Borneo Program Pays Locals for Wildlife Data

In Kapuas Hulu district, Indonesia, Borneo Futures launched KehatiKu, a program paying residents for verified sightings of local wildlife. Biologist Erik Meijaard conceived the program after observing inefficiencies in traditional conservation efforts, including roughly $1 billion spent on orangutan conservation from 2000 to 2019 with about 100,000 orangutans lost.

The program currently operates in nine villages with over 800 observers. Participants use a free app to submit photos, videos, or audio of animal sightings, receiving payments ranging from $0.29 for common birds to $5.84 for an orangutan. Borneo Futures distributes about $5,840 monthly in cash payments.

Observers can earn up to $292 monthly, supplementing or replacing income averaging $117 to $175. Some villages are now actively banning hunting and trapping, driven by the program’s economic incentives.

However, maintaining long-term engagement and scaling the program present challenges, especially verifying observations and securing sustained funding. Borneo Futures hopes to make the data publicly accessible if communities agree.