbill in Borneo!

Unlike other hornbill species, the Helmeted Hornbill is extremely picky

about selection of breeding sites. Like other hornbill species, it uses tree

hollows to make its nests. The Helmeted Hornbill, however, being the

largest of al l Bornean species, needs the biggest nest hollows. Such

hollows can only be found in large trees, almost exclusively with a

diameter of more than 1 meter. Such trees are often removed during

selective logging because of their high timber values. Logging therefore

tends to displace Helmeted Hornbills more than other hornbill species

that may stil l use smaller trees.

Additionally, in recent years there has been a large increase in hunting

and collecting of hornbills, primarily for use in the production of artifacts

from horn. Also, there is apparently a demand for horn from the

Chinese medicine markets. This now means that hornbills everywhere in

Figure 3. Rarely observed behaviour of orangutan feeding on oil palm.

Figure 4. Helmeted Hornbill photographed in the Lower Kinabatangan.

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SE Asia are targeted by hunters. The fact that one pair of Helmeted Hornbill may therefore be because of the

relatively absence of hunting and possibly because of ecological recovery of the Kinabatangan forests.

Currently Hutan is monitoring the recently discovered nesting site.

Nest swiftlet caves

In 2012, Hutan decided to guard only

the four bigger caves in Pangi FR

containing the largest breeding swiftlet

populations. Hutan hired 10 members

of the Sukau community to guard the

cave entrances from nest thieves and

other intruders. Throughout the year,

the 10 Pangi staff spent thei r entire

time in the forest, taking turns day and

night to patrol the Forest Reserve. No

nests were harvested in 2012 to

minimize the disturbance of the swiftlet

breeding pairs. In addition to these

guards, the Wildlife Wardens actively

patrol the Pangi area to prevent the

theft of birds nests. As a direct result of such an operation in 2013, the team found and dismantled a poacher’s

camping sites and also apprehended 12 men who were then handed over to the authrorities for i l legally

entering a Forest Reserve and also for i l legally harvesting the birds nest (pictures above).

Ongoing risks of poaching indicate that the community program set up by Hutan to sustainably manage the

Pangi swift nests caves requires further input. If cave protection efforts were reduced, all nests would likely be

taken out within a very short time frame.

Activity 2. Participate in forest rehabilitation programs in degraded orangutan habitat by reforestation

In Kinabatangan, forest loss and fragmentation is jeopardising biodiversity by adversely affecting species’

distribution and dispersal patterns, lowering genetic diversity, and threatening habitats and ecosystem

services. Planning for connectivity between forests blocks is now crucial to ensure the long-term viability of the

Kinabatangan’s’ biodiversity. With the Kinabatangan Corridor Research Project, Hutan and its partners aim to

design a network of conservation corridors and conservation expansion areas within the Kinabatangan. It uses

a systematic conservation planning approach to identify high conservation value areas based on threatened

species, priority habitats and aboveground carbon stock.

Since January 2008 HUTAN has engaged in a project to rehabil itate crucial orangutan habitat in the Lower

Kinabatangan. The project aims at recreating forest corridors for wildlife. Forest degradation and

fragmentation in the Lower Kinabatangan region are the major threats to the long-term survival of wildlife and

proactive measures are the key to success. Past logging activities have at places resulted in the destruction of

the seed bank contained in the soil and have compacted the soil thus preventing natural forest regeneration.

In order to recreate corridors for wildlife, particularly orangutans, native, fast-growing tree species are to be

planted.

Four vil lage women were hired and trained for the initial phase of this project. Three plots were selected in the

Lot 2 of the LKWS and a total of 1,752 seedlings were planted of 6 different tree species known to be

commonly consumed by orangutans at the HUTAN’s Sukau Research site (i.e. Dracontomelon dao, Octomeles

Figure 5. A swift nests poacher's camp found near Pangi.

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sumatrana, Microcos sp, Mitrogyana speciosa, Diospyros sp, Neonauclea sp .). The survival and growth rates of

the planted seedlings were monitored monthly. It was established that while some species prefer dry open

areas, others survive and grow better in shaded humid areas. Octomeles sumatrana (or “Binuang”) was the

fastest growing species with an average growth of 36.5 cm per month. Trampling by elephants and predation

by pigs, deers, snails, caterpillars and other insects mostly caused seedling mortality.

Figure 6. Norianah, Zaiton, Darianah and Asmidah, the hard working tree planting ladies. Photo by HUTAN/Shernytta Poloi.

To prevent the elephants to destroy the seedlings, each plot had to be protected by an electric fence. We also

valued the seedling needs for maintenance such as weeding to ensure optimal survival and growth (frequency

and methods of weeding).

Previous tree planting experiments by HUTAN showed that a minimum of 2 to 3 years of regular weeding

around the trees planted is needed. It therefore appears that the overall costs for efficient forest rehabilitation

are much higher than the mere cost of the seedlings, mostly because the maintenance needs (workers’ salary,

boats and petrol to access the plots, electric fences) to ensure the survival of the young trees are high.

Figure 7. Electric fencing at a reforestation plot. Photo by HUTAN/Harjinder Kler.

Progress in 2013 included the incorporation of conservation opportunities and constraints into the planning

process. Land value information and agricultural productivity maps were thus integrated into the planning

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assessment. Additionally, evaluations of implementation strategies are now being undertaken to secure

targeted lands for conservation, focusing on mechanisms such as carbon payments from Reduced Emissions

from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD), certified sustainable palm oil certification under the

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the combined alternative of these mechanism RT- REDD+. To

integrate these data a specialised area selection algorithm is being developed to select areas based on

conservation values and associated financial costs a nd benefits.

Activity 3. Reinforce the successful “Honorary Wildlife Warden” project that is being developed in the

Kinabatangan

Since 2005, Hutan has worked with the Sabah Wildlife Department on a model project where members of the

local community are directly involved in the management and protection of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife

Sanctuary. The Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 allows the Sabah Wildlife Department to appoint

selected members of the public as “Honorary Wildlife Wardens” (HWW) .

By the end of 2012, a total of 565 HWWs

were appointed and trained by the Sabah

Wildlife Department in Sabah. Hutan now

counts 16 members of the Kinabatangan

community as HWW. The HWW are

members of the public working

voluntarily to enforce the State wil dlife

law. In 2012, the head of Hutan’s HWW

team was re-elected as a member of the

Sabah Honorary Warden & Ranger

Association’s steering committee.

HUTAN and Danau Girang Field Center

(DGFC) launched the “River Keeper Unit”

(Figure 8) in 2013. This unit is made up of

two field research assistants

originating from Sukau who used to

work with KOCP’s “Elephant

Conservation Unit”. The specific goal of

this unit is to regularly patrol the

Kinabatangan River to ensure that

tourist boats do not come too close

and disturb elephants and other

wildlife species. The unit is also in

charge of developing and enforcing

best management practices for

tourism viewing in lower

Kinabatangan.

Enforcement and conflict mi tigation

activities stil l play a crucial role in the

conservation of the Lower

Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and

surrounding vil lagers, forest and

Figure 8. The new River Keepers Unit

Figure 9. Newspaper article highlighting the new River Keeper Unit

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plantations. In the first six months of 2013, the Honorary Wildlife Wardens engaged in 90 ground patrols, 100

river patrols and 35 events of elephant mitigation control. In May 2013, the team had to do mitigate a

potential human-wildlife conflict when the energizer (which powers the electric fence) was stolen from the

local cemetery. Elephants seem to favour the route via this cemetry and unfortunately once again disturbed

several graves which in turns is a cause of understanble distress among local community. The team protected

the graves from the elephants until a replacement energizer was obtained by the vil lage committee.

Activity 4. Develop a training platform in the Lower Kinabatangan for national and international

conservation professionals, staff of relevant government agencies, Malaysian students, project staff and local

communities (including the upgrading of the existing infrastructure)

HUTAN was asked to assist the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) to conduct a rapid biodiversity survey to

justify the State Government’s case to re-acquire 400 hectares of forest area that was to be converted to oil

palm after they were alerted to the importance of the said area by the Borneo Rhino Alliance for possible

sighting of the Sumatran Rhino which is on the verge of extinction in Sabah. The area is also a corridor

between two protected Forest Reserves, Bukit Kretam and Kulumba Wildlife Res erve. Following the results of

our findings, the State Cabinet agreed to the re-acquisition of this area for its importance of wildlife including

the Sumatran Rhino and orangutans as well. While the details of the re-acquisition is on-going, the land has

been secured for wildlife.

In 2013, Hutan was also active in several training programs for the Sabah Forestry Department, specifically

regarding monitoring techniques.

Activity 5. Environmental education programmes for school children in Sabah through the HEAP program,

with the following specific interventions:

In 2003, Hutan created a special program to address the general lack of awareness on environmental

conservation issues in the Lower Kinabatangan. In 2007, this unit was named “Hutan Environmental and

Awareness Program” (HEAP) which subsequently extended its scope to schools and communities throughout

Sabah. HEAP’s main goal is to incorporate and support Hutan’s overall mission. HEAP’s activities, including

environmental education, community awareness programmes and capacity building, aim at strengthening the

impact and effectiveness of the other Hutan units. HEAP continues its objective to bring Environmental

Education (EE) to rural communities that have the most contact and affect on the natural environment. As the

efforts intensify, HEAP has been able to have EE events in 25 schools in four different districts in Sabah for the

first six months of 2013. As a direct result, the team has interacted with 200 teachers and 3,000 students bring

the message of the importance of our natural heritage to rural communities.

Figure 10. The HEAP team at work in Kinabatangan schools.

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HEAP also involves Government partners such as the SWD and Environmental Protection Department when

possible to assist and strengthen the events. We are also part of the very active Sabah Environmental

Education Network (SEEN) and work together with other partners whenever possible to reinforce efforts and

avoid duplication of events/programmes.

The highly praised “Fishermen for Conservation” initiated by HUTAN continues to spread to other vil lagers

with HEAP being the lead coordinator. In January, the local community in Paitan adopted the sustainable

fishing traps. The official handover event was attended by the local Government officials and carried by most

Sabah newspapers (Figure 11).

Figure 11. One of the many local newspapers articles promoting environmentally sustainable management and the work by Hutan.