Erik Meijaard

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Erik Meijaard
Erik Meijaard.jpg
Born (1967-05-22) May 22, 1967 (age 57)
NationalityDutch
Alma mater Wageningen University and Research
University of Amsterdam
Australian National University
Occupation(s)Conservation Scientist and Practitioner
Years active1992-present
Scientific career
Fields Conservation biology, taxonomy, tropical ecology, forest management, genetics, biodiversity
Institutions University of Queensland
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology
University of Amsterdam
Website https://www.borneofutures.org/

Erik Meijaard (born May 22, 1967) is a Dutch conservation scientist and practitioner. [1] [2] He holds a research fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam. [3] He currently serves as the managing director of Borneo Futures. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Education

Meijaard received a Bachelor of Science in environmental sciences from Wageningen Agricultural University in 1986, followed by a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Amsterdam in 1990. He later completed a Master of Science in tropical ecology at Wageningen Agricultural University in 1994, and obtained his PhD in biological anthropology at Australian National University in 2004, conducting research in Baluran National Park in East Java. [6] [7] [8]

Career

In 1990's, Meijaard served as an ecologist at the Tropenbos Kalimantan Project in Indonesia, studying mammal distribution, investigating wildlife trade, and aiding in wildlife confiscations of illegally kept wild animals. [9] He planned and led conservation projects in Indonesia focused on preserving forests, coral reefs, and endangered species.

From June 2002 to May 2004, Meijaard served as a consultant at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia. [10] [11] [12]

He chaired the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Wild Pig Specialist Group and edited its newsletter Suiform Soundings (2002–2007), also co-chairing the IUCN Oil Crops Task Force. [13] [5] [14] [15]

Meijaard served as lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy's Indonesia Program, including work on projects like the Orangutan Conservation Support Program (OCSP) Borneo, from 2004 to 2009. [16] [9]

Meijaard held an adjunct professorship at the University of Queensland from 2014 to 2023 and is currently a Honorary Professor at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology. [7] [5] [17] [15] [18]

He served as a visiting professor at Charles University’s Faculty of Science last semester, where he taught Ph.D. students. [19] [20]

Research interests

Meijaard's research identified the new species Pongo tapanuliensis (orangutan) and Tragulus versicolor (Silver-backed Chevrotain or Vietnam Mousedeer), contributing to mammalian taxonomy and understanding behaviour. [21] [22] [23] [24] He highlights the importance of tackling unsustainable killing as a driver of population decline in orangutans and the species' ecological resilience in logged areas. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]

In 2024, Meijaard reported a notable decrease in Southeast Asian pig species due to African swine pathogen. [30] [31]

Meijaard has published over 300 peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to over 125 newspaper articles. [7] [32] [33]

Awards and recognition

Meijaard received the "Mahathir Science Award" and the "Victor E. Shelford Award" for conservation. [34] [35]

Controversy

In 2020, Meijaard's contribution to a publication in Current Biology comparing the environmental impacts of coconut oil to palm oil raised questions about potential conflicts of interest due to his connections to the palm oil industry. [26] [36] [37] [13] [38] [39] Despite criticisms, he maintained that palm oil's economic importance, economic development, and addressing food security are vital. [40] [41] [42] [14] [30]

In 2022, Meijaard clashed with the Indonesian government over his opinion piece in the Jakarta Post , disputing claims made by the Environment Minister regarding orangutan populations. [43] [44] [45] This led to his ban from Indonesian nature parks, limiting his research opportunities. [46] [47] These incidents initiated debates on scientific integrity and freedom of expression within environmental discourse. [48] [49]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orangutan</span> Genus of Asian apes

Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus Pongo, orangutans were originally considered to be one species. From 1996, they were divided into two species: the Bornean orangutan and the Sumatran orangutan. A third species, the Tapanuli orangutan, was identified definitively in 2017. The orangutans are the only surviving species of the subfamily Ponginae, which diverged genetically from the other hominids between 19.3 and 15.7 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm oil</span> Edible vegetable oil from fruit of oil palms

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from oil crops in 2014. Palm oils are easier to stabilize and maintain quality of flavor and consistency in ultra-processed foods, so they are frequently favored by food manufacturers. Globally, humans consumed an average of 7.7 kg (17 lb) of palm oil per person in 2015. Demand has also increased for other uses, such as cosmetics and biofuels, encouraging the growth of palm oil plantations in tropical countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun bear</span> Bear from tropical forests of Southeast Asia

The sun bear is a species in the family Ursidae occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear species, standing nearly 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder and weighing 25–65 kg (55–143 lb). It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small, rounded ears and a short snout. The fur is generally short and jet black, but can vary from grey to red. The sun bear gets its name from its characteristic orange to cream-coloured chest patch. Its unique morphology—inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, powerful forelimbs with large claws—suggests adaptations for climbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ponginae</span> Orangutan subfamily of apes

Ponginae, also known as the Asian hominids, is a subfamily in the family Hominidae. Once a diverse lineage of Eurasian apes, the subfamily has only one extant genus, Pongo (orangutans), which contains three extant species; the Sumatran orangutan, the Tapanuli orangutan and the Bornean orangutan. All three species are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peat swamp forest</span> Tropical moist forests where waterlogged soil prevents dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing

Peat swamp forests are tropical moist forests where waterlogged soil prevents dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing. Over time, this creates a thick layer of acidic peat. Large areas of these forests are being logged at high rates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumatran orangutan</span> Species of ape

The Sumatran orangutan is one of the three species of orangutans. Critically endangered, and found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recently identified Tapanuli orangutan, also found in Sumatra. Its common name is based on two separate local words, "orang" and "hutan" ("forest"), derived from Malay, and translates as 'person of the forest'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo peat swamp forests</span> Ecoregion in Borneo

The Borneo peat swamp forests ecoregion, within the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, are on the island of Borneo, which is divided between Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bornean orangutan</span> Species of ape

The Bornean orangutan is a species of orangutan endemic to the island of Borneo. Together with the Sumatran orangutan and Tapanuli orangutan, it belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia. It is the largest of the three species of orangutans. Like the other great apes, orangutans are highly intelligent, displaying tool use and distinct cultural patterns in the wild. Orangutans share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans. Also called mias by the local population, the Bornean orangutan is a critically endangered species, with deforestation, palm oil plantations, and hunting posing a serious threat to its continued existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of Indonesia</span> Native animals of Indonesia

The fauna of Indonesia is characterised by high levels of biodiversity and endemicity due to its distribution over a vast tropical archipelago. Indonesia divides into two ecological regions; western Indonesia which is more influenced by Asian fauna, and the east which is more influenced by Australasian species.

The gray tree rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. only species in the genus Lenothrix. It is found in forests in Indonesia and Malaysia. A common species, the IUCN has rated it as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo Orangutan Survival</span> Non-profit orangutan conservation foundation

The Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit non-governmental organization founded by Dr. Willie Smits in 1991 and dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Bornean orangutan and its habitat through the involvement of local people. It is audited by an external auditor company and operates under the formal agreement with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry to conserve and rehabilitate orangutans. The BOS Foundation manages orangutan rescue, rehabilitation and re-introduction programmes in East and Central Kalimantan. With more than 400 orangutans in its care and employing more than 440 people at a 10 sites BOS Foundation is the biggest non-human primate conservation non-governmental organization worldwide. Nyaru Menteng and Samboja Lestari are the BOS Foundation sites that have received most extensive media coverage. Nyaru Menteng, founded by Lone Drøscher Nielsen, has been the subject of a number of TV series, including Orangutan Diary, Orangutan Island and the series Orangutan Jungle School, airing since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social and environmental impact of palm oil</span> Discussion of impact

Palm oil, produced from the oil palm, is a basic source of income for many farmers in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. It is locally used as cooking oil, exported for use in much commercial food and personal care products and is converted into biofuel. It produces up to 10 times more oil per unit area than soybeans, rapeseed or sunflowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil</span> Agreement on palm oil supply

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was established in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products through global standards and multistakeholder governance. The seat of the association is in Zürich, Switzerland, while the secretariat is currently based in Kuala Lumpur, with a satellite office in Jakarta. RSPO currently has 5,650 members from 94 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Smits</span>

Willie Smits is a trained forester, a microbiologist, conservationist, animal welfare activist, wilderness engineer and social entrepreneur. He has lived in Indonesia since 1985 and is an Indonesian citizen. He is married to Adrienne C. Watson since March 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in Borneo</span> Deforestation

Deforestation in Borneo has taken place on an industrial scale since the 1960s. Borneo, the third largest island in the world, divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, was once covered by dense tropical and subtropical rainforests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samboja Lestari</span>

Samboja Lestari is a Bornean orangutan rescue and rehabilitation centre, tropical rainforest restoration project, sun bear sanctuary, and eco-lodge located in the district of Samboja in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, owned and operated by the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation. According to its founder, Willie Smits, Samboja Lestari uses the principles of People, Planet, Profit, attempting to provide incomes for local people using conservation. It is located about 38 kilometres from Balikpapan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm oil production in Indonesia</span>

Palm oil production is important to the economy of Indonesia as the country is the world's biggest producer and consumer of the commodity, providing about half of the world's supply. In 2016, Indonesia produced over 34.6 million metric tons of palm oil, and exported 25.1 million metric tons of it. Oil palm plantations stretch across at least 12 million hectares. There are several different types of plantations, including small, privately owned plantations, and larger, state-owned plantations. There are a variety of health, environmental, and societal impacts that result from the production of palm oil in Indonesia. A recent publication by the NGO Rainforest Action Network (RAN) indicates that the use of palm oil by some of the biggest chocolate and snacks' producers is increasing this problem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tapanuli orangutan</span> Species of ape

The Tapanuli orangutan is a species of orangutan restricted to South Tapanuli in the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It is one of three known species of orangutan, alongside the Sumatran orangutan, found farther northwest on the island, and the Bornean orangutan. It was described as a distinct species in 2017. As of 2018, there are roughly 800 individuals of this species and it is currently on the critically endangered species list.

PT Agro Bukit is a palm oil company from Indonesia. Its headquarters is in Sampit, Central Kalimantan. It is a subsidiary of Goodhope Asia Holdings Ltd, part of Sri Lankan conglomerate Carson Cumberbatch. It is or used to be active in South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. In 2012, the government of East Kotawaringin Regency in Central Kalimantan has told the company to temporarily halt part of its operations for allegedly violating its concession permit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endangerment of orangutans</span>

There are three species of orangutan. The Bornean orangutan, the most common, can be found in Kalimantan, Indonesia and Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia. The Sumatran orangutan and the Tapanuli orangutan are both only found in Sumatra, Indonesia. The conservation status of all three of these species is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. 

References

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  3. 1 2 Amsterdam, Universiteit van (2023-09-04). "Citizen-science based biodiversity monitoring in tropical wildlife conservation - Institute for Advanced Study IAS". UvA Institute for Advanced Studies - University of Amsterdam. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
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  6. Meijaard, Erik (2004). "Solving Mammalian Riddles : A reconstruction of the Tertiary and Quaternary distribution of mammals and their palaeoenvironments in island South-East Asia". OPEN RESEARCH Library. doi:10.25911/5d7a2b1dde1ff.
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  12. E., Meijaard; R., Achdiawan; M., Wan; A., Taber (2014). Rattan: The decline of a once-important non-timber forest product in Indonesia. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). doi:10.17528/cifor/004484.
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