The conservation of tropical forest as a public good requires
cooperation on several levels: between industrialised and developing countries
and between local players interested in a forest resource. Switzerland participates
actively in the development of solutions aimed at achieving cooperation between
the indigenous population, commercial forestry enterprises and forest authorities.
This should make it possible to conserve and regenerate the basic means of existence
of the indigenous communities in these regions by economically and ecologically
acceptable means.
This ITTO project facilitated the creation of the Pulong Tau National Park in
the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is therefore contributing to the conservation
of the last remaining natural mountain forests in northern Borneo and to the
improvement of the living conditions of the indigenous communities including
the Penan, the Kelabit and the Lun Bawang. The project promotes measures to
protect biodiversity and initiatives to encourage the development of the local
communities, both socially and economically, inter alia by promoting trade in
forest products from the buffer zones of the National Park. Efforts are being
made to extend the existing core zone of the park. This would not only enable
the Pulong Tau National Park to be linked to the Kayan Mentarang National Park
in neighbouring Indonesia, but also protect the Batu Lawi forest area, which
is one of the central settlement areas of the Penan communities.
