HoB is well known globally for its biodiversity richness, providing habitats to 10 endemic species of primates, more than 350 species of birds, 150 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 10,000 species of plants. From 2007 to 2010, a total of 123 new species have been recorded in the region. This inspired the World Wild Fund for Nature to initiate the Heart of Borneo agreement to protect a 220,000 km² forested region on Borneo Island. The agreement was signed by the governments of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia in Bali on 12 February 2007. There are more than 1,100,000 hectares of coal concessions within the HoB, indicating the potential impacts and environmental degradations in this area. Figure 1. The location of Bharinto. The Company Philosophy At Banpu, a sustainable development policy has been established together with an environmental policy and corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy for balancing the company’s long term growth and social responsibility. The company realized that coal mines temporarily occupy very large areas for excavating coal. Consequently, there are potential risks from environmental degradation and consequent impacts to surrounding communities. The fundamental principles of Banpu’s environmental policy are conserving natural resources, minimizing the negative effects, and enhancing the environmental quality whenever reasonably practicable. The company strives to protect natural habitats and biodiversity in its concession areas by carrying out detailed site assessments. Although open-pit mining operations require the removal of the forest habitat, long term impacts can be minimized through careful and thorough pre-project assessments and post-project site rehabilitation. Adequate management plans for the rehabilitation will include provisions for pre-mining assessments, storage of sediment and top soils during mining activities, strategies to remove soil with minimal disturbance, and replanting the area to encourage natural regeneration. In the meantime, the company has established a community development policy which seeks to understand the host communities’ needs and develop an effective community development programme that focuses on active participation of the community members. The programme aims to improve the quality of lives for the surrounding communities. ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY 53
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
To see the actual publication please follow the link above