New Borneo roads will be ‘dagger to heart’ of forests

A vast programme of road and railway construction on the island of Borneo will drive a dagger into the heart of one of the world’s largest rain forests, environmental experts have warned. The plans are central to the Indonesian government’s strategy to improve the economy on the island, where many people live in poverty. But an article in Scientific Reports says that the construction will threaten the lives of endangered animals such as rhinoceroses and orangutans, cutting through 25 protected areas and making Borneo more vulnerable to poachers, loggers, and plantations.