Protecting the forests of Borneo has long been a priority for Seacology. The dense rainforests of the world’s third-largest island—which is shared by Malaysia, Indonesia, and the tiny kingdom of Brunei—provide habitat for countless species found nowhere else. These include endangered Bornean orangutans, prehistoric-looking hornbills, and the world’s smallest bear. For untold generations, people have lived among these forests, passing down their unique cultures. But both this incredible landscape and the ways of life for those who depend on it are threatened.

Oil palm plantations, logging, and huge hydroelectric dams have led to the destruction of vast swaths of Borneo’s forest. Many rural Borneo villages face intense pressure to sell off their land to these destructive industries.

But there are reasons for optimism. More and more communities are organizing to protect their traditional homes and livelihoods. Seacology is working with several of them as they develop alternative sources of energy and income, making it easier for them to stand up to the offers presented by clear-cutters and dam-builders.

Going with the flow

Small scale micro-hydroelectric turbines have played an important role in the grassroots movement for conservation and land rights in Borneo. Unlike the mega-dams that flood entire valleys and displace communities, micro-hydro systems offer clean, low-impact, decentralized energy. They harness the energy of existing streams and rivers to generate electricity on a local scale.

They also give communities ownership and control of their own energy, and are cleaner and cheaper to operate than generators that run on fossil fuel. Seacology has invested in micro-hydro systems across Malaysian Borneo for more than two decades, as part of agreements with local people that are protecting more than 21,000 acres of land and the species that inhabit it. We’ve just begun our latest micro-hydro project, at Puneng Trusan Village.

Faces of grassroots conservation

In Long Tanid, a village of indigenous Lun Bawang people in Malaysia’s Sarawak state, Seacology provided funding for local NGO TONIBUNG and international micro-hydro experts Green Empowerment, who worked with residents to quickly install the system. Local people have received extensive training on the micro-hydro’s operation and maintenance. With water now flowing through the turbine, the village has already replaced 35 loud, polluting diesel generators—avoiding the expense and pollution of roughly 8,500 gallons of fuel over the past year.