The Empty Promises of Sustainable Forest Management In Sarawak

Many Penan and Kenyah communities from the Baram Peace Park up in Northern Sarawak, are rejecting logging in their ancestral lands, whether certified as sustainable or not. From their experience, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) -  a crucial component for all companies who are aiming for sustainable and ethical supply chains - has not been upheld time and again. In the Baram Peace Park, local communities who oppose logging have to fight really hard to protect their territories and rights on a daily basis. While not opposing development, the communities are calling for development that actually protects the forests and their local cultures, instead of destroying them. What has the experience been for these communities, throughout the years? Ahead of International Day of Forests, we speak to Celine Lim, the Managing Director of SAVE Rivers, to discuss how and why local communities in the Upper Baram Forest Area are fighting to protect the forests there.