An aerial view of the Borneo rainforest in Central Kalimantan. The Dayak people are the guardians of the land, as it is part of their life and very breath. Photo credit: Eremespe.
Introduction
For centuries, the Dayak people of Borneo have been celebrated for their deep-rooted environmental wisdom, practicing sustainable land management that has allowed them to coexist harmoniously with nature. Their traditional method of shifting cultivation, refined over thousands of years, exemplifies an intricate balance between human activity and ecological preservation.
Yet in recent decades, industrial activities—particularly mining and palm oil plantations—have driven extensive deforestation across Borneo. Ironically, the Dayak have often been unfairly blamed as primary contributors to this environmental crisis.
Read The Role of Forests for Dayak Communities Around Kayan Mentarang National Park
This analysis seeks to uncover the truth behind these claims by examining the actual impact of Dayak shifting cultivation on the environment and contrasting it with the far-reaching consequences of industrial expansion.
The Dayak’s Shifting Cultivation: A Model of Sustainability
Shifting cultivation, or swidden agriculture, is a time-honored farming method practiced by the Dayak for over 10,000 years. The process involves controlled burning of small forest plots to cultivate rice, corn, and other crops. After a few growing seasons, the land is left fallow, allowing the soil to regenerate naturally while the community moves to a new plot. This rotational cycle fosters biodiversity and forest renewal, mitigating long-term environmental degradation.
Contrary to common misconceptions, research has shown that this method does not contribute significantly to deforestation. Instead, it promotes ecological balance by allowing forests to recover and sustain diverse plant and animal life. Unfortunately, shifting policies and restrictive land use regulations have hindered the Dayak’s ability to continue this practice, as governments impose tighter land controls without recognizing the sustainable nature of indigenous agriculture.
Industrial Activities: The True Drivers of Deforestation in Borneo
Unlike the regenerative cycle of shifting cultivation, large-scale industries such as mining and palm oil plantations have inflicted irreversible damage on Borneo’s forests. Industrial land clearing operations strip vast areas of primary rainforest, leading to soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and carbon emissions.
Read The Dayak's Fields: A Historical and Practical Study of Environmentally Friendly Indigenous Wisdom
Gold mining, for example, often employs hazardous chemicals like mercury, which contaminates water sources and poisons both wildlife and human communities. Studies indicate that abandoned mining sites can take 50 to 100 years to recover, if at all. Meanwhile, palm oil plantations replace biodiverse rainforests with monocultures that deplete soil nutrients and disrupt traditional water sources.
The social consequences of these industries are equally devastating. Indigenous communities, once self-sufficient, have seen their lands expropriated without consent, leading to economic displacement and cultural erosion. In many cases, Dayak lands have been seized under legal loopholes favoring corporations, exacerbating tensions between indigenous groups and industrial stakeholders.
Debunking the Myth: The Dayak as the Fall Guys of Deforestation
The narrative that paints the Dayak as key perpetrators of deforestation is both misleading and damaging. For millennia, they have maintained a symbiotic relationship with their environment, proving that humans can live sustainably within the rainforest. The large-scale deforestation witnessed today is a recent phenomenon, aligning directly with the rise of extractive industries rather than indigenous farming.
Correcting this misconception is essential in shaping fairer policies that recognize the Dayak’s role as environmental stewards rather than environmental threats. Conservation efforts must integrate indigenous knowledge rather than criminalizing traditional practices that have long supported ecological balance.
Policy Recommendations
To ensure a sustainable future for Borneo’s forests and indigenous communities, the following policy measures should be implemented:
Recognition of Indigenous Land Rights Governments must legally recognize and protect Dayak territorial rights, granting them full authority over their ancestral lands.
Support for Traditional and Agroforestry-Based Farming Incentivizing sustainable shifting cultivation and agroforestry can provide alternatives to destructive industrial agriculture.
Stronger Regulations on Industrial Deforestation Stricter enforcement of environmental laws is needed to prevent unchecked expansion of palm oil plantations and mining operations.
Environmental Education and Awareness Raising awareness among policymakers and the public about the benefits of indigenous land stewardship can shift the narrative from blame to collaboration.
Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Governments, academic institutions, indigenous groups, and NGOs must work together to develop sustainable land management strategies that respect both environmental and human rights.
Read Dr. Wilson Is Researching "Local Wisdom and the Philosophy of Beumai (Farming) Among the Iban Dayak of Sintang Regency".
The Dayak’s shifting cultivation is not the root cause of Borneo’s deforestation—it is a time-tested, sustainable practice that has preserved the rainforest for generations. The true threat lies in unregulated industrial activities that clear vast tracts of primary forest for profit. Recognizing the Dayak as guardians rather than destroyers of the rainforest is crucial for shaping fair and effective environmental policies.
Ensuring indigenous land rights and promoting sustainable land-use practices are not just ethical imperatives—they are environmental necessities. The path forward must include policies that protect both Borneo’s forests and the communities that have safeguarded them for centuries.
-- Masri Sareb Putra
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