Part 1

• Embedding Green Concept in Borneo Rosnah Abdullah Universiti Brunei Darussalam

  The conservation agreement such as The Heart of Borneo plays important role to uphold common initiatives and strategies agreed by the three countries to achieve its objectives. Transition to renewable, sustainable and green energy is desirable for decarbonisation routes potentially make great contributions to mitigate climate change. When forests are extensively cleared for infrastructure and agricultural purposes, over half of the wood generated is regarded as waste. To minimize the negative consequences and successfully use renewable energy sources, further applications must be investigated. Continuous flow hydrothermal liquefaction technology holds promise to convert biomass into renewable energy as the method has the advantage of producing environmentally friendly by-products. However, sustainable supply and conversion of biomass feedstocks remains a considerable challenge and more process optimization studies are necessary to achieve positive net energy ratios (NERs). The main focus of this session is on the usage of hydrothermal technology to extract valuable compounds from lignocellulosic materials and further encouraging the adaptation of circular bio-economy. The transition should comprise social and environmental factors, hence, environmental assessment is essential and must be put into consideration.

• Educational Initiatives for Forest Biodiversity and Conservation in the Heart of Borneo Faizah Metali Universiti Brunei Darussalam

  The Heart of Borneo represents a critical area for biodiversity and forest conservation. Educational initiatives, as the cornerstone of change, play a pivotal role in cultivating awareness and fostering a sense of stewardship among local communities and stakeholders to preserve this ecological treasure trove. The focus is on educational efforts centered around forest biodiversity and conservation within the Heart of Borneo. This scope encompasses a multifaceted approach, including environmental education and outreach programs, curriculum integration, university partnerships and collaborations, and capacity-building initiatives tailored to engage and empower individuals. These initiatives aim to instill a comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystems, the significance of biodiversity and conservation, and the threats to biodiversity. Empowerment through education and awareness equips local communities and future generations with the knowledge and practical tools needed for sustainable management practices and biodiversity conservation, creating a pathway for active participation in preserving Borneo’s status as a global ecological hub and a vital carbon sink. Additionally, we will also explore the interplay between educational initiatives and the overarching goal of maintaining Borneo as the lungs of the world, underscoring the essential role of education in shaping a sustainable future for this biodiverse island.

• The Heart of Borneo: Present and Future, Challenges and Opportunities Mohammad Affendy Arip Noraziah Abdul Wahab Rafeah Wahi Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

  Hub of Borneo (HoB) refers to the island’s central region, where lush tropical forests remain intact, containing approximately 6% of the world’s biodiversity. Spanning an area of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, it is one of Earth’s most significant remaining transboundary rainforests. The HoB is not only a precious storehouse of biodiversity; it also plays a vital role in sustaining the lives and livelihoods of at least 23 million Borneans, including the indigenous Dayak people who call the forest home.
  Industrial developments such as coal mines, oil palm plantations, electric power production and logging concessions pose significant threats to the biodiversity and ecosystems of the region. These practices also affect the region’s resilience to climate change, the value of the ecosystem goods and services used as inputs in multiple sectors of Borneo’s economy, and the survival of local communities. Furthermore, the HoB is facing challenges that have grown increasingly complex due to the relocation of Indonesia’s new capital, political tensions between the Malaysian federal government and the states of Sabah and Sarawak, and moderate diversification of economic affairs in Brunei.
  Our panel will focus on exploring the current and future challenges and opportunities facing the HoB region, and we invite contributions that address this issue through one or more of the following approaches: 1. How does economic development impact the HoB and the community residing in the region? 2. What regional and sub-regional policies are in place to safeguard the HoB’s resilience to climate change? 3. How can Borneo achieve sustainability onfood and energy security? 4. How the HoB increase the economic potential of the Indonesian archipelago sea line (ALKI II)? 5. How to maintain Borneo as the lung of the world? 6. How to encourage increased interconnectivity on Borneo Island?

Part 2

• Bioremediation to Eliminate Environmental Pollution in the New Capital City of Nusantara Merry Krisdawati Sipahutar Balikpapan University

  Indonesia is currently calling for the transfer of the country’s capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan Island, called the New Capital City of Nusantara. This condition poses a serious challenge to the country’s development from various angles, including from an environmental perspective. Indonesia as an archipelagic country is not immune from environmental damage. The negative impact that can arise with the relocation of the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia is pollution of land, rivers, waterways, wells and seas is increasing on the island of Borneo due to increasing urban. These environmental problems have a significant impact on people’s quality of life and must be addressed. Bioremediation has enormous promise, with major accomplishments previously reported from around the world. The term bioremediation describes biological machinery of recycling wastes to make them harmless and useful to some extent. Bioremediation is the most proficient tool to manage the polluted environment and recover contaminated river and land. Bioremediation is very much involved in the degradation, eradication, restriction, or reclamation varied chemical and physical hazardous substances from the nearby with the action of all-inclusive microorganisms. At present, several methods and approaches like bio stimulation, bio augmentation, and monitoring natural recovery are common and functional in different sites around the world for treating contaminated river water and land.

• The New Capital in the HoB: increasing economic potential or degrading the environment (A case study of the region around Indonesian archipelago sea lines ALKI II]) Mohamad Nasir Universitas Balikpapan

  The relocation of Indonesia’s new capital (IKN) from Jakarta to East Kalimantan is one of the most significant developments in HoB. As a result, tremendous infrastructure development will require many raw materials, such as stone and gravel, most of which are imported from Central Sulawesi, especially Palu City and Donggala Regency. This paper examines the impact of the development of the new capital (IKN) on the economy and environment of the regions around ALKI II. We consider Palu City and Donggala Regency in Central Sulawesi as a study site because IKN development has undeniably resulted in intense rock mining on a large scale in the Palu City and Donggala Regency areas. This mining activity not only has an economic impact but also has the potential to cause massive ecological damage in these two regions.

• Developing the Green Forest City in the New Capital of Indonesia, Problems and Prospect Andi Muhammad Isradi Zainal Balikpapan University

  Nusantara is the new capital city of Indonesia. There are three (3) vision of Nusantara Capital City such as World class city for all, national identity symbol, and the center economic empowerment in the future. Based on the vision, there are some mission namely Forest, Green, smart, and sustainable city. Forest city is the embodiment of the concept of a sustainable city by maintaining, managing and restoring forest ecosystems, as a nature-based solution. The aim of this research is to evaluate the step carryout by the government to achieve the capital as forest city. According to key performance indicator of the new capital, there are about 75% as the green city (65% forest, 10% food production) and only 25% as urban area. Methods used in this research based on regulation provided by the government, field study and interview. Problems found in this research is that still many people considered that the new capital will destroy the forest, but based on our research and observation, the prospect to make the Green forest city in the new capital, can be achieved.

Abstract