The Knasaimos people live surrounded by lush tropical forests. For the most part their lives have remained unaffected by the rest of the world. They live in harmony amongst the impenetrable greenery. Their survival and way of life is determined only by the continued welfare of their ancestral forest.
For two days it had rained heavily. Few of the locals along the Bahorok river in northern Sumatra showed much concern. Indonesia’s riverside communities have grown familiar with flooding during the rainy season. This time, however, things would be different. On the night of 2nd November 2003 a massive flash flood swept through and devastated settlements along the banks of the Bahorok. The epi-centre of the tragedy was a small village, the tourist resort of Bukit Lawang.
In a crowded office shaded from the stifling midday sun the local heads of community organisations sit around a long table. There is very little space, they sit pressed shoulder to shoulder or stand along the walls, while others peer in from the doorway. Despite the humidity, the room is a bubble of chatter and laughter. There is a palpable sense of confidence amongst these men and women, a feeling of communal strength and unity. One of the group bangs his fist on the table and exclaims ‘Tabang satu tanam sepuluh (for every tree cut down, we plant ten)!’ There is a chorus of approval from those around him.
Borneo contains one of the most bio-diverse rainforests on the planet. In a single 10-hectare area over 750 different species of trees can be found. The island has in total over 3,000 types of native tree (the UK has only 33), 13 species of primates including the endangered Orangutan, 222 mammals, 420 birds, 100 amphibians, 394 fish and 15,000 plant species. Scientists readily agree that these figures are at best a rough approximation. Since 1996 a further 361 species have been discovered. This unique habitat could well disappear within the next decade.