David Gaveau, Douglas Sheil, Mohammad Salim, Husnayaen, Erik Meijaard
ASSOCIATION FOR TROPICAL BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Montpellier, France 19-23 June 2016
FOUR DECADES OF FOREST DEGRADATION:
FIRE AND OIL PALM EXPANSION IN BORNEO

Maritime Continent forms the largest rainy area on Earth, the largest
generator and redistributor of water vapor into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Some rain received by northern latitudes in distant locations comes from
this region  The third largest area of tropical rainforests in the world,
enhancing rainfall, storing carbon, cooling Earth’s surface and providing
habitat for wildlife
Precipitation reported by TRMM satellite, Spracklen et al. 2012

Maritime Continent forms the largest rainy area on Earth, the
largest generator and redistributor of water vapor into the Earth’s
atmosphere.
The third largest area of tropical rainforests in the world,
enhancing rainfall, storing carbon, cooling Earth’s surface and
providing habitat for wildlife
Precipitation reported by TRMM satellite, Spracklen et al. 2012
BORNEO
DESPITE THE RAINFALL, MEGA FOREST FIRES REGULARLY
OCCURRED IN THIS REGION

In 2015, an El-Nino year, CO2 emitted by (mainly) land fires: 889 Tg
25% of emissions in 1997; equiv. 3 months of emissions by EU28
Corresponding carbon emissions: 289 Tg
Associated C02-eq: 1.2 Pg Huijnen, Wooster, Kaiser. Gaveau et al.
Scientific Reports2016

1973
Created with Landsat MSS
Gaveau et al. PlosOne 2014
76% (55.8 Mha) of Borneo
old-growth rainforest

Gaveau et al. 2014
And the era of industrial-scale
extractive industries began……………
1973
76% (55.8 Mha) of Borneo
old-growth rainforest

Gaveau et al. 2014
And the era of industrial-scale
extractive industries began……………
First came selective logging
and the creation of road
Networks in forest, >270,000 km
1973
76% (55.8 Mha) of Borneo
old-growth rainforest

Gaveau et al. 2014
And the era of industrial-scale
extractive industries began……………
First selective logging
1973
76% (55.8 Mha) of Borneo
old-growth rainforest
1970s: LOGGING
Intact forests
Selectively logged forests

1980s: LOGGING, FIRE & PLANTATIONS
Indus. Plantations (oilpalm&pulpwood)
Intact forests
Forests degraded by ENSO fires
Selectively logged forests

1990s: LOGGING, FIRE&PLANTATIONS
Indus. Plantations (oilpalm&pulpwood)
Intact forests
Forests degraded by ENSO fires
Selectively logged forests

2000-2015: LOGGING, FIRE & PLANTATIONS
Gaveau et al. in review
Indus. Plantations (oilpalm&pulpwood)
Intact forests
Forests degraded by ENSO fires
Selectively logged forests

2000-2015: LOGGING, FIRE & PLANTATIONS
Gaveau et al. in review
Indus. Plantations (oilpalm&pulpwood)
Intact forests
Forests degraded by ENSO fires
Selectively logged forests

1990-2000: LOGGING, FIRE&PLANTATIONS
Gaveau et al. 2014
Indus. Plantations (oilpalm&pulpwood)
Intact forests
Forests degraded by ENSO fires
Selectively logged forests

1990-2000: LOGGING, FIRE&PLANTATIONS
Gaveau et al. 2014
Indus. Plantations (oilpalm&pulpwood)
Intact forests
Forests degraded by ENSO fires
Selectively logged forests

Gaveau et al. 2014
Annual Rainfall

1973
Created with Landsat MSS
Gaveau et al. PlosOne 2014
76% (55.8 Mha) of Borneo
rainforest

Gaveau et al. in review
2015
50% (37.3 Mha) rainforest remain
- 28% intact
- 22% logged
18.6 Mha lost

2000-2013: LOGGING, FIRE & PLANTATIONS
7 Mha burned (shrubs) 1 Mha indus. Pulpwood
18.6 Mha deforested
1973-2015
6 Mha indus. Oil Palm
0.2 Mha Mining 0.1 Mha Hydro. Dam4.4 Mha small&mid agri
37% 32% 5%
1% 0.5%25%

DEFORESTATION AND OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT

DEFORESTATION AND OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT
Industrial oil palm expanded by 8 Mha since 1973,
of which 6 Mha were old-growth forest in 1973

DEFORESTATION AND OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT
New plantations can either replace natural forests or avoid
deforestation by planting on previously cleared lands. The
extent of these two situations is contested
• NGOs identify industrial oil-palm plantations as the main
driver of deforestation on Borneo.
• Various industry and government representatives dispute
that oil-palm plantations cause deforestation and
highlight that plantations are a reasonable use of already
deforested and degraded abandoned lands.
We now look at Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo, the two
largest producers of oil Palm with >80% of global share.
Though locally present for centuries12, forest fires have become a large-scale cause of forest degradation and loss since the El Niño droughts of 19839

AreainMillionha(Mha)
5
4
3
2
1
0
Indonesian Borneo
Malaysian Borneo

AreainMillionha(Mha)
5
4
3
2
1
0
Indonesian Borneo
Malaysian Borneo

AreainMillionha(Mha)
5
4
3
2
1
0
3.3Mha
Indonesian Borneo
Malaysian Borneo

AreainMillionha(Mha)
5
4
3
2
1
0
Indonesian Borneo
Malaysian Borneo
>15yr
>5yr>10yr
1.5Mha

AreainMillionha(Mha)
5
4
3
2
1
0
Indonesian Borneo
Malaysian Borneo
>5yr
>10yr
>15yr
>20yr
>5yr>10yr
>15yr
1.5Mha
0.9Mha

Indonesian Borneo Malaysian Borneo3
2
1
0
0.5
1.5
2.5
AreainMillionha(Mha)
In Indonesian Borneo, a larger share of oil-palm plantations were developed on
lands cleared before 1973 and on degraded lands (predominantly forests
converted to scrublands by drought and recurrent burning)

56% 54%
34%
36%
Indonesian Borneo Malaysian Borneo
17% 16%
28%
17%
33%
23%
PROPORTION OF OIL PALM ESTABLISHED ON ALREADY CLEARED LANDS

46% 43%
14%
4%
Indonesian Borneo Malaysian Borneo
50%
38%
57%
51%
ROLE OF OIL PALM IN TOTAL DEFORESTATION

CONCLUSION
The oil-palm plantation industry is the principle driver of the
loss of old-growth forest in Malaysian Borneo, as 50-52%
of all deforestation over four decades was associated with
rapid conversion (within five years of forest clearance) to
industrial plantations.
In Indonesian Borneo, only 11–13% of all deforestation in
Kalimantan was associated with rapid conversion to
industrial oil palm as the majority of oil-palm plantations
were developed on lands cleared before 1973 and on
degraded lands (predominantly forests converted to
scrublands by drought and recurrent burning
Though locally present for centuries12, forest fires have become a large-scale cause of forest degradation and loss since the El Niño droughts of 19839

CONCLUSION
• Indonesian Borneo has experienced a steep increase in
rapid conversion to oil palm since 2005, and became the
principle contributor of rapid net forest conversion by
area with 1 Mha of old-growth and selectively logged
forest lost to oil palm over the last 10 years.
• The recent oil palm expansion involves many land fires
that emitted enormous amounts of smoke into the
atmosphere and caused much damage to the health of
local people.
• Locally present for centuries, forest fires have become
the largest cause of forest loss in Borneo since the El
Niño droughts of 1983. Forests felt cycles of repeated
burns. Such cycles have converted 6.6 million hectares
of old-growth and selectively logged forest to scrublands,
mainly in Indonesian Borneo

CONCLUSION
Though locally present for centuries, forest fires have
become the largest cause of forest loss in Borneo since the
El Niño droughts of 1983. Once the forest has burned, the
increased risk of subsequent fires leads many forests to
cycles of repeated burns. Such cycles have converted 6.6
million hectares of old-growth and selectively logged forest
to scrublands, mainly in Indonesian Borneo, with some
subsequent conversion to oil palm for some.
Should remaining degraded lands be replanted with native
vegetation or Plantations?
Do deforestation and fires in Indonesia reduce rainfall over
land ?
Though locally present for centuries12, forest fires have become a large-scale cause of forest degradation and loss since the El Niño droughts of 19839

THANK YOU
cifor.org
blog.cifor.org
ForestsTreesAgroforestry.org