# https://borneofutures.org


## Posts

- [Meet the Scientist: Azizi](https://borneofutures.org/meet-the-scientist-azizi/): Meet the Scientist Azizi ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures – who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. The voices of young and junior scientists are often lost in a sector often dominated by big names and institutions. This series aims to give back the voice to the changemakers of tomorrow and showcase the hard
- [Citizen Science Origins](https://borneofutures.org/citizen-science-origins/): Blog Citizen Science Origins Borneo Futures Director, Erik Meijaard, has long been working on the idea of using citizen science to better inform adaptive biodiversity management. It all started in 2005 when, on a routine visit to train biodiversity experts at a timber concession, Erik realised that those who truly knew where and what the species were were not the experts, but the staff on the ground spending day in and day out in the forests. This observation sparked a simple but powerful question: Why does so much of this knowledge go unrecorded, and how could we develop systems to collect
- [From Learning to Leadership: Safwanah’s Experience on the ASEAN-Australia Centre’s Emerging Leaders Program](https://borneofutures.org/from-learning-to-leadership-safwanahs-experience-on-the-asean-australia-centres-emerging-leaders-program/): Blog From Learning to Leadership: Safwanah’s Experience on the ASEAN-Australia Centre’s Emerging Leaders Program The ASEAN-Australia Centre’s Emerging Leaders Program and Short Courses bring together early-to-mid-career professionals from ASEAN, Timor-Leste and Australia to strengthen leadership, strategic thinking and regional networks in key sectors like the digital economy and sustainable agriculture. Over three months, participants take part in virtual workshops and a one-week in-person program in Australia. The course blends practical learning, cultural exchange and engagement with experts, culminating in a return-to-work plan to help drive positive change in their fields and communities. She extends her gratitude to the ASEAN-Australia Centre,
- [Meet the Scientist: Muiz](https://borneofutures.org/meet-the-scientist-muiz/): Meet the Scientist Muiz ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures – who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. The voices of young and junior scientists are often lost in a sector often dominated by big names and institutions. This series aims to give back the voice to the changemakers of tomorrow and showcase the hard
- [Brunei's First Licensed HCV/HCS Assessor Leads the Way in Conservation](https://borneofutures.org/bruneis-first-licensed-hcv-hcs-assessor-leads-the-way-in-conservation/): Blog Brunei’s First Licensed HCV/HCS Assessor Leads the Way in Conservation In December of this year, Syazwan Omar, known as “Wano,” achieved a major milestone by passing his final assessment for a High Conservation Value and High Carbon Stock (HCV/HCS) course. Wano is a graduate of Universiti Brunei Darussalam and holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master of Science in Geoscience from the institution. Passing his final assessment makes Wano the first provisionally licensed HCV/HCS assessor in Brunei Darussalam. HCV assessments have been used for the past two decades to identify and protect areas with high conservation value from land
- [Meet the Scientist: Safwanah](https://borneofutures.org/meet-the-scientist-safwanah/): Meet the Scientist Safwanah ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures – who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. The voices of young and junior scientists are often lost in a sector often dominated by big names and institutions. This series aims to give back the voice to the changemakers of tomorrow and showcase the hard
- [Meet the Scientist: Wano](https://borneofutures.org/meet-the-scientist-wano/): Meet the Scientist Wano ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures – who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. The voices of young and junior scientists are often lost in a sector often dominated by big names and institutions. This series aims to give back the voice to the changemakers of tomorrow and showcase the hard
- [Meet the Scientist: Thina](https://borneofutures.org/meet-the-scientist-thina/): Meet the Scientist Thina ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures ‘Meet the Scientist’ is a short feature series in which we get to know the people behind the work done at Borneo Futures – who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. The voices of young and junior scientists are often lost in a sector often dominated by big names and institutions. This series aims to give back the voice to the changemakers of tomorrow and showcase the hard

## Pages

- [Zafiqa Bahrin Bio](https://borneofutures.org/zafiqa-bahrin-bio/): Zafiqa Bahrin AI model Research & Development Interns BSc Cybersecurity and Forensics 📍 Brunei Darussalam Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Zafiqa is an undergraduate student in Cybersecurity and Forensics at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, currently completing an internship as an AI developer at Borneo Futures, where she supports the building and deployment of Google’s PERCH v2 model for bird species detection systems. Her work contributes to the development of AI-driven approaches for analysing bioacoustics data to support bird monitoring initiatives.   Her core responsibilities include researching and developing AI models, the prototype Google Perch 2 audio-based species verification platform,
- [Afifah Alifuddin Bio](https://borneofutures.org/afifah-alifuddin-bio/): Afifah Alifuddin AI model Research & Development Interns BSc Data Science 📍 Brunei Darussalam Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Afifah is an undergraduate student in Data Science at Universiti Brunei Darussalam and is currently completing an internship as an AI developer at Borneo Futures, working on the building and deployment of Google’s PERCH v2 model for bird species detection systems. Her role involves supporting the implementation of AI-based tools for automated bird identification using bioacoustics data as part of biodiversity monitoring efforts. Within this, she develops Python scripts for audio dataset preparation and filtering, evaluates, tests and conducts
- [Amir Alimin Bio](https://borneofutures.org/amir-alimin-bio/): Amir Alimin Biodiversity Research Intern BSc Biology 📍 Brunei Darussalam   Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Species identification, data review and visualization, reporting, media design and graphics   Amir is an intern at Borneo Futures whose primary responsibilities are the verification of wildlife and botanical observations, and species identification using field guides and literature. Within this, he supports botanical data review and validation.   Amir is also involved in developing communications materials, including graphics and summaries for reporting purposes, and design elements for social media, newsletters and the Company website.
- [Contact us](https://borneofutures.org/contact-us/): Contact Us Your name Your email Subject Your message
- [Hazim Rahmani Bio](https://borneofutures.org/hazim-rahmani/): Hazim Rahmani Biodiversity Research Intern BSc Biology 📍 Brunei Darussalam   Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Hazim is an intern at Borneo Futures, focusing on biodiversity research. His core responsibilities include wildlife data verification, botanical data support, data visualization and reporting, and training.   He is also a key member of the design team, working on developing content for social media and the Borneo Futures website, as well as supporting community communications for our KehatiKu citizen science programme.
- [Azizi Sabri Bio](https://borneofutures.org/azizi-sabri/): Azizi Sabri Lead Application Developer HND 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Azizi joined the team in 2025 as the lead application developer for our novel citizen science-based programmes. Outside of application development, Azizi is an integral team player at Borneo Futures – helping to improve processes at all levels of the company and across projects. His core responsibilities are leading the design, development and maintenance of Borneo Futures’ core application platforms supporting citizen science and biodiversity monitoring programs. Within this, he builds the offline-first mobile applications for field data collection in remote and low-connectivity
- [Partners & Clients](https://borneofutures.org/partners-clients/): Partners & Clients Who we work with Our Funders Our Clients Clients who have used our services
- [Hafiz Norajame Bio](https://borneofutures.org/hafiz-norajame/): Hafiz Norajame Biostatistician MSc Statistics, BSc Mathematics 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Hafiz is a biostatistician at Borneo Futures taking responsibility for data cleaning and statistical modeling for wildlife observation datasets, providing statistical support for cizien science projects, and preparing monthly wildlife indices and supporting the development of a real-time automated monitoring system. He also collaborates with the IT and Data teams to streamline data collection and analysis pipelines and engages with external statisticians to discuss analyses and statistical approaches.
- [Imam Mujiono Bio](https://borneofutures.org/imam-mujiono/): Imam Mujiono Citizen Science Projects Coordinator Indonesia BSc Forestry 📍 Indonesia LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia Expertise Imam coordinates the implementation of our citizen science projects in Indonesia. He is currently involved in community engagement and training for new citizen scientists, both from voluntary communities as well as companies who are utilizing citizen science as part of their sustainability strategy. Imam’s background is in forest management, conservation and biodiversity. He has worked as a surveyor, conservation staff, auditor for HCV/HCS assessments and sustainability compliance, and has conducted conservation risk assessments. These experience allow him to adequately support
- [Syahmi Zaini Bio](https://borneofutures.org/syahmi-zaini/): Syahmi Zaini Senior IT Analyst BSc Computer Science 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Syahmi specializes in website development, database management, and programming. He excels in navigating both front-end and back-end systems, providing technical solutions, and supporting IT operations through his collaborative approach. His core responsibilites at Borneo Futures are to develop and maintain the organization’s website, ensuring optimal functionality and user experience; and designing, developing and maintaining interactive dashboards for data visualization and analysis. He also contributes to the development of our citizen science verification system, where he implements the clustering algorithms and AI-based
- [Syafiie Sueif Bio](https://borneofutures.org/syafiie-sueif/): Syafiie Sueif Biodiversity Research Officer BSc Biology 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia Expertise Syafiie’s background in environmental and life sciences supports ecological research, conservation, and sustainable development. His experience includes field surveys, interdisciplinary collaboration, and addressing ecological challenges. At Borneo Futures, Syafiie supports biodiversity data management, including data cleaning, QA/QC, standardisation of species and location records, and dataset maintenance. He also works to develop and refine verification workflows for citizen-science observations, including clustering and expert review pipelines, and supports AI-assisted species identification trials (e.g. acoustic detection workflows) to scale biodiversity monitoring.   Other responsibilities
- [Bazilah Fakhri Bio](https://borneofutures.org/bazilah-fakhri/): Bazilah Fakhri Biodiversity Research Apprentice BSc Biology 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise With a background in biology and environmental advocacy, having participated in international youth programmes, such as the YSEALI Academic Fellowship, ASEAN Young Climate Leaders Programme, and the ASEAN-China-India Youth Leadership Summit, Bazilah plays an important role in both the Borneo Futures citizen science activities and communication strategy. Her primary responsibilities fall under the KehatiKu citizen science programme, where she conducts wildlife and botanical data verification. She also helps with database cleaning and organization, and leads the development of the newsletter.   Bazilah
- [Muiz Wafiy Bio](https://borneofutures.org/muiz-wafiy/): Mu’iz Wafiy GIS Technician BA in Geography, Environment and Development 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn ORCiD Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Mu’iz is Geographic Information System (GIS) Technician at Borneo Futures, who joined the team in February 2024. His expertise involves working with spatial data to map, visualize, and analyse environmental and development projects. He was first introduced to the subject during his undergraduate studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam. In his final year at university, Mu’iz received formal training in ArcGIS Pro from a GIS engineer at NiAT, a Brunei-based company. He applied the skills he developed during this
- [Syazwan Omar Bio](https://borneofutures.org/syazwan-omar/): Syazwan Omar (Wano) Environmental Analyst & Acting External Engagement Coordinator Msc Geosciences, BSc Geology 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn ORCiD Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia Expertise Wano is an environmental analyst and external engagement coordinator at Borneo Futures, and a member of the senior management team. Wano worked across several projects related to conservation and sustainability, with a focus on geospatial science. With expertise in geosciences and advanced data analytics, Wano conducts research, GIS analyses, and field studies. His interests include soil and peat studies, supporting projects in environmental sustainability. He is currently taking the lead on Borneo Futures’
- [Nabillah Unus Bio](https://borneofutures.org/nabillah-unus/): Nabillah Unus Director, Lead Spatial Analyst Msc, BSc 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Nabillah play a central role in both the management of Borneo Futures and leading the geospatial unit. She has been a member of the team since the early days of Borneo Futures and has worked closely with Safwanah and Rona, and in mentoring Muiz when he joined the geospatial team. Her key responsibilities include managing the spatial unit, leading and supporting key spatial analysis and remote sensing projects, including the Microsoft Grant and UNEP-GRASP (United Nations Environment Programme) – Great Apes
- [Safwanah Said Bio](https://borneofutures.org/safwanah-said/): Safwanah Said Director, Assistant Manager, Spatial Analyst Msc, BSc 📍 Brunei Darussalam LinkedIn Countries I work in Brunei Darussalam Expertise Safwanah is part of both the senior management and geospatial teams at Borneo Futures. She first joined Borneo Futures in 2020, as a research officer with a focus on GIS Geospatial Mapping. Throughout her time at Borneo Futures, she has progressed to become a confident spatial analyst taking a leading role in Land Use Change (LUC) analyses, mapping, and spatial elements of research studies and other projects. Safwanah’s primary interest at Borneo Futures is conducting critical habitat assessments, where she
- [Emily Meijaard Bio](https://borneofutures.org/emily-meijaard/): Emily Meijaard Head of Communications Msc Global Health Policy, PgProfDev Understanding Planetary Health, PgCert Clinical Microbiology, PgCert Global Health and Infectious Disease, BSc (Hons.) Biomedical Science 📍 Greece LinkedIn ORCiD Emily leads communications at Borneo Futures, overseeing the development and delivery of content across social media, research outputs, and corporate communications. A passionate writer in both academic and creative contexts, Emily’s professional ambition is to make science accessible and actionable, translating research into meaningful outcomes for people and the planet. With an interdisciplinary background spanning planetary health, conservation science, infectious disease, and creative writing, she brings a broad and integrative
- [Rona Dennis Bio](https://borneofutures.org/rona-dennis/): Rona Dennis Director, Head of Geospatial Unit BSc (Physical Geography), MSc (Environmental Remote Sensing), PgCert(Sustainable Development) 📍 Brunei Darussalam, Greece LinkedIn Rona Dennis is a Director and Geospatial Lead at Borneo Futures, where she oversees daily operations, technical leadership, and strategic guidance. Her current focus is Borneo Futures’ citizen science programme, which includes innovative wildlife monitoring in production landscapes and with Indigenous and Local Communities. Alongside this, Rona plays a leading role in all geospatial projects and regularly contributes to scientific research. She also assumes a vital mentoring role within both the geospatial unit and the broader organization. Rona brings
- [Blogs](https://borneofutures.org/blogs/): BLOGS Check out our latest news below All 12 Days Wild: Nature Challenge Blog Journal Club KehatiKu Newsletter Meet the Scientist Wildlife Wednesday Meet the Scientist Meet the Scientist: Azizi Read More Blog Citizen Science Origins Read More Blog From Learning to Leadership: Safwanah’s Experience on the ASEAN-Australia… Read More Meet the Scientist Meet the Scientist: Mimi Read More Meet the Scientist Meet the Scientist: Muiz Read More Blog Brunei’s First Licensed HCV/HCS Assessor Leads the Way in… Read More Meet the Scientist Meet the Scientist: Safwanah Read More Meet the Scientist Meet the Scientist: Wano Read More Meet the
- [Publications](https://borneofutures.org/publications/): Publications Scientific articles published in scientific peer-reviewed journals Recent Publications Past Publications 2026 Stanton, D.W.G., Manin, A., Evin, A., Linderholm, A., Drinkwater, R. and Meijaard, E. (2026). Genomic and Morphometric Evidence for Austronesian-mediated Pig Translocation in the Pacific. Science, 391(6780). doi:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv4963. 2025 van Strien, A., Nardiyono, Meijaard, E., Suief, S. and Zaini, S. (2025). Occupancy Estimation of Wild Species in a Palm Oil Plantation Using Unstructured Data. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.11.664290. Meijaard, E. and Sheil, D. 2025. No Oil Crop Is Inherently Bad — But Our Thinking Might Be. Cell Reports Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100524 Frantz, L. et al., 2025. Genomic analyses reveal the complex histories of pig
- [Erik Meijaard Bio](https://borneofutures.org/erik-meijaard/): Erik Meijaard Managing Director Phd, Msc, BSc 📍 Brunei Darussalam, Greece LinkedIn Google Scholar ORCiD Erik Meijaard is the Managing Director of Borneo Futures Sdn Bhd, having set up Borneo Futures as a research initiative in 2010, together with Marc Ancrenaz, and turning it into a company in 2015. He now manages the company alongside co-owner, Rona Dennis. Erik splits his time between Brunei Darussalam and Europe, allowing him to engage with an international community of scientists and a range of projects, from citizen science initiatives deep in the Heart of Borneo, to sustainable oil crop research as part of
- [Research & Communication](https://borneofutures.org/research-communication/): Research & Communications Turning science into stories that inform, engage, and drive change Sharing Science for Change Conducting endless scientific studies is pointless unless we have a real impact that leads to change. Over the years, we have been active in science-based advocacy through newspaper articles, an active social media presence, and engagement with organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), especially through its Primate Specialist Group and Oil Palm Task Force. Blogs Publications
- [Focus Areas](https://borneofutures.org/focus-areas/): FOCUS Areas Applying science to address key environmental challenges Outcome-based Conservation Monitoring The world is facing a biodiversity crisis, and we can no longer afford to invest in ineffective conservation strategies. Optimising… Read more Outcome-based Conservation Monitoring The world is facing a biodiversity crisis, and we can no longer afford to invest in ineffective conservation strategies. Optimising conservation efforts requires large volumes of data, which are difficult to collect using traditional, time-bound biodiversity monitoring methods that rely on experts conducting surveys during fixed periods. Despite their widespread use, these methods cannot provide real-time data—a critical gap when addressing rapidly changing
- [Home](https://borneofutures.org/): Science for Change Borneo Futures Sdn Bhd is a scientific consultancy company based in Brunei Darussalam. Established in 2015, we engage with projects focused on innovative science that informs the practices and policies of environmental management in tropical forest areas. Scientific Services for Informed Decisions Our focus areas are mainly on research and implementation across tropical forest landscapes Focus Areas Geospatial Science Outcome-based Conservation Monitoring Sustainable Oil Crops Species Conservation Knowledge Sharing and Communications KehatiKu: Community-driven biodiversity science KehatiKu uses an innovative, incentive-based model for citizen science to generate verified wildlife population metrics that guide conservation decisions, support local livelihoods,
- [Our Team](https://borneofutures.org/our-team/): our team Our team brings together scientific expertise, technical skills, and local knowledge to deliver evidence-based solutions for environmental management in tropical forest landscapes. LEADERSHIP Erik Meijaard Managing Director About Me Rona Dennis Director & Geospatial Specialist About Me SENIOR MANAGEMENT Syazwan Omar Head of Biodiversity About Me Safwanah Said Director & Head of Geospatial About Me Azizi Sabri Head of IT About Me BIODIVERSITY TEAM Imam Mujiono Biodiversity Field Project Coordinator About Me Syafiie Sueif Biodiversity Research Officer About Me Bazilah Fakhri Biodiversity Research Apprentice About Me GEOSPATIAL TEAM Nabillah Unus Director & Lead Spatial Analyst About Me Muiz
- [About Us](https://borneofutures.org/about-us/): About Us Our people, purpose, and approach to science-led environmental work Who we are Borneo Futures Sdn Bhd is a Brunei-based company specialising in outcome-based conservation in tropical forest landscapes. Established in 2015, we engage with projects that focus on innovative science to inform the practices and policies of wildlife conservation management in tropical forest areas. Outcome-based Conservation Conservation practice is often input-based rather than output-based. We focus on what actually changes on the ground. Our monitoring systems move beyond checklists and static reports by tracking wildlife trends over time to produce quantitative indices of species presence and abundance, providing


[comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)