Background
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| Kinabatangan floodplain (photo credit: WWF-Malaysia) |
The Kinabatangan is the longest river in Sabah flowing from East to West. It has been the site of tremendous landscape change, from large scale logging in the 1960’s to the heart of oil palm production from the 1980’s onwards. As a result of its mega-biodiversity, it has also become the focal point for conservation interests.
Project RiLeaf is an initiative by Nestlé to try to create a landscape where people, nature and agriculture (oil palm), are united by their common source of vitality - water - and to demonstrate that mutual co-existence is possible for all stakeholders.
Riparian Reforestation
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| Villagers sending seedlings to riparian sites |
A primary focus will be on the riparian reforestation of the Lower Kinabatangan. Operations are strung along a 110km zone of the Lower Kinabatangan, aiming to achieve forest connectivity, as well as minimise water pollution from sedimentation and agricultural run-offs, by the restoration of a ‘green’ buffer zone – in effect to provide “RiLeaf” such that the river has a better chance to repair itself.
Riparian reforestation is done by actively involving local community within the area to supply forest tree seedlings and provide services for their plantings as well, and actual works have already started since mid-2011. RiLeaf’s target is to restore 2400has over a 3-year period until end 2014.
Oil Palm Sustainability Engagement
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| Hj Amsain, satisfied smallholder so far! |
Oil Palm Sustainability engagement of RiLeaf seeks to reduce environmental impact of oil palm plantings through minimisation of chemical fertilizers via a “back-to-nature” soils amendment approach, as well as “back-to-basic” Good Agricultural Practices, and will involve technical trials and piloting field test plots focusing on such. Positive findings, if any, will be freely shared with oil palm growers.
